1904 Winton Two Cylinder

The early years of Winton automobile production revolved around motorsport competition and numerous 'firsts.' The Autocar noted 'The Winton is generally regarded as America's premier make of petrol car,' and they were the first automobile driven across the United States from coast-to-coast. This transcontinental journey was achieved by Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson and his chauffeur/mechanic Sewall K. Crocker. They left San Francisco on May 23rd and arrived in New York City on July 26th. Their 63-day journey in a 20-horsepower Winton twin took them through treacherous terrain, river crossings, and communities that had never before seen an automobile. Numerous repairs were made during this arduous ordeal, as they were forced to detour several times to find passable roads. Against all odds, they reached their destination and became America's first automobile to make the transcontinental journey.

Alexander Winton drove one of his cars through a 47-hour dash from his native Cleveland to New York City in 1899, and the following year entered a single-cylinder Winton racer in the 1900 Gordon Bennett Cup race in France. During the race, the racer was sidelined by wheel failure, but its entry in the race made history as the first American car to compete in a European race.

In 1901, Alexander Winton made another trip to New York, this time in November to exhibit at the first automobile show. The journey took nine hours less than the previous year, and its mud-spattered appearance on the show floor made it very unique amongst the other vehicles on display, most of which had been shipped by rail.

The first Winton Bullet was built in 1902. It was powered by a four-cylinder, 57-horsepower engine that allowed Winton to break his own speed record at Cleveland's Glenville track, setting a new mark of 55.38 mph. It later raced at Grosse Pointe, Michigan against Henry Ford's 999 with Barney Oldfield at the wheel, but was unable to complete the race due to ignition issues.

In 1903, Winton contested the Gordon Bennett with a pair of eight-cylinder BUllets. Both cars were forced to retire due to mechanical issues, with one of them being piloted by Alexander Winton and the other by Barney Oldfield. After the disappointing finish, the team remained together, and set records nearly everywhere they went. Oldfield and Winton developed differences of opinion in 1904 and parted ways in June. A Dayton, Ohio, native named Earl Kiser was hired as a replacement for Oldfield and he set yet another record at Glenville that August. A year later, Kiser had a bad accident in the Bullet, resulting in the loss of his leg. This tragic ordeal signaled the end of Winton racing, but Kiser continued his career as manager of the Winton agency in Pittsburgh.

1904 was the final year for the twin-cylinder Winton. The 260 cubic-inch engine has a 5.25-inch bore, a 6-inch stroke, and a rated output of 22hp using the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) formula. The engine was cooled by water operated by a centrifugal pump circulating through a radiator located under the bonnet at the front of the car. A dual-compartment storage tank carried additional water in one compartment and fuel in the other. Engine and gearbox lubrication was by total loss, controlled by drip feeds and sight glasses. The engine used an inlet valve actuation system with lift controlled using compressed air. The carburetors, devoid of throttle control, used a unique valve lift control system that regulated the amount of air/fuel mixture admitted to the cylinders. This self-regulating intake system was built using Winton's background in steam engineering. A small air pump in the crankcase created pressure with each crankshaft revolution. This pressure was funneled to a chamber that limited the action of the intake valve. As engine speed increased the rising air pressure would restrict the valves causing the engine to throttle down. To accelerate, the driver could press an accelerator pedal that would bleed the air from the system. When stopped, the air would return the engine to a nice low idle.

Like many other Winton components, the system was simple, consisting of an air pump, a line connecting the air to the carburetor, and a foot-operated bleed valve. It was far less complex and more reliable than the European-style mechanical governors. A clever feature prevented the starting handle from being used unless the spark was fully retarded.

The suspension was comprised of full elliptical springs on the rear axle located by trailing arms, while the front axle used semi-elliptical springs. Instead of employing the traditional American planetary gearbox, Winton designed a constant-mesh two-speed unit with each gear activated by a bronze clutch.

Motorsport competition helped promote the brand, but it was Winton's engineering brilliance and ease and simplicity of operation that earned the vehicle its reputation.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2021