Here is another of the unusual vehicles I saw in Reno’s National Automobile Museum.
This is the Briggs and Stratton Flyer, formerly known as the Smith Flyer. Smith made these motorized cars from 1915 – 1919, when it was sold to Briggs and Stratton. It’s a small light two-seater made of wood, with a fifth wheel suspending the 2 horsepower motor. It reportedly got 100 miles to a gallon and could attain speeds of just over 20 mph (35 km/h).
Most of these vehicles were painted red and commonly known as “Red Bugs”. They were quite inexpensive, running $125 – $150. Not many remain and I think are an interesting step in the popularization of motorized vehicles.
