1911 Kelsey Model M

The Ford Model T was truly an inspiring automobile that was within reach of most individuals. Cadwallader Washburn Kelsey set about designing and building an automobile that would be less expensive than the Model T. His vehicle was a Motorette with three wheels. It was rear-wheel driven by a two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine which was air-cooled on early models. Later models were water-cooled, with the radiator mounted behind the engine. Rather than mixing oil with gasoline, as on later two-stroke engines, the Kelsey's oil and gasoline were supplied separately, with the oil supplied by a tank in the armrest to a four-way distribution center at the front of the driver's seat.

The three-wheel design was unique, but it was not stable. In order to make the vehicle safer, Kelsey designed one of the first anti-sway torsion bars.

To help promote his vehicle, Kelsey was active in early endurance events. In 1909, he drove an air-cooled model up Mount Washington in New Hampshire. After the car overheated and Kelsey had to spend the night in a halfway house, he changed to a water-cooled engine, but this time with the radiator mounted behind the seat.

In 1911, Kelsey's brother-in-law and a mechanic drove a Motorette from the factory in Hartford, Connecticut, across the country, and to San Francisco, CA. The trip lasted from February until August.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020