1904 Holsman Model 3

Chicago-based Holsman Automobile Works was established by architects Henry K. Holsman and C.H. Bryan. In production from 1902 to 1911, the company is remembered as a producer of America's first and best-known 'High-Wheelers.' After two years of production, the company's production facilities were enlarged six-fold allowing production to grow substantially.

Mr. Holsman's first automobile used a Manila rope for its final drive and the hand-operated brakes acted directly on the solid rubber tires. The rope proved unsatisfactory after it sustained wet-weather use, so its design was improved with a chain braided over with manila and steel wire. Eventually, a chain was adopted.

Simplicity would remain paramount for the company, as its chassis utilized a steel-braced wooden structure suspended by elliptical springing at both ends. A single vertical tiller operated the brakes and the transmission. The most prominent feature was the high wheels leading to the 'high wheeler nomenclature. With lightweight construction and large diameter wheels, the Holsman vehicles had a high ground clearance and were ideally suited for the rough and rugged dirt roads of North America's Midwest prairies. A twin-cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled engine initially offered 5 horsepower, later increasing to 12 horsepower. By 1909, the company offered a four-cylinder 26hp model. A surrey model on a longer wheelbase was added to the range for 1905.

As the automotive marketplace evolved, Holsman remained true to its initial concept, with runabout / buggy bodies and high wheels. As the company's rivals switched to pneumatic tires, Holsman remained faithful to its wooden, solid rubber tires. The Ford Model T's arrival in 1908 brought the country's first wide-scale expansion into motoring as horse-drawn carriages were rapidly replaced by motorcars. A decline in demand for Holsman's horseless carriage sent the company into receivership by 1910. Mr. Holsman left the Chicago area and relocated to Plano, Illinois, where he created another company called the Independent Harvester. This new business venture was (predictably) even less successful.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2023