1902 Knox Model C

Sold for $56,100 at 2013 Bonhams - Quail Lodge Auction.
Harry A. Knox began producing a single-cylinder powered, three-wheeled car in 1898. For 1902, four-wheel models became available with both one- and two-cylinder engines being offered. In this period, Knox engines were air-cooled, causing them to be known as the Waterless Know. Their cylinder barrels were studded with 2-inch pins earning them the nickname, 'Old Porcupine.' The engines were mounted mid-ship in the chassis and connected to a 2-speed manual planetary transmission, driving the rear wheels through chains. Steering was provided by a tiller from the car's left-side driving position.

The Model C rested on a slightly extended wheelbase over its predecessor. It had the option of an additional two seats which folded out in front of the driver, a style commonly referred to as a 'Stanhope' on other contemporary vehicles of this era.

Chassis no. 15
Knox identified their vehicles by numbering the base of the 'porcupine' cylinder head. This is a very early 1902 example purchased new by William Moore of Kokomo, Indiana. Possibly purchased for his wife, this early Model C features a number of unique features, including babbitt bearings on the rear axles (later replaced with ball bearings). Kept by Mr. Moore until 1929, it was then acquired by Tom Sellers, also of Kokomo. At the age of 1973, in 1974, he auctioned off his entire collection. The Knox would move through a series of three more owners before coming into the present family's collection in 1994.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2013