1907 Columbus Autobuggy

The Columbus Buggy Company of Columbus, Ohio, was a large and successful producer of horse-drawn vehicles. In 1903, they entered the newly introduced automotive industry with an electric car marketed as the Columbus Electric. Expanding even further, in December of 1905, they purchased a gasoline automobile company operated by the Bramwells in Springfield, Ohio. The product was a high-wheeler with a 72-inch wheelbase powered by a two-cylinder, air-cooled 10-horsepower engine. It had a reasonable price tag of $750, making it attractive to a wide audience.

One of the company's engineers and salesman was Captain Eddie Rickenbacker. He was a largely self-taught engineer who enjoyed a very interesting life. He was a racing driver and one of the country's most successful fighting aces of World War I. Additionally, he was the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and a pioneer of modern aviation as leader of Eastern Air Lines.

Mr. Rickenbacker was involved in the design of the Columbus Autobuggy. The 100.5 cubic-inch air-cooled twin-cylinder engine was mated to a 2-speed Planetary transmission with double chain drive. In the front was a full-elliptic spring setup with leaf springs in the rear. Braking was provided by drums at the rear. The tall vehicle had large spindly wheels which made it easy to work upon. It was ideal for the deeply rutted farm roads of the era.

The Columbus Autobuggy was produced for two years before introducing the more modern and powerful Firestone-Columbus.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019