One of the First Gasoline Powered Vehicles in the United States
Haynes-Apperson was founded by Elwood Haynes and brothers Elmer and Edgar Apperson. In 1894, the trio built one of the first gasoline powered vehicles in the United States, at Apperson's Riverside Machine Works. By 1898 the company was producing one new car every two to three weeks, and selling early models for US$2,000. At the end of that year, they relocated the company to a large factory where they designed two additional models. The following year (1899) production had increased to 30 new cars – by 1900 the figure was 192, and by 1901 it reached 240. At a time before production-line assembly of motor vehicles, to achieve these figures the company need to remain up and running 24 hours a day, running two shifts of workers.
Haynes-Apperson automobiles were known for their "long distance running" capability. The company regularly competed their cars in endurance races. A Haynes-Apperson was among the cars entered in the first automobile race in America, the Chicago Times-Herald race from Chicago and Evanston, Illinois in 1895. The last model designed by the company had a three-speed transmission and was capable of 24 mph on pneumatic tyres. In 1902, the brothers had turned a large profit from the enterprise and they decided to split up to form their own companies. The Apperson automobile company was formed that year, and in 1905, Haynes-Apperson was renamed the Haynes Automobile Company.
The 1904 Haynes-Apperson Light Car was a runabout seating two passengers, selling for $1,550. The horizontal-mounted water-cooled flat twin, situated at the rear of the car, produced 11 hp (8.2 kW). A 3-speed transmission was fitted, and the car used an angle iron frame. The Tonneau had a similar flat-twin of 17 hp (12.7 kW), situated at the front of the car, and three-speed transmission was fitted. The angle iron-framed car weighed 2300 lb (1043 kg), seated five, and sold for US$2,500.
|
