Thomas

US, 1902 – 1919

(1) E.R. Thomas Motor Co, Buffalo, N.Y., 1902 – 1911

(2) E.R. Thomas Motor Car Co, Buffalo, N.Y., 1911 – 1919

The first Thomas car was the Autotwo of 1899, but from 1900 to 1902 the Thomas car company built engines only, having granted a licence to the Buffalo Automobile & Auto-Bi Company to build light Thomas cars and motorcycles. In 1902 Thomas cars took over Buffalo’s operations and in July 1903 introduced a touring Thomas car powered by a 24hp 3-cylinder in-line engine. A De Dion-type bonnet was used on the Thomas car with a gilled-tube radiator slung low in front, but by November 1903 this had been replaced by a conventional bonnet and honeycomb radiator. These Thomas cars used double chain drive. For 1905 the Thomas car model was called a 24/30hp, and this year saw the introduction of larger 40 and 50hp 4-cylinder Thomas cars, together with a 60hp six. The name Thomas Flyer was applied to the Thomas cars from 1905 onwards, and a wide range of bodies was offered on Thomas cars, from two-seater racer to limousine. The most famous model Thomas car was the Thomas-Flyer K6-70, with a 72hp 6-cylinder engine; it was one of these Thomas cars which won the 1908 New York to Paris Race. 

One chain-driven Thomas cars was continued into 1909, but later Thomas cars tended to be more sedate, with emphasis on town cars and landaus. In 1911 and 1912 only 6-cylinderTHomas cars were made. The Model 6-70 was continued to the end, its massive 12.8-litre engine being the largest in the range. Thomas cars were listed up to 1919, available to special order only.

GB, 1903

W.F. Thomas, Birmingham

The English Thomas car used an 8hp 2-cylinder engine mounted at the front, driving via friction transmission and chain final drive. A 6hp single-cylinder Thomas car, and a 10hp twin were planned, but not built.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GMN, GNG 

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