1911 Brush

edited by David Barth, 15 March 2009.
Courtesy Antique Car Museum of Iowa at 860 Quarry Road, Coralville, Iowa, 52241 USA.
Photos were taken in March 2009.

The Brush Runabout Company of Detroit, Michigan was active only from 1907 until 1911. Small, two-seater early models were promoted according to the 1989 "Standard Catalog of American Cars" by asking that potential purchasers reflect on the reason a squirrel can climb a tree better than an elephant. An early Brush climbed Pike's Peak in eight hours which was a better record than many larger cars had achieved.

The Brush represented an early attempt to fill a need for "Everyman's" automobile. It was priced affordably and was economical to operate.

The early, 1907 Brush had a single-cylinder, 6 horsepower engine, and a 74 inch wheelbase. The 1910 Brush retained a single-cylinder engine, but with 10 horsepower and an 80 inch wheelbase.

The cars could go 35 miles per hour, and the original cost was approximately $500. The axles and frames were made of oak or other hardwood. They were dependable little two-seaters that were widely used by mailmen and doctors.

The Brush on display Runabout on an 81 inch wheelbase with wooden axles, a reverse crank, two speeds forward, and one speed reverse. A Brush could get 42 miles per gallon.

This car is from the Collection of Harry Burd of Waterloo, Iowa.