Written by Bill Bowman, General Motors Media Archive Product Expert

Bendix Corporation was founded in 1924 and manufactured automobile brake systems. The company's founder, Vincent Bendix, himself an inventor, joined with French inventor Henri Perrot to manufacture brake systems in South Bend, Indiana, in 1924; and by 1928 the Bendix Corporation was producing 3,600,000 brakes per year, primarily for General Motors.

In 1928, Bendix Corporation acquired control of Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira, New York, which had been producing Vincent Bendix automotive starter since 1914. In 1929, the company name was changed to the Bendix Aviation Corporation. They became the founder and sponsor of the Bendix Continental Air Race, as well as the donor of the first trophy. He acquired rights to the Stromberg Carburetor for aircraft engines and produced the devices, as well as other components for the aviation industry. The company was known as the Bendix Aviation Corporation until 1960, when it reverted to the name Bendix Corporation.

From 1928 to 1948, General Motors was a major stockholder in Bendix. During that time, Bendix built and supplied brakes, carburetors, starters, aviation instruments and electric equipment, radios and automotive testing equipment to GM. But in 1948, GM disposed of all its remaining Bendix shares. Since 1982, Bendix has been a subsidiary of Allied Corporation. The company is now an international manufacturer and supplier of automotive components, house building materials, and other equipment. In 1999, Allied Signal and Honeywell Inc. merged together and adopted the Honeywell name. Honeywell now has a brand line of Bendix /King Avionics, apart from this brand name use Bendix has disappeared.

Contrary to popular belief, the Bendix Corporation never manufactured washing machines. In 1936, the company licensed its name to Bendix Home Appliances, a South Bend company, for a 25% stake in that company.

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