ors ▁Dies el ▁Division . ▁▁ ▁Gray ▁also ▁produced ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁out board ▁mot ors ▁without ▁the ▁typical ▁nin ety - deg ree ▁g ear box . ▁A ▁cur ved ▁housing ▁connected ▁motor ▁to ▁prop eller . ▁The ▁lower - unit ▁housing ▁contained ▁a ▁flexible ▁inner ▁rot ating ▁sh aft . ▁ ▁Orig ins ▁Gray ▁Marine ▁started ▁as ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Y acht ▁and ▁Power ▁Company ▁by ▁O . ▁Mul ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁deal er ▁for ▁the ▁Sint z ▁gas ▁engine , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁marine ▁engines . ▁It ▁bought ▁out ▁Sint z ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 . ▁Michigan ▁vent ured ▁into ▁autom obile ▁engines ▁and ▁was ▁re - brand ed ▁Gray ▁Motor ▁Company ▁about ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁by ▁O . ▁Mul ford ▁and ▁his ▁partners ▁Paul ▁and ▁David ▁Gray . ▁Charles ▁King , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁invest ors , ▁used ▁a ▁Gray ▁engine ▁in ▁King ▁autom ob iles . ▁Within ▁a ▁few ▁years , ▁the ▁Gray ▁Motor ▁Company ▁was ▁building ▁ 7 0 0 0 ▁engines ▁a ▁year . ▁Some ▁would ▁go ▁into ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁lif eb o ats , ▁and ▁others ▁would ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁p ump ▁units ▁for ▁Western ▁Front ▁tren ch ▁service . ▁These ▁were ▁called ▁Vict ory ▁mot ors . ▁Vict ory ▁engines ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁by ▁Tra ffic ▁Motor ▁T ruck ▁Corporation ▁of ▁St ▁Louis , ▁Koh ler ▁T ruck ▁of ▁New ▁Jersey , ▁Pan hard ▁tr uck , ▁and ▁the ▁Crow - El