... but Rotunda was Specifically a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury parts supplier only..sort of an internal Ford Parts Supplier. Autolite and Motorcraft were different than Rotunda in that they made parts for other vehicles as well such as GM and Mopar, and not just Ford products.
)
Tony K.
Tony : Not quite correct. While Ford may have been the only major car manufacturer using Rotunda parts on the Assembly line, the Rotunda Service Parts line was just the opposite. Rotunda made some parts just for Fords going back to the late 50's, but in 1964 decided to push their brand to the full car market, touting the Rotunda line as having "Universal Applications". This can especially be seen in the Rotunda Accessories, which while they included instructions, templates, etc. for Ford bars, they also included them for "Universal Applications". The sole "Rotunda Only" parts catalog produced was in 1964, and the inset noted that it was for all car makes (picture attached). They did have separate specific parts catalogs, like the 1967 Rotunda Muffler catalog (picture attached), which again noted that it was for "all makes". During Rotunda's "heydays" of mid 60's to early 70's, FoMoCo parts, just for the Ford Family of cars, were still being produced. As a matter of fact, going back to the 50's, I can't think of any FoMoCo parts, other than maintenance products, that were "touted " to be of "Universal Application" (not to say that some couldn't have been used as such).
Just thought that I'd clarify this a bit so that someone reading your Post doesn't think that "Rotunda Parts" were only "Ford Parts". They were actually much like the Autolite parts you mentioned.
Bob
