12.05.22
Known for its tall stature and presence, our 1903 Knox, engine #609, fits the bill for quality, durability, and engineering genius. The propulsion was of a unique design—the single-cylinder engine was air-cooled by steel pins or rods— screwed into the cylinder walls. A tech-school graduate hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, Harry Austin Knox (b. 1875) preferred internal combustion engines over steam. He constructed a waterless system that became known as “Old Porcupine,” allowing for an expanded surface in which air flow acted as the coolant instead of a liquid coolant. Issues that come with a liquid cooling system such as belts, water pumps, rust and scaling are eliminated. Knox, encouraged by neighbor, J. Frank Duryea, entered the automotive industry with a 3-wheeler powered by a 1562 cc 5 hp engine driving the rear axle by a single chain. A 1902 Boston-to-New York reliability contest fanned customer interest, as the Knox captured two of the four cups. Ads claimed the “…whole output for 1903 was sold between January 1 to February 15 … (and) we are already shipping 1904 machines” (Henmings.com “Old Porcupine-Knox” 9/23/18.) Another account states 250 automobiles in 1902 sold for cash “right from the factory door” (Hess The Knox Automobile Company). A Knox entry in the 1906 Glidden Tour, Hess further relays, finished the endurance run with a perfect score, contributing to the car’s building reputation for durability established from earlier “hill climbs and races.”
Our 1903 Knox is a four-wheeled, two-seater with a folding front seat for a 3rd-passenger and a 6-horsepower, air-cooled engine. Knox has been praised as an engineering genius building everything from tractors to buses to the first motorized fire engines in the country. 1910 was the high-water mark for the company with 1412 automobiles built, but by then Knox had departed, forming Atlas Motor Truck Company. In addition, Knox designed tanks and track-laying equipment for the United States Armed Forces as late as 1945.
Our Knox is known for legendary quality and design representing a “priceless artifact from a pioneering age” (Hess). More images for interested collectors can be seen in Images of America Knox Automobile Company, John Y. Hess.
1903 Knox employs a tiller for steering.
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