1914 American Underslung

The American Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana is fondly remembered for its underslung chassis but it is often forgotten that the company was formed by Harry C. Stutz before he founded his namesake automobile firm. The American chassis and four-cylinder motor were the first to benefit from Stutz's appreciation for a proper touring car. Like other high-quality automobiles of its era, they employed a live axle suspension with semi-elliptical leaf springs and a platform rear setup with a semi-elliptical cross spring.

The American Motor Car Company was established in 1906 and lasted until 1913. Stutz soon left the company and Fred L. Tone became chief engineer in 1906. Under his guidance, the chassis was re-designed with the frame positioned below the axles and the semi-elliptic leaf springs suspension mounted above. The unconventional, upside-down arrangement led to the name, the underslung design. One popular belief on how this design came into existence was accidental, when movers brought a chassis into the workshop and set atop the assembly horses upside down. Intrigued, Mr. Tone had axles and springs mounted above the frame to see how it would turn out. The answer was quite well, birthing the American UNderslung Roadster of 1907. This setup provided a lower stand and ground clearance, and the company proudly advertised that its vehicles were less likely to rollover, and could be tilted up to 55 degrees. Due to the poor road conditions of the time, particular deep ruts, 40-inch wheels were installed, lifting the vehicle a foot off the ground.

Power was initially sourced from a Stutz-designed, side-valve, 336 cubic-inch, four-cylinder engine. Engine displacement grew to 390 cubic inches (6.4-liter) with 40 horsepower, further enlarged to 476 cubic inches (7.8 liter) in 1908, boosting output to 50 bhp. A 571 cubic-inch inline six, introduced near the end of production, offered 60 horsepower and was one of the most powerful available at the time, even featuring an electric starter.

The American's inaugural products were the five-passenger Tourist resting on a 112-inch wheelbase with conventional suspension, and the Underslung Roadster. Internal expanding rear drum brakes retard its advance. The Tourist remained part of the American model line until 1913, just before American ceased production in 1914. During its existence, the company produced approximately 45,000 vehicles.

The 1914 American

The American Motor Car Company's model lineup in 1914 included the four-cylinder Model 422 Roadster resting on a 105-inch wheelbase and priced at $1,550. The Model 642 Roadster and Model 666 Tourister were priced at $4,500, while the Model 646 Tourister listed at $2,950. All three were powered by six-cylinder engines with the Model 666 producing 49 horsepower while the other two had 43 horsepower. The Model 666 and 646 rested atop a 140-inch wheelbase, while the Model 642 was perched on a 132-inch wheelbase.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

The American Motor Car Company opened its showroom doors in 1905 with several different models on offer. The Underslung, with an innovative chassis riding below the axles as designed by Fred Tone and Harry Stutz, was introduced in 1907. By 1911 the company offered only the Underslung-type chassis and utilized the term as a model name with seven different body and engine configurations. The American Underslung rode on huge 40-inch wheels, giving it a sporty appearance. And with its engine and transmission - and center of gravity - quite close to the ground, the cars handle beautifully. By 1913 the company's marketing slogan was 'The Car for the Discriminating Few,' and sadly that proved rather too true as there were few customers for it. Although new models were introduced in 1914, including this very rare Model 642, the company was in financial trouble and closed its doors after only nine years of building motorcars.

Roadster
Chassis number: DR134479

The 'Underslung' models, produced by the American Automobile Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, were some of the most innovative vehicles of their era. They were built with their frame rails below the axles, giving a significantly reduced center of gravity along with a sporting profile. They had a low ground clearance which was problematic; the solution was to give them significantly oversized wheels.

The American Underslung was owned by many famous individuals, including Captain Larz Anderson and Briggs Cunningham. The Underslung was one of Cunningham's first and most prized antique automobiles.

Chassis no. DR134479

This car was once part of the Harrah Auto Collection and was not sold until after William Harrah's death, at one of the famous auctions of the mid-1980s. The car was sold to a European collector, in whose collection it remained until around 2005 when it was acquired by its present owner.

The car was restored by Harrah's Auto Collection. It has its original red leather interior and light blue exterior. Power is from the Teetor-Hartley six-cylinder 'T-head' motor that was rated at 60 horsepower and equipped with twin-plug ignition and an electric self-starter system. There is a tall four-speed gearbox, 37 x 4.5 wheels, and room for optional 38x5 tires on the same rims. The 132-inch long chassis has a four-passenger body and this is one of only three of these big six-cylinder models to survive in modern times.

The 1914 models are the only Underslungs equipped with factory electric starting equipment. There is nickel-plated lighting equipment which is all electric.

Currently, American Underslung models are part of the Simeone Foundation Museum, the LA County Museum collection, the Nethercutt Collection, the Seal Cove Auto Museum, and the JCR Museum.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

This 1914 American Underslung is a Model 644 and is a work in progress. The early history of this car is lost in time; however, the remains of the car came out of the Harrah Automobile Collection boneyard in 1980. A former owner, after purchasing the car from Harrah, found the missing parts to complete the car and started some restoration efforts. The current owner purchased the car in 2008 as a mostly complete but dismantled pile of parts. All of the restoration work to date with the exception of painting and finishes has been done by the owner, his father, and his brothers.

This car came from the American factory in Indianapolis with a four-passenger touring body. The original body is still with the car and will be restored. The car has a 6-cylinder engine with a 572 cubic-inch displacement with a T-head type valve configuration. The wheelbase measures 132 inches and the wheels are 32 inches in diameter (41 x 4-1/2 tires). It is one of the last American Underslung built. By early 1914 the company was out of business.

Tourer
Chassis number: R4
Engine number: T522

This is believed to be the last American Underslung produced. It was purchased in 1914 by Ralph Teetor of Teetor-Hartley Motors who made the engines for the American Underslung.

