1908 American Underslung Model 50

The Indianapolis-based American Motor Car Company was among the most innovative of its era, most remembered for their underslung chassis. Founded by Harry C. Stutz before he founded his namesake automobile firm, the company's earliest products were the five-passenger Tourist resting on a 112-inch wheelbase length with conventional suspension design, and the unique Underslung Roadster. The 336 cubic-inch side-valve four-cylinder engine design by Stutz was conventional but perfectly suited for the touring car, with a wide operating range from 120 to 1,450 RPM.

Many companies would use the 'American' name, but Harry Stutz's American Motor Car Company was one of the few that actually built, rather than assembled from outsourced parts, an automobile. From 1906 through 1914, approximately 45,000 American automobiles were produced of various sizes and configurations with a wide assortment of engines. This was a rather substantial figure considering the American was expensive. The number of American automobiles built is a testament to its ingenuity, build quality, beautiful construction, performance, and superior handling. With a low center of gravity, lightweight bodywork, and a potent engine, and per Dr. Fred Simeone, who stated in his book The Spirit of Competition, '...the American Car Company only made an automobile specifically for sport, at least in 1907 when the famed underslung chassis was introduced. Thus, arguably they are America's first exclusive sports car maker.'

The innovative 'Underslung' models (a factory-bestowed nickname and not an actual model name) produced by the American Automobile company used an unconventional design by Fred Tone of placing the frame rails below the axles, reducing the center of gravity and giving it a sporting profile. Ground clearance was a problem that was easily remedied by the use of oversized wheels. Compared to other horseless carriages of the era, the American Underslung offered remarkably sure handling with adequate clearances to traverse the poor road conditions of the day.

1908 American Underslung 50 HP (Fifty)
The 1908 American 50 HP had an 'Underslung' chassis, an exceptionally large set of wheels, a low-slung body, and a powerful 476.5 cubic-inch, L-head four-cylinder engine offering 50 horsepower. It was paired with a four-speed manual gearbox and stopping power was courtesy of two-wheel mechanical drum brakes and a transmission brake. The wheelbase measured 124 inches, and body styles included a Tourist at $2,000 and a Roadster at $3,750.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2024