Jump to content

Ford Quadricycle: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
top: Fixed grammar
Tags: canned edit summary Mobile edit Mobile app edit Android app edit
slight changes
Line 25: Line 25:
The '''Ford Quadricycle''' was the first vehicle developed by [[Henry Ford]]. Ford's first car was a simple frame with a gas-powered engine mounted onto four bicycle wheels.<ref name="books.google.com"/>
The '''Ford Quadricycle''' was the first vehicle developed by [[Henry Ford]]. Ford's first car was a simple frame with a gas-powered engine mounted onto four bicycle wheels.<ref name="books.google.com"/>


The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and were very expensive. The peculiar machines were seen as toys for the rich.<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |title=Crazy Cars |last=Doeden |first=Matt |year=2007 |publisher=Lerner Publications |isbn= 978-0-8225-6565-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzvq_4WqIjQC&dq=quadricycle+ford&pg=PA4}}</ref>
The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and were very expensive. The machines were seen as toys for the rich.<ref name="books.google.com">{{cite book |title=Crazy Cars |last=Doeden |first=Matt |year=2007 |publisher=Lerner Publications |isbn= 978-0-8225-6565-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nzvq_4WqIjQC&dq=quadricycle+ford&pg=PA4}}</ref>
In the 1890s, the "horseless carriage" was a relatively new idea, with no one having a fixed, universal idea of what a car should look like or how it should work. Most of the first car builders were inventors, rather than businessmen, working with their imaginations and the parts they had on hand.<ref name="books.google.com"/> Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for the future, with more practical designs to follow.
In the 1890s, the "horseless carriage" was a relatively new idea, with no one having a fixed, universal idea of what a car should look like or how it should work. Most of the first car builders were inventors, rather than businessmen, working with their imaginations and the parts they had on hand.<ref name="books.google.com"/> Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for the future, with more practical designs to follow.


On June 4, 1896, in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Avenue, Detroit,<ref name="Clymer">Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p. 58.</ref><ref name="hfha">{{cite web|url=http://hfha.org/ford-timeline/|publisher=hfha.org|title=Henry Ford Story Timeline - Henry Ford Heritage Association|accessdate=2016-11-27}}</ref> where the [[Michigan Building]] now stands, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor. After more than two years of experimentation, Ford, at the age of 32, had completed his first experimental [[automobile]]. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle", so named because it ran on four bicycle tires, and because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels.<ref name="Brinkley">Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress'', (New York: Penguin Group, 2003), p. 22</ref> The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the [[Detroit Automobile Company]] in 1899, followed by the [[Henry Ford Company]] in 1901 and then later the [[Ford Motor Company]] in 1903.<ref name="hfmgv">[http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html The Showroom of Automotive History: 1896 Quadricycle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615125140/http://hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html |date=2010-06-15 }}</ref>
On June 4, 1896, in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Avenue, Detroit,<ref name="Clymer">Clymer, Floyd. ''Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925'' (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p. 58.</ref><ref name="hfha">{{cite web|url=http://hfha.org/ford-timeline/|publisher=hfha.org|title=Henry Ford Story Timeline - Henry Ford Heritage Association|accessdate=2016-11-27}}</ref> where the [[Michigan Building]] now stands, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor. After more than two years of experimentation, Ford, at the age of 32, had completed his first experimental [[automobile]]. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle", so named because it ran on four bicycle tires, and because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels.<ref name="Brinkley">Brinkley, David, ''Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress'', (New York: Penguin Group, 2003), p. 22</ref> The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the [[Detroit Automobile Company]] in 1899, followed by the [[Henry Ford Company]] in 1901 and then later the [[Ford Motor Company]] in 1903.<ref name="hfmgv">[http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html The Showroom of Automotive History: 1896 Quadricycle] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615125140/http://hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1896/quad.html |date=2010-06-15 }}</ref>