The Crawford Museum at Case Western Reserve purchased this car in 1945 for $500. It was on display for over 50 years.

This 60-horsepower, six-cylinder, 6-passenger vehicle is believed to be the last American Underslung 666 in existence.

The American Underslung was dubbed 'The Safest Car on Earth' because of the stability of the vehicle.

Tourer

Most mass-produced automobiles produced between 1900 and 1914 sold for below $1,000. The affluent had access to such costly vehicles as the American Underslung, selling for upwards of $4,000.

The Underslung was a departure from conventional automotive engineering. The frame was hung below on half-elliptic springs, thus reducing the overall height of the car and improving stability by lowering the center of gravity. This new design was subject to speculation over the years but the popular belief is that the design was an accident. A chassis was being brought into the workshop by movers and was set atop the assembly horses upside down. Fred Tone, American's chief engineer, became intrigued and had axles and springs mounted above the frame to see how it would turn out. The answer was quite well and the Underslung Roadsters were introduced in 1907 and were considered the sportiest cars on the road.

Wooden 38-inch spoke wheels were used to provide one-foot ground clearance and allow the car to navigate the muddied roads and increase stability. The car is powered by a 571 cubic-inch, six-cylinder, 60-horsepower engine which was one of the most powerful available at the time and featured an electric starting.

This 1914 Model 644 Touring was one of the very last cars built by the Indianapolis, IN, company.

Tourer
Chassis number: L.600
Engine number: S.1106

This 1914 American Underslung Model 644 Four-Passenger Touring car has been given a restoration. For decades, it was part of the Harrah Auto Collection in Reno, Nevada. After William Harrah's death, the car was sold during the famous liquidation auctions held in the mid-1980s. The Underslung later became part of the Matt and Barbara Browning collection. The present owner acquired the car in 1999 at the Browning Collection Auction. The current caretaker has installed a distributor ignition system, an upgraded braking system with hydraulic components, and a more modern carburetor. The result of these upgrades has made the car more suitable for touring.

This car was built towards the end of the American Underslung's production run. It has the Teetor-Hartley six-cylinder power plant mated to a four-speed gearbox. The 'T-Head' engine was rated at 60 horsepower and equipped with twin-plug ignition and an electric self-starter system. The chassis measures 132 inches long, and it rides on 38 x 4/12' tires. It has nickel-plated lighting equipment and a four-passenger body.

by Dan Vaughan

Tourer

The American Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, debuted its first car in October 1905. Fred I. Tone got the idea of building a lower, sportier car when he observed a conventional automobile frame being unloaded into the factory 'upside down.' By placing the frame beneath the axles and the semi-elliptic springs on top, it brought the engine/transmission closer to the ground, thereby lowering the center of gravity. The big wheels, as large as 41 inches, provided an unexpected advantage – thanks to the deplorable condition of most roads at the time – of not dropping into every pothole that came along. American continued to produce various model and engine combinations until its demise in December 1913. This car was originally owned by a lawyer and businessman in Ambrose North Dakota. Other than paint, plating, and some specialized machining, all of the restoration work has been done by the current caretakers.

The American Motor Car Company was founded in 1906 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. It produced its first car in 1906 and the first 'Underslung' in 1907. However, the name 'Underslung' was not derived until 1912.

The underslung design was an attempt to make the car as low as possible. Harry C. Stutz, an engineer who would later produce cars under his own name, is credited with creating the design. Although Stutz created the chassis design, it was American's chief engineer, Fred I. Tone, who turned the chassis upside down. Tone decided to place the frame below the axles, instead of the traditional design of placing them above. The semi-elliptic leaf springs were mounted above the frame. Due to achieving such a low ground clearance, 40-inch wheels were needed to give the vehicle ample space between the frame and the ground.

The Underslung models provided safety that many other early manufacturers could not guarantee. The Underslungs were virtually impervious to roll-overs. Sales documentation stated that the vehicles could be tilted up to 55 degrees without rolling over.

The Underslung featured a four-cylinder, 6.4-liter engine capable of producing 40 horsepower. In 1908, the engine was enlarged to 7.8 liters and now produced 50 horsepower.

Even with the ground clearance advantage, the Underslung was not as competitive as other vehicles that featured larger engines. This was proven in 1908 when American Motor Car entered an Underslung Roadster in the Savannah Challenge Cup Race. The four-cylinder engine was not enough to keep pace and as a result, it finished last. Also, due to large wheels, and high center of gravity created partly by the raised engine subframe, the car suffered from poor handling and frequent tire changes.

Around 1909, American introduced a four-passenger Underslung dubbed the Traveler.

In 1910, the horsepower rating for the engine was increased to 60 by enlarging the cylinder bore and adding pressurized lubrication.

In 1911, the company faced financial difficulties. It's named was changed to American Motors Co.

In 1912, the entire model line now used the underslung chassis. As a marketing ploy, the vehicles were named the American Underslungs. Due to the size of the Traveler, a larger engine was required to make it more competitive in the market place. A six-cylinder engine was used.

In 1913, electric starters and lights became available on the Underslungs. The company still was suffering from financial problems. The company was having trouble competing with other manufacturers that were more efficient and produced bigger, faster vehicles at lower prices. Fred Tone departed from the company for other automotive opportunities.

In November of 1913, the company went into receivership. Over an eight-year period, the American Motor Company had produced over 45,000 vehicles. They had introduced creative designs, effective marketing, and brilliant automobiles. Like many other manufacturers during this era, they were plagued by ineffective assembly processes, a tough economy, the onset of World War I, and an evolving market place.

by Dan Vaughan