1907 Orient Buckboard

The Waltham Orient Buckboard was a minimalistic vehicle that weighed 400 pounds and could travel at 30 mph. The only suspension was the flexing of the slats that made up its chassis. At all four corners were all-white pneumatic tires. These tiller-steered automobiles were priced at under $400 and would remain in production through 1907.

Powering the Orient Buckboard was Waltham's own air-cooled engine offering four horsepower. A wide range of speeds was available thanks to the friction drive, and power was sent to the wheels by chain drive.

Along with the Buckboard, the company offered a companion model called the Surrey. It was basically a tandem Runabout, with the driver and front-seat passenger positioned farther forward than the Runabout, overhanging the front axle. It weighed 600 pounds and used the same four-horsepower two-stroke engine. The suspension was comprised of full-elliptic leaf springs. Total Surrey production reached 1,020 examples.

by Dan Vaughan

Buckboard Surrey
Engine number: 4-HP-2948

This Orient Buckboard Surrey has been given a complete restoration with new wheel hubs, with the replacement of wood as necessary. There is a wicker picnic basket, a tablecloth, wrought-iron armrests on the seats, and a fringed Surrey top.

This car has been awarded AACA Junior, Senior, Preservation, and Grand National, as well as a First-Place winner in the AACA Golden Award of Excellence.

This car was acquired by the Merrick Auto Museum in 2006. It was previously in the collection of Vince and Pati Chimera in Sunrise, Florida.

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