Roadster
Chassis #: 4362
One of the early pioneers of automobile production, George B. Weidely built and sold a buggy powered by a water-cooled engine in 1902. The following year, with the help of Harold O. Smith, the Premier Motor Manufacturing Company was formed. The water-cooled engine had been an experiment, and it was Weidely's belief that an air-cooled engine would be a better alternative. The Premier cars would be powered using this type of design. With a capital stock of $50,000, the company began producing vehicles. The engine featured overhead valves and powered the rear wheels via a sliding gear transmission and shaft drive. The company produced 25 vehicles in 1903, followed by 50 in 1904. Production would double in 1905 and then double again (to 200) in 1906. In 1907, the company utilized engines that were both air and water-cooled. Production would rise to 250 that year. The Premier cars, with their large green oak leaf on the radiator badge (often cited as the first use of an emblem as an automotive trademark), were quick to differentiate their automobiles from other Indiana manufacturers. They built a reputation as builders of superb touring cars. By 1910, they had completed three Glidden tours with a perfect score. The company also had an interesting connection with Los Angeles, organizing a tour of 10 wealthy customers to promote the Transcontinental Highway Project and the reliability of their vehicles.
For 1911, the company would produce a thousand vehicles in two model ranges, a four-cylinder powered Model 4-40, and a six-cylinder Model 6-60. Both came available in four body styles including a Roadster, Clubman, Tourer, and Limousine. The Model 4-40 had a wheelbase size of 126 inches while the Model 6-60 with its 60 horsepower engine measured 140 inches. These cars featured self-contained circulating splash lubrication and a low frame.
By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2010
Premier
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