The two cylinder engine could produce 4 horsepower.<ref>[http://remarkablecars.com/wiki/index.php/1896_Ford_Quadricycle 1896 Ford Quadricycle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813034937/http://remarkablecars.com/wiki/index.php/1896_Ford_Quadricycle |date=2012-08-13 }} RemarkableCars.com</ref> The Quadricycle was driven by a chain. The [[Transmission (mechanics)|transmission]] had only two gears (first for up to {{convert|10|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, 2nd for up to {{convert|20|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}), but did not have a reverse gear. The [[tiller]]-steered machine had wire wheels and a {{convert|3|usgal|L|abbr=on}} fuel tank under the seat.<ref name="Clymer"/> Ford test drove it on June 4, 1896, after various test drives, achieving a top speed of {{convert|20|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Clymer"/> Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men.<ref name="books.google.com"/>
The two cylinder engine could produce 4 horsepower.<ref>[http://remarkablecars.com/wiki/index.php/1896_Ford_Quadricycle 1896 Ford Quadricycle] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813034937/http://remarkablecars.com/wiki/index.php/1896_Ford_Quadricycle |date=2012-08-13 }} RemarkableCars.com</ref> The Quadricycle was driven by a chain. The [[Transmission (mechanics)|transmission]] had only two gears (first for up to {{convert|10|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}, 2nd for up to {{convert|20|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}), but did not have a reverse gear. The machine was steered using a [[tiller]], had wire wheels and a {{convert|3|usgal|L|abbr=on}} fuel tank under the seat.<ref name="Clymer"/> Ford test drove it on June 4, 1896, after various test drives, achieving a top speed of {{convert|20|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Clymer"/> Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men.<ref name="books.google.com"/>


The original Quadricycle resides at [[The Henry Ford|The Henry Ford Museum]] in [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]], Michigan.
The original Quadricycle resides at [[The Henry Ford|The Henry Ford Museum]] in [[Dearborn, Michigan|Dearborn]], Michigan.

Revision as of 00:34, 14 June 2024

Ford Quadricycle
Overview
ManufacturerHenry Ford
Also calledThe horseless carriage
Production1896–1901 Ford sold his first Quadricycle for $200 in 1896 to Charles Ainsley. He later built two more Quadricycles: one in 1899, and another in 1901. He eventually bought his first one back for $60.[1] (according to Ford Museum records)
DesignerHenry Ford
Body and chassis
Body style2-seat roadster
Powertrain
Engine2-cylinder
Transmission2-speed (no reverse)[2]
Dimensions
Wheelbase49 in (1,200 mm)
Curb weight500 lb (230 kg)[2]
Chronology
SuccessorFord Model A (1903–04)

The Ford Quadricycle was the first vehicle developed by Henry Ford. Ford's first car was a simple frame with a gas-powered engine mounted onto four bicycle wheels.[3]

The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and were very expensive. The machines were seen as toys for the rich.[3] In the 1890s, the "horseless carriage" was a relatively new idea, with no one having a fixed, universal idea of what a car should look like or how it should work. Most of the first car builders were inventors, rather than businessmen, working with their imaginations and the parts they had on hand.[3] Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for the future, with more practical designs to follow.

On June 4, 1896, in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Avenue, Detroit,[2][4] where the Michigan Building now stands, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor. After more than two years of experimentation, Ford, at the age of 32, had completed his first experimental automobile. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle", so named because it ran on four bicycle tires, and because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels.[5] The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the Detroit Automobile Company in 1899, followed by the Henry Ford Company in 1901 and then later the Ford Motor Company in 1903.[6]

The two cylinder engine could produce 4 horsepower.[7] The Quadricycle was driven by a chain. The transmission had only two gears (first for up to 10 mph (16 km/h), 2nd for up to 20 mph (32 km/h)), but did not have a reverse gear. The machine was steered using a tiller, had wire wheels and a 3 US gal (11 L) fuel tank under the seat.[2] Ford test drove it on June 4, 1896, after various test drives, achieving a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h).[2] Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men.[3]

The original Quadricycle resides at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

See also

References

  1. ^ Herndon, Ford: An Unconventional Biography of the Men and Their Times, (New York: Weybright & Talley, 1969), p. 62; also Flammang et al., Ford Chronicle, (Publications International, 1992), p. 9 (as cited in Brinkley, David, Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress, (New York: Penguin Group, 2003), p. 23
  2. ^ a b c d e Clymer, Floyd. Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877–1925 (New York: Bonanza Books, 1950), p. 58.
  3. ^ a b c d Doeden, Matt (2007). Crazy Cars. Lerner Publications. ISBN 978-0-8225-6565-9.
  4. ^ "Henry Ford Story Timeline - Henry Ford Heritage Association". hfha.org. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  5. ^ Brinkley, David, Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress, (New York: Penguin Group, 2003), p. 22
  6. ^ The Showroom of Automotive History: 1896 Quadricycle Archived 2010-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ 1896 Ford Quadricycle Archived 2012-08-13 at the Wayback Machine RemarkableCars.com