[1] The Wayne Works, Inc. had been making farm implements since the 1870s, and supposedly in 1901 the company president, Walter W. Schultz, asked the chief engineer Jack St. John to design an automobile "because everyone else is."

Richmond, Indiana would be home to several car makes including Davis, Pilot and Westcott.

St. John designed a two-cylinder air-cooled touring car, which was sold to a local businessman.

The Richmond was a mid-priced car of the time, well regarded locally for its reliability and hill-climbing abilities.

In 1917, the automobile department was closed, and the Wayne Works continued production of commercial truck bodies and agricultural tools.