1903 Holsman. Farmers were not automobile fans at first. Wealthy drivers roared through the countryside, raising dust and spooking horses. But farmers changed their minds when affordable “high-wheelers” like the Holsman came along. High-wheelers had big wheels that cleared ruts, puncture-proof soild rubber tires, and air-cooled engines that needed no water. But they tended to rattle apart and were often underpowered. As other autos became better and cheaper, farmers abandoned high-wheelers.
1903 Oldsmobile runabout. When it inspires a song, you know it’s popular. This Olds was the bestselling car in America from 1902 to 1905. Automobiles had an emotional appeal. A driver in 1901 said that controlling a car satisfied “an almost universal sense, the love of power?” Despite the attraction, cars were not a significant player in the transportation world. In 1903, 4000 people bought Oldsmobiles, but more than 900,000 bought buggies and carriages.
1896 Ford Quadricycle. This car—Henry Ford’s first is one of few surviving early experimental vehicles. Ford was one of dozens of Americans and Europeans in the 1890s trying to build a carriage that needed no horses. He could have used steam or electricity to power his car but instead chose a gasoline-burning internal-combustion engine. Several experimental cars and two failed companies later, he finally succeeded in 1903 with Ford Motor Company.
1865 Roper steam carriage. The oldest surviving American Automobile. Smoke-belching steam locomotives were familiar sights to Americans in the 1 860s. But a small steam carriage running under its own power—without horses! —was so startling that people paid to see it driven around a track. It was a curiosity, not transportation. By the time its inventor, Sylvester Roper, died in 1896, the next generation of innovators was trying to transform horseless carriages from curiosities into practical vehicles.
Abbot Downing Concord Coach, 1891. For much of the 1800s, traveling long distances usually meant riding public coaches “in stages.” An elaborate network of routes connected cities and towns. After railroads became common in the mid-1800s, stagecoaches still carried people on the next leg of their journey—often from the railroad depot to another town or nearby hotel. This coach was used into the early 1900s.
2010 Edison2. This prize-winning concept car was created to accomplish an engineering goal—to deliver more than 100 miles per gallon while accommodating four passengers. Its designers reduced the amount of energy required to move the car by focusing on two key objectives: reducing the weight and reducing the wind resistance. Lightweight materials, clever engineering, and a sleek body did the trick.
1941 Lincoln Continental convertible. Inspired by a 1938 trip to continental Europe, Edsel Ford worked with Lincoln stylists on a custom car with a sophisticated “continental” look. Reaction was so positive that Ford Motor Company put the car into production. The resulting Lincoln Continentals, built between 1939 and 1948, are now regarded as some of the most beautiful automobiles ever built. This 1941 model was Edsel Ford’s personal car.
1903 Ford Model A runabout. Henry Ford contracted with John and Horace Dodge, owners of one of Detroit’s major machine shops, to manufacture the engine, transmission, and chassis of the Model A. Ford Motor Company added the wheels, body, and trim. The Dodges started making their own car in 1914.
1908 Ford Model S roadster. The Model S was an accidental design. The Model R was based on the Model N, using the same engine and chassis but with a wider body, larger wheels, and running boards. When the company ran out of Model R bodies and wheels, it put the R’s running boards on the Model N and called it the Model S.
1932 Ford V-8 cabriolet. The 1932 Fords are beautiful cars with excellent proportions. They are also rare. The Great Depression drove sales down to about 254,000, the lowest number since 1913. Of those vehicles, 70 percent came equipped with Ford’s innovative new V-8 engine and 30 percent with a four-cylinder.
Henry Ford’s Experimental Tractor. Henry Ford’s farming roots led to a lifelong desire to make farmers’ work easier. This experimental tractor, which Ford called his “automotive plow,” used available parts like a 1905 Model B Ford engine, a 1907 Model K Ford radiator, and rear wheels borrowed from a grain binder.
1952 Wienermobile. In 1936, the Oscar Mayer Company began to promote their hot dogs on the streets of Chicago with the very first Wienermobile. The only 1952 model in its original design, the Wienermobile in our collection served as a prototype for Oscar Mayer’s more recent 1988 fleet. The Wienermobile reflects an innovative combination of transportation and product promotion that brings together two of America’s greatest loves—cars and hot dogs. Can you sing the song?
