Lucius B. Packard
The U.S. wheelwright and furniture makers Lucius B. Packard ( † October 14, 1914 ) built in 1860 for the first velocipede ( wheel, trolley ) in Peabody (Massachusetts ). Its operation was moved to Salem ( Massachusetts) where he was domiciled until 1914 at the corner of Derby and Liberty Street. It was here that in 1879 his first real bike.
1895 Packard designed its own experimental automobile. Only two years earlier the brothers Duryea had presented the first petrol-powered car in the United States. Packard's vehicle was designed as a runabout for two people and had wooden spoke wheels. It was powered by an internal combustion engine with 2 hp ( 1.5 kW ) from the manufacturer American power. The force was transmitted with a chain on the left rear wheel. To regulate the speed of a hand lever was the right of the steering lever: Press forward accelerated the vehicle, pulling backwards slowed it. In the upright position in the engine operating at idle. A second, similar lever behind the seat was the reverse - one of the earliest institutions of its kind for this car was even before the completion of a buyer.
According to the company Lucius Packard built in 1896 an electric mobility scooter as its base was a coach. 1898 was followed by an electrically powered tricycle. This filigree design had wooden spoke wheels and was steered with the steering lever on the front wheel. More vehicles are not used.
On June 25, 1914, fire destroyed the business. Lucius Packard died on 14 October of the same year.
From the first and the third vehicle photographs have survived.
Lucius B. Packard does not seem to the entrepreneur family Packard in Warren ( Ohio) ( co-founder of the brand Packard, 1899-1958 ) to have been used.
Swell
- Beverly Rae Kimes, Henry Austin Clark, Jr. (ed.): Standard Catalogue of American Cars. 2nd edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI 54990, ISBN 0-87341-111-0, pp. 1063-1064.
- Horseless Age: the automobile trade magazine. Volume 1 The Horseless age company, 1895, p 33 ( limited preview on Google Book Search ).