1906 Rambler Type Three

Like many early automobile builders, Thomas B. Jeffery (an Englishman who immigrated to the United States), was in the bicycle building and selling business. It began in 1878 and before long, the Gormully & Jeffery concern was one of the largest manufacturers of bicycles in America with branches in Boston, Washington, and New York, along with its home factory on North Franklin and Pearson Streets in Chicago. A branch was even opened in Coventry, England. Marketed under the trade name Rambler, they rivaled Pope-Columbia for the number one position in the American market.

By 1897, Mr. Jeffery had built his first motor car, and several experimental prototypes followed. The Rambler automobile, produced in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was produced from 1902 to 1914. They were high-quality mid-to-luxury priced cars that were renowned for their design and excellent engineering. They were rewarded with approximately 1,500 cars produced in 1902, a figure that ranked them second in U.S. production behind Ransom Olds and his curved dash runabout.

By 1906, the Rambler line included both a two-cylinder and four-cylinder engine, which horsepower reaching 40 hp. Wheelbase sizes ranged from the 88-inch platform of the Model 17 to 112 inches of the Model 16. Bodystyles included runabout, surrey, 5-passenger tourers, and a limousine.

The Type Three Model was a five-passenger Surrey with a 96-inch wheelbase and a 2-cylinder engine.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019