Prest-O-Lite

Mid State Level Public Record

Editorial estimate, not verified fact — Disclaimer

Pioneering manufacturer of automotive acetylene headlights and electrical storage batteries

Data Confidence: 84% · Sources: 5 · Last Updated: Sep 21, 2026

Net Worth ▲: Estimated $10M – $500M
Reach ▲: 5.0M people
Power ▲: Prest-O-Lite dominated the early 20th-century automotive lighting market through its nationwide network of acetylene charging plants and international distribution channels.
Influence ▲: Prest-O-Lite transformed night driving safety across North America before electric lighting became ubiquitous, while its factory relocation directly spurred the founding and industrial growth of Speedway, Indiana.
Network ▲: The company was established by prominent early automotive pioneers Carl G. Fisher and James A. Allison, whose profits from Prest-O-Lite funded the creation of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Allison Engineering Company.
Legacy ▲: Prest-O-Lite established the early automotive components industry standard, helped build Speedway, Indiana, and laid the foundation for modern heavy-duty electrical manufacturer Prestolite Electric.
Trajectory ▲: Rising ↑ — first assessment on record.

About

Prest-O-Lite was founded in 1904 in Indianapolis by Carl G. Fisher, James A. Allison, and P. C. Avery as the Concentrated Acetylene Company before changing its name in 1906. The company revolutionized early 20th-century automobility by producing safe, portable compressed acetylene gas canisters for vehicle headlights and later expanded into electrical storage batteries. After multiple early factory explosions in Indianapolis led to local manufacturing bans, the founders built a dedicated facility in 1912 that catalyzed the surrounding town of Speedway, Indiana, adjacent to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Union Carbide acquired Prest-O-Lite in 1917, and its automotive brand assets eventually evolved into the contemporary industrial manufacturer Prestolite Electric.