1911 Izzer Custom

The Izzer was so named because the man who ordered it wanted an up-to-date, custom-built car with all the modern improvement, not the “was-ers” or “has-beens” that populated the American roads of the day. Dr. H. H. Bissell of Watseka, Illinois, took his auto-building ideas to the Model Gas Engine Works in Peru, Indiana, and commissioned the Izzer. E. A. Myers, the owner of the Model, was so enthused with the vehicle that he built two more Izzers, one for himself, the other for the Model office manager, James Littlejohn. Of the three cars built, the only one to survive is this one, the original made for Dr. Bissell. Note the small Jump sear in the front. Dr. Bissell had that installed for his young daughter, who enjoyed motoring with her parents. This is an excellent example of a non-production Indiana-built automobile. A delightful footnote to automotive history, the Izzer still is.

The wheelbase is 99 inches, which is comparable to a Ford Model T.