In this first post of our second year, we come back full circle to reconsider the remarkable concept of “speedster.”
You will recall in Post 1, we defined the term in a concise, usable manner:
A Speedster is a simple but powerful car used for speed, fun, and adventure.
And in Post 2, we discussed the first three ages of speedsters as they evolved in body types and purpose. The cutdown of the first age or period, from 1904-1918, is considered the classic of the model. Certainly it is the most recognizable!
Note the clear difference between the Cole Roadster and its Speedster in this 1911 ad. Both, however, carried a utility shelf like that of a runabout. Image courtesy Horseless Carriage Foundation Library
In Post 3, we critiqued the SAE’s efforts to systematize automotive vernacular into definable body types that were being inconsistently applied between the various automakers of the period. Controversies among the general public arose from the SAE’s consolidations of terms and abandonment of holdovers from the days of horse-driven carriages. By 1918, that industry was moribund, rendering many terms defunct, so it seemed appropriate that the SAE would put forth new and improved definitions of model types.
Mainly, we questioned why the SAE neglected to define “speedster,” which was a commonly used term by the time of its final report (1922), but rather, chose to have at least three different definitions for kinds of roadsters. Two of the types would disappear by the 1940s! So much for decision by committee…
This report in 1916 paved the way for updated and systematic definitions for body types. Unfortunately, many went by the wayside by 1940. Record courtesy UC-Berkeley Library
The name “speedster” originated among the people of the period, probably a slang term to describe someone or something going fast. How did it jump over to autos and autoists? For perspective, let’s look at a report from an automotive journal of the time.
Origin?
Did the runabout give rise to the speedster? An editorial appeared in Motor Age from its January 14, 1909 edition entitled “Utility of the Runabout.”
In the first paragraph, the writer hails the liberation of the runabout from its former role:
With the final separation of the runabout from the light car, the runabout as a type [now] stands alone… This is fortunate [for the runabout], because its reputation has sustained severe injury in every case in which the little car has been compelled to “tote” a tonneau.
For clarification purposes, a horse-drawn tonneau was an open compartment vehicle with rear passenger seating and a rear entrance due to the large wagon wheels of the time blocking the sides. Because chain drives dominated automobile propulsion in the first decade of the 1900s, side doors in the rear passenger area were also not possible, and thus the rear entrance tonneau was the way to go. Given that it had a rear entrance, this often precluded a fixed roof or convertible top for weather protection.
Tonneaus in the carriage trade were smaller versions of other open carriages; some tonneaus were even used to haul workers, while the larger-style carriages had room enough for temporary fold-down seating if one needed to carry a larger group. Tonneaus in automobiles typically carried two-three passengers behind the driver in an open box, and touring cars carried up to four comfortably with two jump seats as well. Tonneaus could also have been a detachable component.
1909-10 Knox Model S Touring. Note the space for the rear seating and the folding jump seats. Not possible in a tonneau-style auto. Private collection
Motorized vehicles of this period were still heavily influenced by their horse-drawn heritage and had not entirely broken from the large, the cumbersome, the ornate. Many autos were outfitted with overstuffed upholstery, a style of the times, while others were festooned with useless baubles that entertained passengers and impressed bystanders, yet contributed not a whit to the vehicle’s use or performance.
1911 Knox Model S Tonneauette. Note the cozy seating in the rear due to the folding top. Private collection
1911 Knox Double-Rumble Raceabout. Same car as above, but without the clutter of a tonneau compartment. Of course, with no windshield and no top for the rear-seat passengers, this made for an exciting and adventurous drive. Hey - what do you expect? it’s a speedster! Private collection
The runabout was a rebel, an upstart, a little scadabout skeedaddler that drove rings around its larger cousins. The writer of the column in Motor Age asserted that the runabout had, up to 1909, been saddled with carting around a tonneau, but now that the shaft drive was coming into common use, side doors for rear compartments were now possible. This allowed a multi-seat touring body to become more practical, while the detachable tonneau was on the way out. And so, the runabout was free to do its thing!
