A high wheeler is a car which uses large diameter wheels that are similar to those used by horse-drawn vehicles.[1] These cars were produced until about 1915,[2] predominantly in the United States.
Design
editHigh wheelers were derived from horse-drawn wagons,[3] and often were conversions of these. Similarly to these wagons, they often had wood-spoke wheels, suspensions, and boxy wooden bodies.
The large-diameter slender wheels provided ample ground clearance on the primitive roads of the late 19th century, and frequently had solid rubber tires.[3]
These cars were produced in many body styles. The most common were the motorized wagon (utility vehicle)[4][5] runabout, roadster[6][7] and buggy,[8][9] some with detachable tonneaus.
- Examples of high wheelers
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Patent drawing for the Duryea Road Vehicle, 1895 -
George B. Selden driving an automobile in 1905 -
Lenoir Hippomobile, 1863
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History
editBefore gasoline engines became widely available, high wheelers were powered by electric motors or steam engines.
The decline of the high wheeler began when standard automobiles became more sophisticated and inexpensive. The end came with the popularity of the Ford Model T.[10] The last high wheelers were built around 1915.[2]
Manufacturers
editThe following companies produced high-wheeler cars:
- ABC
- Anchor Buggy
- Åtvidabergs Vagnfabrik
- Best
- Black
- Buckeye
- Clark-Hatfield
- Clymer Durable Motor Car Company
- Cole*
- Columbia Electric*
- De Schaum
- DeWitt
- Duer Coach & Carriage Company
- Duryea
- Economy Motor Car Company
- Electrobat
- Eureka
- Fuller*
- Hatfield
- Haynes-Apperson*
- Hobbie Accessible
- Holsman
- Holyoke
- International Harvester*
- Jeannin Henri Jeannin
- Jewell/Jewel*
- Keystone
- Kiblinger
- King*
- Lindsley[11]Lindsley Auto Chassis Company
- Luverne*
- McIntyre*
- Pomeroy Motor Vehicle Company
- Reliable Dayton
- Schacht*
- Sears
- Single Center
- Sperry Electric[12]
- Staver
- Strong & Rogers Electric
- Success
- Vaughn Manufacturing Company [13][14]
- Waverley Electric* [15]
- Woods*
- Zimmerman Manufacturing Company*
* Companies which also produced cars other than high wheelers
References
edit- ^ Clough, Albert (1913). A Dictionary of Automobile Terms. pp. 161. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ a b "1915 International MA: High-wheeling into history". www.autoweek.com. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ a b Haajanen, Lennart W. (2003). "High-wheeler". Illustrated Dictionary of Automobile Body Styles. Jefferson, NC USA: McFarland. p. 85. ISBN 0-7864-1276-3. LCCN 2002014546.
- ^ "Car of the Week: 1910 IHC Auto Wagon". www.oldcarsweekly.com. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "IHC Delivery Car". www.classiccarweekly.net. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "A Pair of Schachts". www.classiccarweekly.net. 24 September 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "1908 Holsman High-Wheel Runabout". www.classiccarweekly.net. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "Car of the Week: 1908 Sears Motor Buggy". www.oldcarsweekly.com. 5 June 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ "1908 Chicago Motor Buggy Type 112". www.classiccarweekly.net. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ G.N. Georgano, G.N. (1985). Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886–1930. London: Grange-Universal. p. 65. ISBN 1-59084-491-2.
- ^ "Lindsley". Archived from the original on 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-17.
- ^ Sperry Electric
- ^ Beverly Rae Kimes, Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard catalog of American Cars. 1805–1942. Digital Edition. 3. Publisher: Krause Publications, Iola 2013, ISBN 978-1-4402-3778-2, Page 1494
- ^ Marián Šuman-Hreblay: Automobile Manufacturers Worldwide Registry. McFarland & Company, London 2000, ISBN 978-0-7864-0972-3, Page 293
- ^ Waverley Electric
Sources
edit- Kimes, Beverly Rae and Clark Jr, Henry Austin. Standard Catalog of American Cars: 1805-1942 (Third Edition). Iola, WI: Krause. 1996. ISBN 0-87341-428-4