Kelsey Motorette

Kelsey Motorette
Overview
Type - Automobiles
Manufacturer - C. W. Kelsey Manufacturing Company
Production - 1910-1914; 109 years ago
Assembly - Hartford, Connecticut, United States
Designer - C. W. Kelsey

Carl Kelsey, designed an automobile that would be less expensive than the Model T. Introduced in September 1910, the three-wheel vehicle was the Motorette, built in Hartford, Connecticut. The Motorette (a name that he trademarked), was rear-wheel driven by a two-stroke, twin-cylinder engine which was air-cooled on early models. Later models were water-cooled, with the radiator mounted behind the engine.
With a 74-inch wheelbase, it weighed 700 pounds and was advertised with the slogan "No roads too rough, no hills too high." and was priced at $385, equivalent to $12,092 in 2022.
The Kelsey's two-stroke oil and gasoline were supplied separately, with the oil supplied by a tank in the armrest to a four-way distribution center at the front of the driver's seat. Kelsey designed one of the first anti-sway torsion bars to make it safer. This stabilizer rod was mounted cross-ways in the front and connected to the ends of the axle. This forced both front springs to work up and down together and kept the car frame parallel to the road surface.
To help promote his vehicle, Kelsey was active in early endurance events. In 1909, he drove an air-cooled model up Mount Washington. After the car overheated and Kelsey had to spend the night in a halfway house, he changed to a water-cooled engine. In 1911, Kelsey's brother-in-law and a mechanic drove a Kelsey Motorette from the factory in Hartford, Connecticut, across the country, and to San Francisco, CA. The trip lasted from February until August.
Some engines built by Lycoming factory workers were sabotaged, and this caused Kelsey financial issues. Production ended in 1914. About 210 Motorettes were produced.

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