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1904 Orient Buckboard

Buckboard
Engine number: 1525

The Waltham Manufacturing Company of Waltham, Massachusetts, produced a vehicle they advertised as 'The cheapest automobile in the world. Everybody should have one.' Charles Metz organized the company initially to build bicycles. In 1899, he arranged with De Dion-Bouton et Cie to sell their powered tricycles and quadricycles in the United States. He also built some of his own trikes and quads with Aster or de Dion engines.

By 1902, Waltham was building its own engines. The Buckboard, was developed under the leadership of Leonard Gaylor. It was a minimalistic and simple vehicle that featured a simple steel chassis with no meaningful suspension, a natural wood-finish body and fenders, and wire wheels, which were powered along the road by an air-cooled, single-cylinder engine.

This example is currently in the care of John Moir. Mr. Moir acquired it from a collection in the United Kingdom, where it had reportedly participated in the London-to-Brighton Veteran Car Run. It appears the wooden bodywork is original, while the upholstery on the seat was replaced many years ago. Power is from a 35.3 cubic-inch, air-cooled single-cylinder engine offering four horsepower. There is a two-speed planetary transmission and cable-operated rear-wheel mechanical brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Charles H. Metz produced a car named the Orient. It was a small electric roadster that was shown to the public at the New York Auto Show in 1899. It would remain a concept and never put into production. Instead, Metz turned his attention - like many other automakers - to gasoline-powered cars. He became an agent for De Dion-Bouton, selling quadricycles and tricycles. For his own line of vehicles, he imported the French Aster engine to provide the power.

By 1902, his company, Waltham Manufacturing, was producing its own engines for its Orient car. During the first year of production, around 50 examples were sold. The following year, the Buckboard was introduced and would remain in production until 1908. As the 1900s progressed, so did the number of body styles offered by the Waltham Manufacturing company, including three-passenger cars, tonneau, surrey, and delivery vehicles.

The Buckboard was a simplistic and minimalistic vehicle that was advertised as 'The Cheapest Automobile in the World.' The price was $375, and the single-cylinder engine offered four horsepower, capable of carrying the car to speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

by Dan Vaughan