Brush

GB, 1902 – 1904

(1) Brush Electrical Engineering Co Ltd, London S.E., 1902 – 1904

(2) Brush Electrical Engineering Co Ltd., Loughborough, Leics., 1904

The first Brush car appeared on the market in March 1902. It was powered by a 10hp 2-cylinder Abeille engine, and had a Sage 3-speed gearbox and double chain drive. For 1902 it was joined by 4-cylinder Brush cars of 12, 16 and 20hp, also using Abeille engines and chain drive. For part of 1904 these cars were still made in London, but at the same time a completely different design known as the Brushmobile was made at Brush’s other factory at Loughborough. This Brush had a 5 or 6hp single-cylinder horizontal engine, single chain drive and coil suspension. It was identical in design, though not in appearance, to the 6hp Vauxhall, and all but the last six Brushmobiles made were, in fact, built in the Vauxhall factory.

US, 1907 – 1913

(1) Brush Motor Car Co, Detroit, Mich.

(2) Brush Runabout Co, Detroit, Mich.

The US Brush was a popular two-seater runabout with coil springs all round, and a wooden frame and axles. The initial Brush model for sale had a single-cylinder, 12hp engine, with chain-drive and solid tyres, priced at $780. By the end of 1907 the price of the Brush was down to $500, and in 1912, a stripped version, the Liberty-Brush, sold for only $350. Brush chassis with an abbreviated landaulette body were marketed in 1912 for taxicab use under the name Titan. Later Brush models used a larger engine and pneumatic tyres, but the basic design of the car remained unchanged. The Brush car was designed by Alanson P. Brush, and the company was formed by Frank Briscoe. Later, Brush became a division of U.S. Motors Co and ceased production with the collapse of this combine in 1913.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG, GMN

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