The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wi ...

fittings used during this time for such things as lights and

radiator Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in cars, buildings, and electronics. A radiator is always ...

s. It is generally considered to encompass 1896 through 1915, a time when these vehicles were often referred to as horseless carriages. Elsewhere in the world, this period would be considered by

antique car An antique car is an automobile that is an antique. Narrower definitions vary based on how old a car must be to qualify. The Antique Automobile Club of America defines an antique car as over 25 years of age. However, the legal definitions for th ...

enthusiasts to consist of the veteran (pre-1904), and

Edwardian The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...

eras, although these terms are really not meaningful outside the former British Empire.

Overview

Within the 20 years that make up this era, the various experimental designs and alternative power systems would be marginalised. Although the modern touring car had been invented earlier, until Panhard et Levassor's ''

Système Panhard In automotive design, a FR, or front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout is one where the engine is located at the front of the vehicle and driven wheels are located at the rear via a drive shaft. This was the traditional automobile layout for most ...

'' was widely licensed and adopted, recognisable and standardised automobiles had not been created. This system specified front-engined,

rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel ...

, internal-combustion engined cars with a sliding

gear A gear is a rotating circular machine part having cut teeth or, in the case of a cogwheel or gearwheel, inserted teeth (called ''cogs''), which mesh with another (compatible) toothed part to transmit (convert) torque and speed. The basic ...

transmission. Initially the high-wheel motor buggy (resembling the horse buggy of before 1900) was in its heyday, with over 75 makers, including Holsman (Chicago), IHC (Chicago), and Lincoln Motor Car Works, but were only gradually abandoned, in favor of the more advanced runabouts, tonneaus, and other more expensive closed bodies – and killed off by the Ford Model T.

Technology

In the early part of this period, steam-car development had advanced, making steam cars some of the fastest road vehicles of their day. Electric cars also held a market share throughout the era. Development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included the electric ignition system (by dynamotor on the

Arnold Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...

in 1898,. though

Robert Bosch Robert Bosch (23 September 1861 – 12 March 1942) was a German industrialist, engineer and inventor, founder of Robert Bosch GmbH. Biography Bosch was born in Albeck, a village to the northeast of Ulm in southern Germany as the eleventh of ...

, 1903, tends to get the credit), independent suspension (actually conceived by Bollée in 1873), and four- wheel brakes (by the Arrol-Johnston Company of

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in 1909).. Leaf springs were widely used for suspension, though many other systems were still in use. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted, allowing a variety of cruising speeds, though vehicles generally still had discrete speed settings, rather than the infinitely variable system familiar in cars of later eras. Safety glass also made its debut, patented by John Wood in England in 1905,. but would not become standard equipment until 1926 on a

Rickenbacker Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a range ...

. Angle steel took over from armored

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...

as the frame material of choice, and in 1912, Hupp pioneered the use of all-steel bodies,. joined in 1914 by

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

Lists of North American manufacturers of this era

''Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' 1904 list

In January, 1904, '' Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly'' magazine catalogued the entire range of automobiles available to the mass market in the United States. This list included: * American Darracq Automobile Company ( New York, New York) * Apperson Brothers Automobile Company ( Kokomo, Indiana) * Auburn Automobile Company ( Auburn, Indiana) * Autocar Company (

Ardmore, Pennsylvania Ardmore is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) spanning the border between Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census and had risen to 13,566 in ...

) * Automobile Exchange and Storage Company (New York, New York) * Baker Motor Vehicle Company ( Cleveland, Ohio) * Berg Automobile Company (New York, New York) * Buffalo Electric Carriage Company (

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

) * Cadillac Automobile Company (

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

) * Central Automobile Company (New York, New York) * Clodio and Widmayer (New York, New York) * Columbus Motor Vehicle Company ( Columbus, Ohio) * B. V. Covert and Company ( Lockport, New York) * Crest Manufacturing Company (

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

) * Daimler Manufacturing Company ( Long Island City, New York) * Duryea Power Company ( Reading, Pennsylvania) *

Electric Vehicle Company Electric Vehicle Company was an American automobile holding company and early pioneering manufacturer of automobiles. History The Electric Vehicle Company was founded September 27, 1897 as a holding company of battery-powered electric vehicle ...

(

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since t ...

) *

Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company Eisenhuth Horseless Vehicle Company was a manufacturer of Brass Age automobiles who were originally based in New York City. In 1902 the company purchased the Keating Wheel and Automobile Company and established manufacturing operations in Mid ...

( Middletown, Connecticut) *

Elmore Manufacturing Company Elmore Manufacturing Company was a manufacturer of veteran and brass era automobiles and bicycles (1893–97), headquartered at 504 Amanda Street, Clyde, Ohio, from 1893 until 1912. The company took its name from a small parcel of land in Clyde ...

(

Clyde, Ohio Clyde is a city in Sandusky County, Ohio, located eight miles southeast of Fremont. The population was 6,325 at the time of the 2010 census. The National Arbor Day Foundation has designated Clyde as a Tree City USA. The town is known for ha ...

) *

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

(Detroit, Michigan) * Societe Franco-Americaine d'Automobiles (New York, New York) * Franklin Automobile Company (

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, Yonkers, and Rochester. At the 2020 census, the city' ...

) * Fredonia Manufacturing Company ( Youngstown, Ohio) * Grout Brothers ( Orange, Massachusetts) * Haynes-Apperson Company (Kokomo, Indiana) * Holley Motor Car Company ( Bradford, Pennsylvania) * Thos. B. Jeffery Company ( Kenosha, Wisconsin) * Kirk Manufacturing Company (

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnat ...

