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1896 Quadricycle

Image of Quadricycle

Henry Ford's First Car
 

photographs specifications guestbook

On June 4, 1896 in a tiny workshop behind his home on 58 Bagley Avenue, Henry Ford put the finishing touches on his gasoline-powered motor car. After more than two years of experimentation, Henry Ford at the age of thirty-two, had completed his first experimental automobile. He dubbed his creation the "Quadricycle," so named because it ran on four bicycle tires. The success of the little vehicle fueled Ford's automobile ambitions, leading ultimately to the founding of Ford Motor Company in 1903.

About our Car: (Gift of Ford Motor Company) The Quadricycle is built on a steel frame with no body. The dash is made of wood, and the seat is toolbox-like, covered in green cloth with metal arms. There is an electric bell in front of the dash and a bicycle lamp on the side. The metal plate on the back of the seat reads:

                  U.S. & FOREIGN
		  PATENTS PENDING
		  ON THE WORKING
		  PART & DESIGN
		  OF THIS MACHINE





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