Topic: SOLVED: WTH # 513 - 1901 Phelps from New Jersey

[sixtee5cuda]

To earn a point, provide year, make, and geographical origin of this vehicle:

[sixtee5cuda]

Nothing from the Rookies.

Up!

Experts?

[luisps]

Found in the book "The world's worst cars": This illustration of a 1901 "front-wheel-drive" motor vehicle is very close to the basic mechanical design of the 1897 BARSALEUX. Now imagine this front wheel and motor casement enshrouded with a stuffed horse-in much the same spirit as the horse's head adornment of the 'horseles carriage' That may approximate Joseph Barsaleux ingenuously outrageous automobile.

[sixtee5cuda]

The vehicle is from 1901, and it is front-wheel-drive.  No connection to Barsaleux, as far as I can determine.

Can you find the name of this vehicle, and where it was created?  (Assuming it was ever more than a sketch.)

[luisps]

As I've stated in my previous answer Inthe boock that appears this design doesn't mentions its creator or if it ever was constructed. It makes reference to the similarity to some Barsaleux ideas. Any way the shape of the carriage makes me thinck about an american higwheeler. Is that correct? in such case the creator has made any other vehicles of such type?

[sixtee5cuda]

The rear 2/3rds of the vehicle are an American horse-drawn carriage.  Any other type of horse-drawn carriage could be connected to the front propulsion unit.

The manufacturer of the propulsion unit is American.

[luisps]

I've found a similar image of a vehicle of 1901 in a Popular Mechanichs of the 50s. The only difference is on the  system to control the front wheel. The name given to the vehicle is "Phelps Tractor". Could it be a different version of the same concept? See attached image.

[sixtee5cuda]

The puzzle vehicle is a 1901 Phelps Tractor.

LOCKED for luisps to describe where this vehicle was created.

[luisps]

Having the name ahs been easy obtain full information in Internet. The responsible of that desing was L. J. Phelps of New Brunswick, New Jersey. It says that  the motion was achieved by a steam boiler and all the controls were done with the rides, as a horse!!!

[sixtee5cuda]

Luisps gets the point for the correct answer.

I have found several images of this vehicle, but no indication that it was ever actually built. 

Mr. Phelps did built conventional automobiles under his name between 1903 and 1905, but in Massachusetts.

[sixtee5cuda]

An old advertisement for the Phelps: