1909 Petrel 30 HP Roadster

The Petrel Motor Car Company was formed by Samuel Watkins of the Beaver Manufacturing Company, an engine builder, and John and Harry Waite, who had built a few cars of their own. It was formed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in November 1908. They chose the name 'Petrel' after a tube-nosed seabird who had the 'ability to make good speed over very rough roads.'

In mid-1909, the Petrel Company moved to Milwaukee to a plant owned by the W.S. Seaman Company, a furniture manufacturer. The bodies for the Petrel cars were then built by Seaman. This was the start of their coachbuilding career that would lead to a long relationship with the Thomas B. Jeffery Company and its successor, Nash Motors.

In February of 1910, the Petrel Company entered bankruptcy proceedings, and by the following January, Samuel Watkins had sold the business to other Milwaukee industrialists. In 1912, the company morphed into the F.S. automobile, which too soon expired. During the production lifespan of both the Petrel and F.S. companies, no more than a thousand cars were built.

In a similar fashion to the Cartercar, Lambert, and Metz vehicles, the Petrel Motor Cars employed a friction transmission. They had double chain drive to the rear wheels and were powered by four- and six-cylinder water-cooled L-head engines. The company continued to use six-cylinder engines until 1910 when they adopted the motto 'The Aristocrat of Medium Priced Cars.'

This particular four-cylinder Roadster is believed to have been owned by Mr. L. Duvernell, of East Forks, New York. The car was restored in the early 1960s and it earned an AACA National First award in 1962. Harold Coker purchased it from the widow of its long-time owner, Henry Jansen, of Eden, New York, in March of 2005.

The color this car wears is its original color and was Petrel's 'Standard Color' and was advertised as 'English Violet with Black and Gold Striping.'

This roadster is constructed of wood on a steel chassis with steel fenders. The seats are upholstered in black leather and the top is black canvas. In the back is a period-correct trunk with a weatherproof vinyl cover. It is capable of holding three original fitted suitcases. Instrumentation consists solely of a Star speedometer, which has registered some 3,900 miles.

The four-cylinder L-head engine displaces 285.6 cubic inches and offers 30 horsepower. There are a friction-drive transmission and two-wheel mechanical brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2015