Smith Flyer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Smith Flyer was an American automobile manufactured in Milwaukee from 1917 until about 1920. A bizarre, basic contraption, it consisted of four bicycle wheels linked by wooden planks; these served both as floor and as suspension. The only bodywork was a pair of bucket seats. A "Smith Motor Wheel" — a power pack attachment designed primarily for use with pedal cycles — was mounted at the rear of the vehicle to supply it with power. This fifth wheel could be lifted off of the road by the "clutch" pedal, which served no other function. The wheels could be replaced by ski runners for use in winter. The car had no body and braking power was applied to one wheel only.
The Smith Flyer appears to have been created as a response to the popularity of the Motor Wheel, over 60,000 units of which were sold in the United States during its years of production. The car was built by Briggs & Stratton, a company in Milwaukee best known for its motor scooters, from 1920 until 1923; the same company also produced a 12v electric car, the Auto Red Bug, from 1923 until 1928. The price tag at the time was around $200. Briggs hoped that by increasing the engine power from 1hp to 2 hp and adding a flywheel magneto, the automobile would become more popular. Even with a slightly larger engine, the Flyer was considered one of the crudest automobiles ever sold[1].
A few Smith Flyers still exist in collections around the country, and blueprints for the car are available online.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles
