Frontmobile

[Dave Mellor NJ]

On a post by X-Frame about front wheel drive, the Frontmobile, Made by a man named Bateman in South Jersey came up. I found a picture and some text of the second of two cars made, a touring sedan model (1918) which still exists in Natmus in Reno.

I just found a picture of the first car, a roadster (1917) in "Classic Cars and Antiques", a peterson publication by Wieand Bowman and Robert Gottlieb

<TABLE id=post990221 class=tborder2 border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD width=175></TD><TD id=td_post_990221 class=alt3><!-- google_ad_section_start -->Re: Front Wheel Drive (FWD)<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

<HR SIZE=1><!-- google_ad_section_start -->More on the Frontmobile: the man's name was Bateman and he had a company manufacturing various farm implements in Grenloch. After he made what's said to be two cars, a roadster in 1917 and a touring sedan in 1918 he moved to Collingswood,NJ and changed the name to Camden Motors,Co but no more cars were made. The sedan touring still exists in Reno.

<TABLE id=ncode_imageresizer_warning_1 class=ncode_imageresizer_warning width=640><TBODY><TR><TD class=td1 width=20></TD><TD class=td2 unselectable="on">This image has been resized. Click this bar to view the full image. The original image is sized 940x652 and weights 70KB.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Dave Mellor NJ]

[Dave Mellor NJ]

They seem to give it credit for inspiring Ruxton and Cord

[Restorer32]

There was a Frontmobile at Hershey in the 1970's. Don't remember if it was in the show or flea market but I have a specific memory of closely examing the front wheel drive mechanism. Even today I often refer to front wheel drive vehicles as "Frontmobiles".

[X-Frame]

Thanks for posting these. My interest of course is the correlation between FWD and the use of a X brace as some of the early FWD's had. But these very early ones don't seem to have incorporated them.

On that note, does anyone know of any automobile or truck pre 1923 that used a X bracing on their frame in some way?