Vehicle Description
At the turn of the last centuries, from the 1800's to the 1900's
America was a vast and largely empty country. There were pockets of
industry in the Northeast and the upper Midwest but the rest of the
country was agrarian with small pockets of habitation separated by
square miles of homestead land and barely above subsistence level
farms. As Amazon revolutionized commerce in the early 21st Century,
commerce a century ago was revolutionized by Sears, Roebuck and
Company. Its voluminous catalog, 532 pages in1895, was the source
of items that small general retailers couldn't stock while also
serving a well-known alternate function in outhouses. Sears, as it
was known, offered to supply nearly everything a family, ranch or
farm needed, arriving reliably at Post Offices or Railway Express
depots that were ubiquitous throughout America's network of
railroad tracks. Roads, as we know them today, did not exist
between the coasts. There were wagon tracks across the prairies,
etched by years of horse- and oxen-drawn wagons where potholes and
high centers were the norm. Into this environment Sears, Roebuck
introduced its first automobile in 1908, a simple buggy-based
vehicle, a high-wheeler with an opposed 2-cylinder engine and an
ingenious infinitely variable friction transmission. The wood spoke
wheels were huge, creating generous road clearance. Sears vehicles
arrived at Railway Express depots knocked down and crated with
detailed assembly instructions that could be effected by a
mechanically inclined farmer with the screwdrivers and monkey
wrenches every farm in the period had. It was a buggy-styled
vehicle that was familiar to its audience, but without expense of
maintaining the horse when it wasn't working. Sears, Roebuck
offered their Motor Buggy from 1908 to 1912 making this 1913-dated
Sears Model K one of the last built. It has been thoroughly
restored with a red chassis and wheels, dark green body with gold
striping and the standard features of the Model K, top of the line
for the Sears with green painted fenders (with red inside the
fenders), running boards and a cover over the handy utility body
for groceries and bags of feed behind the buggy seat. It has the 14
horsepower 127 cubic inch air cooled opposed twin engine and
infinitely variable ratio friction drive transmission with dual
chain drive to the rear wheels. "Cushion" rubber tires are a
distinguishing feature of the Model K (another $20 to the $475
price would have added pneumatic tires). The engine and
undercarriage are in clean, orderly condition, with a light patina
that is appropriate for the age and quality of the restoration.
Steering is by a tiller with a bulb horn on it from the lefthand
side of the leather upholstered seat. Instrumentation is confined
to a clock. There are black-painted brass kerosene lamps and a
similarly black-painted tail and utility light. A badge on the body
identifies it as equipped with a "Motsinger Faultless Plug Switch"
to choose between a pair of batteries or a battery and a magneto.
Sears Motor Buggies were, in essence, agricultural machinery.
Designed and constructed to be built and maintained by tech-savvy
(not a term used in 1913, but nonetheless applicable) farmers,
their restorations are usually consistent with harvesters and
tractors. This Sears is better that that. There are a few cracks on
the wooden body panels and some of the iron pieces are thoroughly
repainted but show evidence of prior pitting. The seat upholstery
shows some use and the top, probably a later addition that is not
included in the Model K's standard specification, is sound but
older. The patent leather dashboard (the shield in front of the
occupants' feet that traces right back to horse drawn buggies where
the dashboard deflected dirt thrown up by horses' hooves) is in
excellent condition. It is indisputable that taking a ride or
participating in a parade will make every onlooker smile. On
display the infinitely variable friction transmission and otherwise
simple mechanics will fascinate spectators. It is a fascinating
piece of American history, a rare and charming machine from a
bustling period for the American motoring industry when everyone
from barnyard engineers to the nation's most successful retailer
tried their hand at the automobile business. Offers welcome and
trades considered For additional details please view this listing
directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7644-1913-sears-model-k-motor-buggy/
