Ford Quadricycle
Encyclopedia
The Ford Quadricycle was the first vehicle developed by Henry Ford
. Ford's first car was a simple frame with an ethanol-powered engine and four bicycle wheels mounted on it.
The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and very expensive. The peculiar machines were seen as toys for the rich.
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. Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for future, more practical designs to follow.
On June 4, 1896 in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Street, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor car. 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/or because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels. The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the Henry Ford Company
and then later the Ford Motor Company
in 1903.
The two cylinder engine could produce 4 horsepower. The Quadricycle was driven by a chain. The transmission
only had two gears (first for 10 mph (16.1 km/h), 2nd for 20 mph (32.2 km/h)) and did not have a reverse gear. The tiller
-steered machine had wire wheels and a 3 US gal (11.4 l) fuel tank under the seat. Ford test drove it on June 4, 1896, after various test drives, achieving a top speed of 20 mph (32.2 km/h).
Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men.
Today the original Quadricycle resides at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn
, Michigan.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
. Ford's first car was a simple frame with an ethanol-powered engine and four bicycle wheels mounted on it.
The earliest cars were hand built, one by one, and very expensive. The peculiar machines were seen as toys for the rich.
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. Thus, the invention of the Quadricycle marks an important innovation as a proto-automobile that would lay the foundation for future, more practical designs to follow.
On June 4, 1896 in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Street, Ford put the finishing touches on his pure ethanol-powered motor car. After more than two years of experimentation, Ford, at the age of 32, had completed his first experimental automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle," so named because it ran on four bicycle tires, and/or because of the means through which the engine drove the back wheels. The success of the little vehicle led to the founding of the Henry Ford Company
Henry Ford Company
The Henry Ford Company was the second company for Henry Ford, founded November 3, 1901. It resulted from the reorganization of the Detroit Automobile Company, his first unsuccessful attempt at automobile manufacture a year before. In March 1902, Ford left the company following a dispute with his...
and then later the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in 1903.
The two cylinder engine could produce 4 horsepower. The Quadricycle was driven by a chain. The transmission
Transmission (mechanics)
A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
only had two gears (first for 10 mph (16.1 km/h), 2nd for 20 mph (32.2 km/h)) and did not have a reverse gear. The tiller
Tiller
A tiller or till is a lever attached to a rudder post or rudder stock of a boat that provides leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder...
-steered machine had wire wheels and a 3 US gal (11.4 l) fuel tank under the seat. Ford test drove it on June 4, 1896, after various test drives, achieving a top speed of 20 mph (32.2 km/h).
Ford would later go on to found the Ford Motor Company and become one of the world's richest men.
Today the original Quadricycle resides at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan.