1909 Simplo Model L from Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal

The Simplo was an American

high wheeler A high wheeler is a car which uses large diameter wheels that are similar to those used by horse-drawn vehicles. These cars were produced until about 1915, predominantly in the United States. Design High wheelers were derived from horse-drawn ...

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

manufactured from 1908 until 1909 by the Cook Motor Vehicle Company in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

History

Cook Motor Vehicle Company of St. Louis advertised the Simplo as ''The biggest automobile value in America''. Several variations were offered; air or water-cooled 2-cylinder engines and both solid or

pneumatic tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

. The Simplo featured a

friction transmission Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction: *Dry friction is a force that opposes the relative lateral motion of t ...

, double chain drive and right-hand wheel steering on the runabout, priced at $600, . In 1909, roadster and

surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

models were added, but after a year of trying, the Cook Motor Vehicle Company decided to become a multi-

marque A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...

automobile dealership A car dealership, or car dealer, is a business that sells new or used cars, at the retail level, based on a dealership contract with an automaker or its sales subsidiary. Car dealerships also often sell spare parts and service (motor vehic ...

References

{{StLouisCars Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States Coachbuilders of the United States Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1908 Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1909 Motor vehicle manufacturers based in Missouri Cars introduced in 1908 Highwheeler Brass Era vehicles 1900s cars