1920 Briggs and Stratton Flyer

Here is another of the unusual vehicles I saw in Reno's National Automobile Museum.

This is the Briggs and Stratton Flyer, formerly known as the Smith Flyer.  Smith made these motorized cars from 1915 - 1919, when it was sold to Briggs and Stratton.  It's a small light two-seater made of wood, with a fifth wheel suspending the 2 horsepower motor.   It reportedly got 100 miles to a gallon and could attain speeds of just over 20 mph (35 km/h).

Most of these vehicles were painted red and commonly known as "Red Bugs".  They were quite inexpensive, running $125 - $150.  Not many remain and I think are an interesting step in the popularization of motorized vehicles.