Oscar Lear Automobile Company
Encyclopedia
Frayer-Miller was built by the Oscar Lear Automobile Company in Columbus, Ohio
and advertised as "the car of endurance." It had a distinctive air-cooled engine. The car was manufactured between the years of 1904 and 1910.
, in the design of air-cooled engines.
The three partners went on to establish the Buckeye Motor Company in 1903 and designed a new engine that included the best features from both the Lear and Frayer-Miller engines. During 1904, the company was reorganized as the Oscar Lear Automobile Company. The company also had a branch in New York City
located at Broadway and 65th Street.
The 1905 model had 24-horsepower and was priced at US$2,500. It was advertised as "light, strong and speedy" and had 4 vertical cylinders and sliding gear transmission with 3 speeds forward and reverse. It also had a bevel gear drive, side entrance, removable tonneau and was air-cooled via a rotary supercharger which forced air through aluminum jackets surrounding the cylinders. This "single handedly" solved the ail cooling automobile problem and the vehicle had no water pump, radiator, water tank or piping.
In 1906, the was advertised in a national trade magazine as "an American product" that was cooled through air jackets and was an "imitation of no foreign car." Additionally, the company bragged that the "mud guard arrangement was novel and new."
The 1906 offerings included a 4-cylinder with 25-horsepower for US$3,000 and a 6-cylinder with 40-horsepower at a cost of US$4,000.
. A "stripped down" Frayer-Miller was driven by Lee Frayer 728 miles (1,171.6 km) in 16 hours. It never completed the race due to an accident, although it did manage to average 2 hours and 10 minutes per 100 miles (160.9 km).
The Frayer-Miller automobile entered in the Long Branch race covered "more miles in one week than any other type of self-propelled vehicle." The car was driven 3202 miles (5,153.1 km) in 6 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes. During the last 1866 miles (3,003 km) of the trip, the engine never stopped and broke the records for distance and endurance.
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
and advertised as "the car of endurance." It had a distinctive air-cooled engine. The car was manufactured between the years of 1904 and 1910.
History
The company was founded in 1904 by Oscar Lear, originally a typewriter and bicycle manufacturer beginning in the late 1890s. In 1901, Lear created an experimental automobile with an air-cooled engine. He joined with Lee A. Frayer and William J. Miller, both also from ColumbusColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, in the design of air-cooled engines.
The three partners went on to establish the Buckeye Motor Company in 1903 and designed a new engine that included the best features from both the Lear and Frayer-Miller engines. During 1904, the company was reorganized as the Oscar Lear Automobile Company. The company also had a branch in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
located at Broadway and 65th Street.
The 1905 model had 24-horsepower and was priced at US$2,500. It was advertised as "light, strong and speedy" and had 4 vertical cylinders and sliding gear transmission with 3 speeds forward and reverse. It also had a bevel gear drive, side entrance, removable tonneau and was air-cooled via a rotary supercharger which forced air through aluminum jackets surrounding the cylinders. This "single handedly" solved the ail cooling automobile problem and the vehicle had no water pump, radiator, water tank or piping.
In 1906, the was advertised in a national trade magazine as "an American product" that was cooled through air jackets and was an "imitation of no foreign car." Additionally, the company bragged that the "mud guard arrangement was novel and new."
The 1906 offerings included a 4-cylinder with 25-horsepower for US$3,000 and a 6-cylinder with 40-horsepower at a cost of US$4,000.
Auto racing
During 1905, the Frayer-Miller was entered into the 24-hour race in ColumbusColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. A "stripped down" Frayer-Miller was driven by Lee Frayer 728 miles (1,171.6 km) in 16 hours. It never completed the race due to an accident, although it did manage to average 2 hours and 10 minutes per 100 miles (160.9 km).
The Frayer-Miller automobile entered in the Long Branch race covered "more miles in one week than any other type of self-propelled vehicle." The car was driven 3202 miles (5,153.1 km) in 6 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes. During the last 1866 miles (3,003 km) of the trip, the engine never stopped and broke the records for distance and endurance.