1892 Mystery Car

[Guest timzoid]

The car depicted in the attached photo was identified as an 1892 Haynes. Being from Kokomo, Indiana and the president of the Pioneer Auto Club in that city, and after consulting the Elwood Haynes Museum in Kokomo, I can say this is not a Haynes for 3 reasons:

1. Haynes built his first car in 1893 and tested it on July 4, 1894.

2. Haynes used a chain & sprocket drive on his early cars, not the belts that are visible here.

3. Haynes never used a "T Bar" on the tiller of a Haynes auto.

The big question - what is it if it isn't a Haynes? While the body looks like one of the early Haynes autos. this car exhibits a number of features never put on a Haynes. This car was discovered in Plant City, Florida. Help!

Tim Rivers

Kokomo, Indiana

[Layden B]

Looks more like a Holsman to me. Very often they are quite back dated. The body on this one could also have been restored with a bit of creative license.

[Steve Braverman]

The "rope" drive says Holesman.

[keiser31]

The "rope" drive says Holesman.

Yep...I have to agree on that one. I noticed that they were not chains.

[nzcarnerd]

A quick google image search shows some Holsmans dated as early as 1902 but The Standard Catalog gives 1903 as the first date of them. It seems to be quite common to find early cars given impossibly early dates in the early days of the old car hobby.

[Guest timzoid]

Yeah, I agree. After doing a search on Holsman (thanks to Layden B for his quick response) I feel safe identifying this car was made by Holsman Automobile Company of Chicago.

Looking at the belt drive setup, there's no question this is a Holden (probably 1902 or 1903). The newspaper article sent by the nephew of the man who restored the car incorrectly identified this Holden as a Haynes, it stands to reason they could have the date wrong as well.

Thanks to everyone for their help. Never seen a Holsman before this. I was SURE this one wasn't made by Haynes.

[mrdavy89]

This was my great grandfather's car. I have pictures of my father playing in it when he was a young boy and pictures of him standing next to it in his military uniform.  Leroy Whitehurst was my great grandfather's name  He lived in Plant City Florida as did my grandfather and my father. I do believe it is a haynes but maybe not.  My grandfather from what I understand was paid $2 to pull that as awreck wreck car out of somebody's yard with a team of horses  And he took it home and worked on it and repaired it so he may have used parts from another car or other cars to fix this and get it back on the road I don't have a lot of information on this car but I  I'm pretty sure that this is or was my great grandfather's car

Edited April 27, 2022 by mrdavy89 (see edit history)

[wayne sheldon]

Are you saying your photos are of the same car from the 2009 posting? Looks very similar.

[mrdavy89]

I am pretty sure that is the same car.  Both are from plant city florida and this car was my great grandfather's pride and joy.  He was mayor of plant city and used to drive it in parades.  My dad is now going on 84 years so those are really old photos. He told me last night that his grandfather paid 500 dollars each to have new wheels made and the steel band to be put on them. That was during WW2 2 thousand dollars was alot of money in the 40s. I believe He has pictures of his grandfather driving that car in parades. I'd love to know where this car is of its in a museum I'd try to find a way to go and see it. 

Edited April 28, 2022 by mrdavy89
Added information (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

It looks kind of Duryea-esque to me, based on the steering control.