1905 Rambler Type One

Surrey

Thomas B. Jeffery was an Englishman who had immigrated to the United States. Like many early automobile builders, he was in the bicycle building and selling business. He had begun the manufacture of bicycles in 1878 and it was not long before the Gormully & Jeffery concern was one of the largest manufacturers of bicycles in America with branches in Boston, Washington, and New York, along with its home factory in North Franklin and Pearson Streets in Chicago. By the 1890s there was even a branch in Coventry, England. The products were marketed under the trade name Rambler, and rivaled Pop-Columbia for the number one position in the American market.

Mr. Jeffery built his first motor car in 1897. The experimental prototypes he built in 1900 and 1901 incorporated unique innovations - steering wheels and front-mounted engines. One was a Stanhope and the other was a runabout. Each was the work of Jeffery's son Charles and was shown at the Chicago International Exhibition and the first New York Auto Show in Madison Garden. The cars completed a round trip from Chicago to Milwaukee that summer.

After Phil Gormully's sudden death, Jeffery sold his interest in Gormully & Jeffery to competitor Pope, and bought a factory in Kenosha, Wisconsin formerly owned by the Sterling Bicycle Company.

In 1902, Jeffery and his son built one-cylinder automobiles called 'Rambler'. Although the early designs had steering wheels and a front-mounted engine, the elder Jeffery had second thoughts, switching to a tiller steering and its engine mounted under the seat. The steering wheel had been on the left side of the vehicle - the tiller, however, was on the right-hand side. This conservative design paid off as 1,500 were produced at $750 each in 1902. Only Ransom Olds sold more cars.

Bigger and more reliable models followed. His vehicles were built on assembly lines and were the second manufacturer to adopt them (Olds was the first).

In 1904, Jeffery began outfitting his vehicles with steering wheels that were powered by a twin-cylinder, 18-horsepower engine. By mid-year 1905 the company discontinued its single-cylinder cars.

Thomas Jeffery died in 1910. His son, Charles, took over the business. He changed the name from Rambler to Jeffrey, in honor of his father, in 1914. Two years later, in 1916, the firm was purchased by Charles J. Nash, who in 1917 gave the name Nash to these automobiles. Nash re-introduced the Rambler in 1950 as a compact-model line.

Rambler Surrey, Type One

This restored example is powered by an air-cooled, two-cylinder engine (one located under the front footboard, one under the rear footboard) that offers 18 horsepower. There is a single lever to the right of the operator which starts the automobile. It is chain driven, with one pedal making it stop and another putting it into reverse. The timing of the explosion of the fuel mixture is controlled by an automatic governor at exactly the proper moment at all speeds of the engine.

The seats are of all hand-rolled genuine leather. The vehicle cost about $1,350 when new.

by Dan Vaughan

Surrey
Chassis number: 6372

Thomas Jeffery's Rambler bicycle company was the second-best-selling cycle in the United States during the 1890s. By 1897, Jeffery had built a single-cylinder car. The following year, with his son Charles, he built two more and examples which were shown in shows in their home city of Chicago and in New York. The cars had front-mounted two-cylinder engines and left-hand drive. No names were displayed on them yet they were generally referred to as 'Ramblers,' the brand with which Jeffery was well known.

Jeffery sold the bicycle business in 1901 to Colonel Albert Pope's conglomerate, the American Bicycle Company, and went into automobile manufacturing. They introduced a new car in February of 1902, having its single-cylinder engine located under the seat and was steered by a litter on the right. During its first year, 1,500 examples were sold with a base price of $750.

Ramblers sold well and had the third-highest sales in both 1905 and 1906, remaining in the top ten throughout the decade.

Thomas Jeffery died of a heart attack in 1910. In 1914, to honor his father's memory, Charles Jeffery re-christened the 'Rambler' car with the family name. After nearly losing his life on the sinking of the Lusitania, Charles chose to retire. He sold the company in 1916 to Charles Nash, after which the Nash name was gradually phased in.

This particular 1905 Rambler Model 1 Five Passenger Surrey has been treated to a restoration in the early 2000s. The five-passenger side entrance bodywork is finished in Rambler Green color. It has a set of lamps and generator as well some fine brass accessories including a 'Springfield' speedometer. There is a full top assembly, and diamond tufted leather upholstery.

Power is supplied by a 235 cubic-inch twin-cylinder opposed engine fitted with a single updraft carburetor and offering 18 horsepower. There is a 2-speed Planetary transmission with reverse along with two-wheel mechanical brakes.

by Dan Vaughan