Why The American Sports Car?
This series intends to bring to light the interesting sports cars that American manufacturers, like the Adams Company, proposed in their sales literature, in a failing attempt to interest American buyers. Nevertheless, these stillborn vehicles were of interesting design and their memory should be revived. Fortunately, our library has an extensive collection of sales literature which, besides illustrating the cars and their features, hawk a sporting motoring experience.
The Adams Farwell Company
In 1907 the Adams Farwell Company set out with the intention of building a true sports car. Their end cumulative result fit within the guidelines of our criteria by advertising performance separate from the ordinary, as well as a different body style from the standard roadster. It seems, however, that the most that ever came from that dream was a drawing.
Below is a catalog picture of the stock roadster model accompanied with no special text except for style and reliability.
Below is the only searchable image of the Gentleman’s Speed Roadster, a line drawing showing the significant changes from the standard roadster.
But the text really clarifies the meaning of this car, one of the very first (1907) examples of a manufacturer who set aside a creation for motoring performance.
“The lightness of our power plant enables us to construct the 2 passenger Road speed car with more power per pound of weight that has ever before been produced in a roadster. A special transmission of wider range than our standard, giving 4 speeds forward and two reverse, with gear speeds of 15, 25, 45, and 75 mph enables us to take advantage of all conditions. Its lightweight will make it a very fast hill climber and it can be slow down to take corner safely and the speed accelerated much more quickly than a heavier car. The steering wheel or lever is on the left side which is preferable for track speeding this car can be entered in contest as a stock car, no stripping or change of sprockets necessary. The sportsman likes to get their first will find this car just what he wants”.
It is quite possible that none was ever sold, and perhaps none was ever made. Was there a market for such a car in 1907 when the automobile was nascent in America? Well there was in Europe, but that’s another story.
