▁the ▁company ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁general ▁manager . ▁He ▁accepted ▁an ▁award ▁for ▁his ▁brother ▁from ▁the ▁Press ▁Club ▁of ▁Indiana ▁after ▁they ▁were ▁hon ored ▁for ▁" the ir ▁achiev ement ▁in ▁building ▁the ▁first ▁pract ically ▁commer cially ▁successful ▁American ▁autom obile ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁Ed gar ▁App erson ▁started ▁making ▁a ▁new ▁model ▁for ▁the ▁company ' s ▁ 2 5 th ▁anni versary , ▁an ▁autom obile ▁that ▁would ▁now ▁have ▁V - type ▁fan ▁bel t ▁and ▁pul ley ▁and ▁a ▁g ear shift ▁above ▁the ▁ste ering ▁wheel ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁floor board . ▁With ▁El mer ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 ▁at ▁an ▁auto ▁race ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles , ▁Ed gar ▁was ▁named ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁the ▁company ▁would ▁ultimately ▁become ▁trouble d ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁president , ▁Don ▁C . ▁McC ord , ▁who ▁would ▁remove ▁the ▁name ▁" App erson " ▁from ▁the ▁company ▁and ▁would ▁lead ▁Ed gar ▁App erson ▁to ▁ret ire ▁from ▁the ▁company ▁a ▁year ▁later . ▁His ▁company ▁would ▁go ▁bank rupt ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁while ▁the ▁new ▁own ers ▁wanted ▁to ▁increase ▁production . ▁App erson ▁retired ▁to ▁Wisconsin ▁until ▁returning ▁to ▁Phoenix , ▁Arizona ▁where ▁he ▁would ▁invest ▁in ▁farm ▁lands ▁of ▁Salt ▁River ▁Valley ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3