1910 Brush Runabout

Description

OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

The AACA Museum at Hershey is truly America’s transportation experience. The 71,000-square-foot museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened on 26 June 2003 and since then has displayed vintage automobiles in a truly unique way. Visitors walk through eight decades in time while traveling from New York to San Francisco with iconic settings revealing vehicles from generations of American motoring. The AACA Museum at Hershey ranks among the top automotive museums in the world and has been recognized by the Smithsonian as an Affiliate Museum. Hagerty Marketplace is again honored to offer this collection of exceptional and unusual vehicles from the AACA Museum at Hershey.  

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The 1910 Brush Runabout was a lightweight, affordable automobile designed by Alanson Partridge Brush, a self-taught engineer who had previously worked with Cadillac. Produced by the Brush Runabout Company in Highland Park, Michigan, the car was marketed as the “Everyman’s Car,” offering a simple, rugged design for early motorists. 

The Runabout featured a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine producing 6 to 10 horsepower, capable of reaching speeds up to 35 mph. Brush used maple, hickory, and oak to construct the car’s frame and axles, with coil springs mounted in tension, a unique design that improved ride comfort. The car also used a friction drive transmission and chain-driven rear axle, with no differential; instead, one wheel would disengage during turns to reduce drivetrain stress. 

Brush’s design emphasized safety and practicality. The engine ran counterclockwise to reduce injury risk during hand-cranking, and wider axles were offered to suit southern U.S. wagon ruts. Despite its innovation, the Brush Runabout was absorbed into the United States Motor Company in 1910 and ceased production by 1913, unable to compete with the mass-produced Ford Model T.    Highlights 

• Historic open two-seater runabout 

• Single-cylinder, four-stroke engine producing 6–10 horsepower 

• Friction drive with chain-driven rear axle 

• Unusual wooden frame rails and front axle made of maple, hickory, and oak

Features 

• Coil springs mounted in tension for a smoother ride  

• Designed for unpaved roads and minimal maintenance 

• Weighed around 1,000 pounds, making it easy to maneuver  

• Counterclockwise engine cranking for safety 

Known Imperfections 

• This 1910 Brush Runabout is said to be free from any substantial imperfections. 

Ownership History 

This 1910 Brush Runabout entered the museum’s collection in 2003. It was donated by Donald Brush of Webster, New York. Though no known relation to the company’s founder, Donald pursued this vehicle, at least partly due to the name. When he first saw the runabout, it was hiding in an old hay barn. After more than a year of visits, he finally persuaded the owner to sell the vehicle. The car had three more years to wait, however, as Donald finished his engineering career at Eastman Kodak Company. Then he devoted his full attention to returning the Brush to its original glory with much of the work done in his home garage. Though finished in 1978, and attaining major awards decades ago, the Brush is still a bright and shiny testament of the quality restoration and maintenance given by its owner. 

Additional Notes 

A Broad Arrow Auctions Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the owner of this vehicle. Broad Arrow Auctions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hagerty. 

Contact: Donnie Gould   Phone: 954.647.0779    email: dgould@hagerty.com