) * Knox Automobile Company ( Springfield, Massachusetts) * Locomobile Company of America ( Bridgeport, Connecticut) *

National Motor Vehicle Company The National Motor Vehicle Company was an American manufacturer of automobiles in Indianapolis, Indiana, between 1900 and 1924. One of its presidents, Arthur C. Newby, was also one of the investors who created the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. ...

(

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mar ...

) *

National Sewing Machine Company National Sewing Machine Company was a Belvidere, Illinois-based manufacturer founded in the late 19th century. The company manufactured sewing machines, washing machines, bicycles, an automobile, home workshop machinery, and cast-iron toys and nove ...

( Belvidere, Illinois) * Northern Manufacturing Company (Detroit, Michigan) * Olds Motor Works (Detroit, Michigan) * Packard Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan) * Panhard-Levassor (

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

) * Peerless Motor Car Company (Cleveland, Ohio) * Phelps Motor Vehicle Company (

Stoneham, Massachusetts Stoneham ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, nine miles (14.5 km) north of downtown Boston. Its population was 23,244 at the 2020 census. Its proximity to major highways and public transportation offer convenient access to Bos ...

) * George N. Pierce Company (Buffalo, New York) * Pope-Robinson Company ( Hyde Park, Massachusetts) * Pope-Toledo Company (Toledo, Ohio) * Pope-Waverly Company (Indianapolis, Indiana) *

Premier Motor Manufacturing Company The Premier Motor Manufacturing Company built the brass era and vintage Premier luxury automobile in Indianapolis, Indiana, from 1903 to 1925. History The Premier Motor Manufacturing Company was organized in 1903 by George A. Weidely and Harol ...

(Indianapolis, Indiana) *

Renault Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufactured ...

(New York, New York) * Rochet-Schneider (New York, New York) * Royal Motor Car Company (Cleveland, Ohio) * Sandusky Automobile Company ( Sandusky, Ohio) * K. A. Skinner ( Boston, Massachusetts) * Smith and Mabley (New York, New York) *

St. Louis Motor Carriage Company St. Louis Motor Carriage Company was a manufacturer of automobiles at 1211–13 North Vandeventer Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, founded by George Preston Dorris (later credited with developing and patenting the float-carburetor) and John L. Fre ...

( St. Louis, Missouri) * Standard Automobile Company of New York (New York, New York) *

Stanley Motor Carriage Company The Stanley Motor Carriage Company was an American manufacturer of steam cars; it operated from 1902 to 1924. The cars made by the company were colloquially called Stanley Steamers, although several different models were produced. Early history ...

(

Newton, Massachusetts Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is approximately west of downtown Boston. Newton resembles a patchwork of thirteen villages, without a city center. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the population of ...

) * F. B. Stearns Company (Cleveland, Ohio) * J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company (

Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts Chicopee ( ) is a city located on the Connecticut River in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 55,560, making it the second-largest city in Western Massachusetts after Springfield. ...

) * Studebaker Brothers Company (

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

) * E. R. Thomas Motor Company (Buffalo, New York) *

Waltham Manufacturing Company Waltham Manufacturing Company (WMC) was a manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles, motorized tricycles and quadricycles, buckboards, and automobiles in Waltham, Massachusetts. It sold products under the brand names Orient, Waltham, and Walt ...

( Waltham, Massachusetts) * White Sewing Machine Company (Cleveland, Ohio) * Wilson Automobile Manufacturing Company (

Wilson, New York Wilson is a town in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 5,993 at the 2010 census. The town was named after an early settler, Reuben Wilson, who built and dwelt in a log cabin on the shore of Lake Ontario at the site of wha ...

) * Winton Motor Carriage Company (Cleveland, Ohio) * Woods Motor Vehicle Company (

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

)

Fred H. Colvin's list as of 1917

Fred H. Colvin, who covered the

American automotive industry The automotive industry in the United States began in the 1890s and, as a result of the size of the domestic market and the use of mass production, rapidly evolved into the largest in the world. The United States was the first country in the w ...

for many years as a journalist and editor of trade journals, wrote in his memoir (1947) about his experiences:.

Other North American makes

Alter Alter may refer to: * Alter (name), people named Alter * Alter (automobile) * Alter (crater), a lunar crater * Alter Channel, a Greek TV channel * Archbishop Alter High School, a Roman Catholic high school in Kettering, Ohio * ALTER, a command ...

( Plymouth, Michigan) * American Locomotive Company (

Schenectady, New York Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Yo ...

) * Arrow (

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...

) *Brockville-Atlas (Brockville, Ontario) *Cino (Cincinnati, Ohio) *Colburn Automobile Company, Colburn (Denver, Colorado) *Hamilton (automobile company), Hamilton Motors Company ( Plymouth, Michigan) *James Cunningham, Son & Company (Rochester, New York) *K-R-I-T Motor Car Company (Detroit, Michigan) *Lambert (automobile), Lambert (Anderson, Indiana) *Marathon Motor Works, Marathon (Nashville, Tennessee) *Maritime Motor Company Ltd, Maritime Six (Saint John, New Brunswick) *McLaughlin automobile, McLaughlin (Oshawa, Ontario) *Model Automobile Company, Model (Peru, Indiana) *Overland Automobile, Overland (Toledo, Ohio) *Stoddard-Dayton (Dayton, Ohio) *Tincher (Chicago, Illinois) *Union (automobile), Union (Union City, Indiana)

References

Bibliography

* *. *.

External links

Brassauto.comDevil-Wagon Days, by Dorothy V. Walters, the Wisconsin Magazine of History Vol. 30, September 1946, pp. 69–77
(mostly Model T)
Horseless Carriage GazetteVintage Auto Parts
(has a brass section) {{Automobile history eras Brass Era vehicles, Cars by period 1900s cars, 02 1910s cars, 01 Conservation and restoration of vehicles