American Automobiles of the Brass Era

From Abbott-Detroit to Zip, this unique reference book documents American gasoline-powered automobiles manufactured for the model years 1906 through 1915, the Brass Era. In these explosive early years of automotive history, a vast number of manufacturers—most of which failed within two years—produced a range of cars whose sheer diversity is unmatched in later times. The short corporate lifespans and constant change throughout the industry left a fragmented historical record, with data about specific models scarce and scattered in later sources. Here the basic facts of 4,000+ cars, painstakingly researched in all available period sources, are collected and trends of the era are analyzed.

Robert D. Dluhy, a retired electrical engineer and longtime enthusiast of both Brass Era and Classic Era cars, has restored several cars and tours regularly in his 1913 Hudson Model 37 Torpedo and 1931 Pierce-Arrow Model 43 Sport Phaeton.

Robert D. Dluhy
Format: softcover (8.5 x 11)
Pages: 220
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7136-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1529-5
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


List of Figures and Tables ix

Preface 1

Part I. Statistical and Historical Overview 3

 1. Data Collection and Organization 3

 2. Historical Context 12

 3. Automobile Manufacturers 16

 4. Number of Cylinders 20

 5. Engine Displacement 23

 6. Horsepower 33

 7. Steering Position 39

 8. Price 41

 9. Wheelbase 45

10. Tire Sizes and Automobile Weights 48

11. Summary and Conclusions 52

Part II. Automobile Models by Manufacturer 53

Part III. Automobile Models by Year 131

Chapter Notes 205

Bibliography 206

Index 209

Thomas McKean Memorial Cup Award—Antique Automobile Club of America
“a serious reference book…. All serious auto historians will be indebted to Robert Dluhy…unique valuable data”—SAH Journal; “most welcome…a magnificent research tool”—HCCA Gazette; “valuable”—Antique Automobile; “massive statistical reference…if you’re addicted to baseball-voluminous stats on the days of really old cars, this intriguing book will fix your craving nicely”—Hemmings Classic Car.