1903 Holsman Runabout
THF91267 / 1903 Holsman Runabout
01
Artifact Overview
This 1903 Holsman runabout could negotiate America's early rural roads. Its big wheels with puncture-proof solid rubber tires cleared ruts, climbed hills, and traveled through dirt, sand and mud. These high-wheelers were inexpensive and low maintenance. High-wheelers were especially popular with farmers until better, cheaper automobiles became available.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Automobile
Date Made
1903
Creators
Place of Creation
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in Driving America
Object ID
00.241.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Henry Wilkerson.
Material
Steel (Alloy)
Metal
Wood (Plant material)
Leather
Color
Black (Color)
Red
Yellow (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 63.25 in
Width: 64 in
Length: 105.25 in
Specifications
Make & Model: 1903 Holsman runabout
Maker: Holsman Automobile Company, Chicago, Illinois
Engine: horizontally opposed 2, T-head valves, 64 cubic inches
Transmission: 2-speed manual
Height: 63.5 inches
Wheelbase: 60 inches
Width: 64 inches
Overall length: 105.5 inches
Weight: 650 pounds
Horsepower: 5
Pounds per horsepower: 130
Price: $675
Average 1903 wage: $489 per year
Time you'd work to buy this car: about 1 year, 5 months
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Content
SetAmerican Auto Industry, 1805-2010
- 21 Artifacts
This vehicle is the oldest surviving American automobile. In the 1860s, a small steam carriage running under its own power -- without horses! -- was so startling that people paid to see it driven. It was a curiosity, not transportation. By the time its inventor, Sylvester Roper, died in 1896, new innovators were transforming horseless carriages from curiosities into practical vehicles.
SetVehicle Viewer
- 99 Artifacts
Americans didn't invent the automobile, but we embraced it and quickly made it our own. Cars cruise through our music, movies, and dreams. They drive innovation and create frustration. They are objects of beauty and sources of blight. The vehicles in the "Driving America" exhibit reveal how the car reshaped our culture and landscape. The decisions we make now, individually and collectively, will define our automotive future.