Early American Automobiles Special Autos

Early American Automobiles

Special Automobiles

Home Amesbury Body Makers MA Automobiles Automobiles Merrimac Auto Bodies Pioneers Links Auto Ads E. Rickenbacker 1902 Thomas Automobile Special Automobiles Wells Automobile Museum

amesburyspecial2.jpg (159900 bytes)

1915 Amesbury Special Chevrolet

1899 Marlborough Stanhope

autos4009.jpg (428931 bytes)

1929 Hudson Model L Limousine
Body by Biddle and Smart

The Hudson was powered by a straight six cylinder with a wheelbase of 139 inches and was built especially for Roy Chapin, one of the founders of the Hudson Company.

Below are images and descriptions of Franklin Automobiles taken from the 1985 issue of Franklin Automobile club's Air Cooled News magazine. These photographs and information was provided by John Bartley who was born and raised in Amesbury and whose mother and father worked for Walker. He wrote the John Bartley Papers that are in the public library when he was in high school. These papers give a very definitive description of the body makers in Amesbury. He now lives in Watertown, Ma. and loaned me his copy of the magazine to use on this website. These were some of Walker's finest work and were shown at the New York Salon Show where only the most prestigous cars could be shown.

autos3274.jpg (105157 bytes)

1925 Bay State Convertible Coupe
R. H. Long Co. Framingham, MA
1922-1926
Only on this web site

walker5a.jpg (40310 bytes)

walker5b.jpg (115290 bytes)

walker5c.jpg (54230 bytes)

walker1.jpg (92649 bytes)

walkerb.jpg (64195 bytes)

walker2.jpg (109379 bytes)

walkera.jpg (110953 bytes)

walker4.jpg (144493 bytes)

walkerc.jpg (93043 bytes)

walker6.jpg (214305 bytes)

reevesocto.jpg (341412 bytes)

1912 Reeves Sexto-octo Eight Wheeler
The Reeves Sexto-Octo Co. Co. Columbus, IN
1911-1912

glide.jpg (111064 bytes)

Kris Wilson's Great Grandfather with his family and his 1910 Glide Touring Automobile made by
The Bartholomew Co. Peoria, IL 1903-1920
Courtesy of Kris Wilson, Destin, FL, Round House Record Co.

autos4002.jpg (81778 bytes)

autos3329.jpg (98197 bytes)

1901 Bridgeport Steamer
Bridgeport Automobile Co, Bridgeport, Ct.
1901-1903
Body made by Currier, Cameron, and Co, Amesbury, Ma.

Shown at the Fifth Steam Festival in Bochum, Germany, Saturday, May 12, 2007. Built 1903. No other references show this automobile. The tanks contain five gallons of petroleum(kerosine) and 17 1/2 gallons of water.

autos4002.jpg (81778 bytes)

1922 Marmon Pace Car Speedster Model 34B
Nordyke and Marmon Co. Indianapolis, IN
1902-1925

Body by Hume Carriage Co., Boston, formerly from Amesbury

Marmon supplied the pace car driven by Barney Oldfield in the 1920 Indianapolis 500, and most Marmon historians believe the aluminum body was designed by W.E. Pierce, and built by Hume. From 1920-1924, Hume built production bodies for the Marmon series 34, one of which was a pace car replica called the Pace Car Speedster. Painted in Marmon Racing Yellow with black fenders it was first offered to the public in 1921. It featured seating for two only, with golf club doors permitting access to the storage area located in its bee tail rear end. On certain models, a drawer slid out from the golf club door creating a backrest so an occasional passenger could site or ride! on the running board. Only one known

1909 Chase Delivery Wagon
Chase Motor Truck Co. Syracuse, NY
1907-1912

1915 Ford Model T Circus Calliope Truck

1915 Ford Model T Circus Calliope Truck and Popcorn Wagon

1922 Marmon Model 34B

The December 1920 issue of the Marmon Post announced the introduction of two new W.E. Pierce designed body styles: a 4-passenger sedan and a 7-passenger Suburban, both with rear-hinged doors. The bodies would be supplied through E.E. Wing and the Marmon New York Co, and were available through any Marmon dealer. Most of them were built at Humes Boston body plant, but due to the anticipation of brisk sales, the Springfield Metal Body Co. of Springfield, Massachusetts, would produce additional examples as needed. Hume's factory was in Amesbury from 1853-1910. . He bought the Huntington Carriage Company in 1858. Huntington was the first carriage factory to use the assembly in 1853. Hume built the first bodies for Grout in 1896-1898 and he used the assembly line for automobiles five years before Ransom Olds.