Early Development
The writer discussed how manufacturers were steadily increasing output from their first engines of as little as five or up to 10-20 rated horsepower.
1902 Auburn Buggy Company two-cylinder engine. You could purchase a kit and make your own motorized buggy, diagrams of which were also in this brochure. Brochure courtesy Eckhart Library
Later in the decade, the early runabouts (60-inch wheelbase) grew, on average, to 90 inches of wheelbase by 1909. This was all to handle better roads, bigger engines, and increased speeds.
1909 Auburn Automobile Company. This model of engine, initially rated at 25-30 horsepower, likely powered Auburns for several years alongside their two-cylinder siblings. Image courtesy AACA Library
Along with that would come better suspensions, inflatable tires, brakes, steering, and so on. The writer asserted that “fully 60 per cent of the total weight should be concentrated at the point of contact of the driving wheels.” Not a bad calculation, considering that the classic Porsche 911 has a weight distribution of 60 rear/40 front!
The Case for the Runabout
What was the runabout good for? According to the writer, the open platform behind the driver’s seat, often allowing 30 inches or more of space, was useful for several reasons:
“This space can either be used in connection with a rumble seat, or it affords a very roomy platform or place for a box of light construction for any utility purpose.”
“It could be a place “to store tools and accessories as positively must be taken along with the car.”
“They become the ideal doctor’s rig, increasing the radius of practice, assuring ability to keep appointments, and they perform the service at a cost below that of the horsedrawn (sic) carriage.”
The writer noted a trend in the design of runabouts in the scant ten years of their existence:
“…new types of bodies have a certain straight line effect (a.k.a. “torpedo”) that is positively agreeable in contrast with some of the earlier phantasies (sic)…”
For the writer, “runabout types of cars filled a niche on a utility basis, and that they were more for utility that they were for pleasure.” The hand-drawn illustrations in this section show a “typical roadster type” with a mother-in-law’s seat, a “doctor’s runabout” with a convertible top and rear trunk, and a “high powered roadster type” with no top, no trunk, long hood (big engine), and two seats on an open platform- clearly a speedster!
The writer asserts that “…the runabout industry… will be one of the largest and most important branches of the automobile trade in the not far distant future.”
Reasons?
“These cars are economical to maintain.”
“They are speedy enough.”
“They are a utility proposition in diverse ways.”
The writer uses an analogy to wrap up his piece, stating that “an autoist…cannot afford to be without a runabout any more than a battleship can afford to be without torpedo boats.” And, to conclude, he states: runabouts “are just as necessary (because of their nimbleness and utility) as any of the other cars.”
The Path Diverges
Runabouts were an evolutionary step as early manufacturers tried to see what would carry over from horse-driven carriages to automobiles. As such, the runabout has its clearest linkage to the horse-driven buggy or trap. The advent of engine power, however, freed the runabout to become what it was – a stepping stone.
By 1912, as seen in the annual model displays at shows and salons, one could see that runabouts were already influencing and branching into other model lines.
1912 New York Auto Show selection of roadsters on display. Note the diverse selection of bodies, from fully enclosed cabriolet style (Thomas, Mitchell), to the utilitarian runabout style (Liberty-Brush), to the minimalist cutdown style (Hudson Mile-a-Minute Roadster). Image courtesy HCFI Library
Runabouts were a necessity of Life as we know it and enhanced it by being accessible and useful. Being self-powered, runabouts had more design options and solutions.
1912 Olympia Auto Show. Note the variety of interpretations for the term “runabout” as seen in this group. Can you pick out the sporty speedster in this lineup? Image courtesy HCFI Library
It is easy to connect the dots between the concept of a light, easily maneuverable, useful vehicle (a runabout) and several branches of cars that have evolved from it over the years:
The cycle car (worldwide)
The light car (especially in Europe)
The light truck (think Model T)
The sedan delivery (enclosed-body light truck, station wagon)
The open bed car-truck (Ford Ranchero, Chevy El Camino)
The subcompact
The crossover suv
The sports car, which includes, of course:
The speedster!
1912 Speedwell Speed Car. No mistaking this type of runabout! Ad courtesy HCFI Library