1922 Haynes Light Six Model 47

The Apperson Brothers (Edgar and Elmer) of Kokomo, Indiana built a 'horseless carriage' in 1894 which their patron Elwood P. Haynes proudly declared was America's first automobile. Elwood Haynes was the field superintendent of the Indiana Natural Gas and Oil Company, and the Apperson brothers had a machine shop and the engineering talent to bring Mr. Haynes's ideas to life. The vehicle they built used a single-cylinder two-stroke Sintz marine engine paired with a spur gear transmission, a friction differential, and tiller steering. It was driven on July 4th of 1894 on the streets of Kokomo, and much to the promotion of Haynes was not the first occurrence. John Lambert had driven a gasoline-powered car in 1891. The first production Haynes-Apperson was produced in 1897.

By the early 1900s, the company was constructing two-cylinder models that were renowned for their advanced mechanical specifications and superior build quality. 1904 was the final year before Haynes and the Appersons went their separate ways and each company would go on to build its own automobiles, well into the 1920s.

Four-cylinder Haynes models were introduced in 1904 and became the sole powerplant by 1906. That was also the year a Haynes automobile was entered in the Vanderbilt Cup race where it placed third in the elimination trials but failed to impress during the race.

Haynes introduced a six-cylinder model in 1913 and a twelve-cylinder model at the New York Automobile Show in January 1916. The Haynes V-12, also known as the Light Twelve, entered production in August and continued through 1922, with fewer than 650 examples built during that time.

Financial difficulties during the early 1920s resulted in Haynes significantly reducing the cost of his vehicles in hopes of increasing sales. When this did not work, Haynes was forced to declare bankruptcy in September of 1924. The factory resumed production in January of 1925, but this proved to be temporary and only a handful of vehicles were built.

Although Haynes' claim that he was the builder of the first automobile in America is disputed, he was nonetheless a pioneer and builder of some of the most advanced cars of the time.

Haynes Model 47 Light Six
The Haynes Model 47 was the sales leader of the company's two models which included the mid-priced V-12 Model 48 intended to compete with the Packard Twin-Six. Both models rested on a 132-inch wheelbase and they shared many of the same body styles. The Light Six was priced from $2,935 to $4,250 and the Light Twelve was listed for $3,630 to nearly $5,000. Body styles included a seven-passenger Touring, Sedan, and suburban, along with a four-passenger Tourister, a five-passenger Brough, and a two-passenger Speedster.

The 288 cubic-inch L-head six-cylinder engine produced approximately 70 horsepower and was paired with a three-speed manual transmission connected to a Hotchkiss rear axle supported by parallel semi-elliptic leaf springs. Stopping power was courtesy of rear mechanical drum brakes. The 23-inch wire-spoke wheels were mounted on 34x4.5 white sidewall Lester tires.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022