1904 Thomas Model 22 Rear Entrance Tonneau

E.R. Thomas Motor Co. made a huge leap forward with the introduction of the Model 22. One of its most distinctive features was that the lightweight tubed chassis of its predecessors succeeded with a more substantial frame. To that frame, Thomas mounted a three-cylinder engine, which had rarely been commonplace. It was mounted to what we now consider to be a 'proper' gearbox, a separate casing with three forward speeds.

Other innovative features included the Thomas Safety System, a ratchet mechanism on the rear axle to hold the car in place on hills should the engine stop, which was something that caused many accidents in those days. 'Beauty and Power' proclaimed the 1904 brochure for the model and summarized the use of the three-cylinder power plant thus 'In a word, the triple-cylinder motor gives us high speed, high efficiency, the greatest amount of power for a given size of cylinder, or for a minimum of weight, a maximum of speed and power.'

This Thomas Model 22 three-cylinder 'Flyer' Rear Entrance Tonneau is the sole example to survive. Its lineage is quite well documented and, combined with its unusual specification, has enabled the Veteran Car Club Dating Committee to confirm a date of manufacture as 1904, which will allow the car to enter the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run in the UK.

In 1928, an individual living in Antioch, Tennessee sold this car to a lawyer in Lincolnton, who later sold it to Ote Corriher, who treated the car to a restoration. The work was completed in time for the 1965 Glidden Tour. Later, the car was acquired by Harold Coker.

This Model 22 has a 4300cc, T-Head inline 3-cylinder engine fitted with a single carburetor and delivers 24 horsepower. There is a three-speed manual transmission with chain final drive, two-wheel brakes, and a semi-elliptic leaf springs suspension setup.