Description

The Ford Quadricycle was Henry Ford’s first experimental automobile, built in 1896. Ford named it the “Quadricycle” because it ran on four bicycle wheels, reflecting its lightweight and simple design. Inspired by the Otto cycle engine—developed by German engineer Nikolaus August Otto—Ford further perfected and adapted this technology to create his own motorized vehicle.

On the early morning of June 6, 1896, Henry Ford pushed his newly built Quadricycle out of a brick coal shed behind his home at 58 Bagley Avenue in Detroit. He then piloted it for the first time under its own power through the streets of the city. The Quadricycle was very much a horseless carriage, typical of the era, and was steered using a tiller rather than a steering wheel.

The vehicle’s structure consisted of an angle iron frame with a wooden body, supported by bicycle-type wheels. Its engine was a two-cylinder, four-cycle design with the cylinders lying flat and parallel to each other. The Quadricycle featured a two-speed transmission operated by leather belts, and power was delivered to a solid rear axle through a chain drive. The rear axle included a differential located just inside the right rear wheel, allowing for smoother turns. The connecting rods attached to cranks on a large flywheel, which was also parallel to the cylinders, helped develop the engine’s power.

This two-cylinder engine and the overall design cost Ford $200 to build in 1896, selling the first Quadricycle to Charles Ainsley. Ford went on to build two more Quadricycles—in 1899 and 1901. The success of this invention inspired Ford to establish the Ford Motor Company, ultimately making him one of the world’s wealthiest men. Today, the only original Quadricycle is preserved at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.