This blog will expand on themes and topics first mentioned in my book, "The Automobile and American Life." I hope to comment on recent developments in the automobile industry, reviews of my readings on the history of the automobile, drafts of my new work, contributions from friends, descriptions of the museums and car shows I attend and anything else relevant. Copyright 2009-2020, by the author.
Popular Posts
-
My 1971 Porsche 911T Targa Written for younger readers: Sports car is an automobile designed more for performance than for carrying passeng...
-
Hi folks -- I was visiting with Ed Garten on Friday morning at a local Panera in Beavercreek, Ohio when Ed noticed that a Mary Kay Cadillac ...
-
So what is a rat rod? These are becoming increasingly popular, as witenssed by the several at the Friday night cruise in and today at the C...
-
Hi Folks -- Visiting back in Centerville, I read the Dayton Daily News this rainy Easter morning and found an rather lengthy article on Donk...
-
Raising an Alarm The wave of auto thefts in the early 1970s and the failure of manufacturers to make prod...
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Flyer -- the world's first sportscar? I doubt it!! 1916-1925
Beginning in 1916, A.O. Smith of Milwaukee manufactured a five wheel vehicle that some have dubbed "the world's first sportscar." I doubt that -- maybe the 1908 Haynes-Apperson Jack Rabbitt or 1913 Mercer.
In 1919 Briggs and stratton would take over production which would last until 1925.
It had 5 wheels on the ground, why the fifth wheel supplying the power. A one-cylinder engine was mounted to the wheel. A shift lever up front enabled the driver to raise the motorized wheel of th ground, thus idling the small car without stopping the engine.
Before the Flyer a similar apparatus was connected to a bicycle.
In the end -- 1925 -- an electric powered version was made, and it became popular in amusement parks and known as the "red bug."
The Flyer was not a toy -- it had top speeds up to 25 mph and got 80-100 miles per gallon.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment