1916 Owen Magnetic Model O-36

During the 1890s, Justin Entz created a design that used a gasoline engine to power a generator which then sent the electrical power to an electric motor that drove the wheels. There were no gears that would require shifting and the operation would be smooth and quiet due to the electrical power. Attempts were made to create a prototype of the design but none ever worked. In 1912 Walter Baker of Baker Electric in Cleveland purchased the patent. Raymond and Ralph Owen of New York created the Owen Magnetic which they produced under license from Baker. R.M Owen was absorbed by Baker in 1915. Baker had since merged with Rauch & Lang, who were well known for their electric cars. Together, they focused their skills on creating an electric-gasoline car.

The Owen Magnetic was a technically advanced automobile that was full of style and fashion. The car featured 'crunchless' gear shifting but was rather complicated to drive. They were heavy, expensive, and difficult to maintain. They carried a factory price tag of nearly $4000 and were powered by a six-cylinder engine capable of producing 75 horsepower.

During World War I the company focused on war production and ceased production of the Owen Magnetic. After the war there was very little production and production was later sent to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania where production continued until 1921. The vehicles produced in PA were known as Crown Magnetics. In total, there were around 700 examples of the Owen Magnetics produced in Cleveland with only four known to exist in modern times.

by Dan Vaughan

Deluxe Touring Victoria by Rauch and Lang

One of the most unusual automobiles built in Cleveland was the Owen Magnetic. Production began in New York in 1915 and shifted to Cleveland from 1916-1919 and concluded in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania in 1920-21.

The motor is a conventional in-line six-cylinder motor that turned a generator and, in turn, an electric motor. Various speeds were available by turning the control wheel mounted on the steering wheel. The Owen Magnetic was marketed as 'The Car with a Thousand Speeds' due to its unconventional gear system allowing limitless gear selection. It was one of the first-generation hybrid electric automobiles using an Avant-grade electromagnetic transmission system. The unique drivetrain design consisted of an internal combustion engine adjoined to a generator, which produced electrical current to the motor, which in turn powered the driveshaft.

These automobiles became extremely popular at a time when steam-fired engines were considered cumbersome and inefficient, and gasoline internal combustion engines were in their infancy and thought to be noisy and dirty.

Only 700 total cars were built between 1915 and 1922; this is one of four known to exist today. This rare example, coached by Rauch & Lang of Cleveland, Ohio, retains its original and unmodified body and drivetrain. It was acquired by the Western Reserve Historical Society in 1975.