1894 Black Motor Buggy

Charles H. Black of Indianapolis was a proprietor of a carriage works and blacksmith shop, and may have produced an internal-combustion-powered vehicle prior to Elwood Haynes' successful demonstration in 1894.

Charles Black was given a ride in a neighbor's Benz in 1891, which immediately sparked in interest in constructing a horseless carriage. Black's vehicle was finished sometime between 1891 and 1894. Many sources state it was done in 1893, which predates Haynes's work by one year.

The Black-built vehicle was similar to the Benz. It uses a buggy for its coachwork, and its final drive is via two different size belts, which provide the low and high gear. Mr. Black built several experimental vehicles - two still exist - between 1891 and 1896. He produced an unknown number of production vehicles in the period 1897 through 1900, however, none of these still exist. These production models were a slightly refined version of his gasoline buggy. Most carried his name, while a few were called Indianapolis.

The engine for the Black was a small single-cylinder, two-stroke type powerplant capable of producing eight horsepower. Ignition was originally achieved through a hot tube heated by a kerosene torch. Black made his own carburetor, an upright steel tube about 6 inches in diameter and 18 inches high.

Black drove this example for over two decades. It was given to the Indianapolis Children's Museum in 1927 by Mr. Black's daughter. It currently resides in the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2010