ABC was an American
high wheeler automobile built by Albert Bledsoe Cole in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, USA, from 1905 to 1910.
Known as the ''Autobuggy''
[Not to be confused with the ''Auto-Buggy'' that was made by Success Automobile Manufacturing Company.] from 1906 to 1908, it was sold as "the cheapest high-grade car in America", and was available with two-cylinder and four-cylinder engines,
friction drive, and
pneumatic
Pneumatics (from Greek 'wind, breath') is the use of gas or pressurized air in mechanical systems.
Pneumatic systems used in Industrial sector, industry are commonly powered by compressed air or compressed inert gases. A centrally located a ...
or
solid tires. The drive system used a cone and two bevel wheels, one for forward and the other for reverse. This allowed it to reach its top speed in either direction. A larger engine was fitted in 1908, and the wheelbase grew from to . Its high ground clearance made it popular in rural areas.
Later models were more conventional with two- or four-cylinder engines, but the market for high wheelers was disappearing and the company folded in 1910.
Notes
References
*
Georgano, G.N., "A.B.C.," in G.N. Georgano, ed., "The Complete Encyclopedia of Motorcars 1885-1968" (Arkansas E.P. Dutton and Co., 1974), pp. 23.
Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of the United States
Cars introduced in 1905
Highwheeler
Cars discontinued in 1910
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