Car History 4U

Special Features / Cyclecars

9.1.15.  United States

    • The cyclecar craze arrived in the USA some three years after it occurred in Europe. By 1915 over 40 companies were producing cyclecars in the USA.

      La Ligne

                    1.  Car-Nation

    • One of, if not the first cyclecar produced in the United States was  the “Car-Nation Roadster” model that was manufactured by the American Voiturette Company from about 1912 to 1915.

      Car-Nation

    • It weighed 700 lb (320 kg), was powered by a four-cylinder air cooled engine and had a 3 speed transmission.

                    2. Dudly Bug

    • The Dudly Tool Company was formed in 1913 as part of the Menominee Electric Manufacturing Company and by November of that year they had produced a prototype cyclecar.

    • In 1914 the company introduced their first production model; the two-seater A-1 Dudley Bug. The 10 hp cyclecar was powered by a two-cylinder air-cooled engine and had an ash wood frame. What cc and weight?

      1914 Dudley Bug

    • In late 1914/early 1915 Dudly produced a two-seater electric powered car. It had a range of about 50 miles (80 klm) and a top speed of 19 mph (3 kph).  About 100 were made. Is the exact date and number known?

    • The two-cylinder A-1 model was replaced in 1915 by the four-cylinder 1.6 litre B-1 model. Later in 1915 the company ceased making cars. Was the electric car produced before or after the B-1 model? Could the date for the B-1 be 1914?


                   3.  Scripps-Booth

    • The Scripps-Booth Cyclecar Company produced a tandem cyclecar called the Rocket in 1913 and 1914. It was fitted with a twin-cylinder, 70.6 cu. in. (1157 cc) 10-12 hp engine.

      Scripps Booth

    • A total of about 400 were made.

    • In December 1914 Scripps-Booth sold their cyclecar company to the Puritan Machine Company of Detroit, which continued to service the JB Rocket and sell parts for a time.

                   4. Woods

    • Between 1913 and 1916 the Woods Mobilette Company manufactured what was promoted as America‘s first cyclecar.

    • It had a four-cylinder engine and was rated at 12 hp. Further info is required; weight, engine cc, numbers made, etc.   

                    5. Others 

    • Other American companies producing cyclecars include; American, Cyclomobile, Coey, Comet, Cyclops, Dayton, Hawk, JPL, La Vigne, Malcolm, Jones, Mercury, Motor Bob, O-We-Go, Smith Flyer, Twombly and Xenia.
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