1908 Holsman Highwheeler Runabout

The Holsman Automobile Company of Chicago, IL was formed in 1903 by Henry K. Holsman and his associate, C.H. Bryan. Their high-wheeled vehicles were popular, especially amongst Midwestern farmers, as they could traverse over difficult terrain and through high water. The early Holsman vehicles had a 7/8-inch manila rode for the drive belts. This setup proved problematic in wet weather, so they eventually switched to a canvas-covered chain.

Although many other high-wheel manufacturers evolved into what became conventional car design, with smaller wheels and pneumatic tires, Henry Holsman stuck to high-wheelers exclusively. His company entered receivership in 1910. He made another attempt at a high-wheeler with the Independent Harvester in nearby Plano, Illinois, in 1911, with even less success.

This high-wheel Holsman was delivered new to a doctor in Penn Yann, New York. The current caretaker is its third owner, who purchased it roughly two decades ago from the second owner in Cortland. It was restored shortly after the acquisition.

The tires on this high-wheeler are thin, solid rubber bands, which leave the springs to absorb most of the road shocks. It has a hand-operated brake that rubs shoes directly on the tires. The body is painted black, with maroon moldings that match the wheel spokes. There is a single center-mounted headlight, two high-mounted carriage lights, and a taillight. It has the later drive belts, made of chain with a canvas covering. There is a gear transmission giving two speeds forward, but the vehicle must be stopped to change between them. There is a horizontally opposed air-cooled twin-cylinder engine displacing 100.5 cubic inches and offering 12.8 horsepower.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2015