Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

As tradition tells it, Fred Tone was watching the unloading of automobile chassis when he had one of those "better idea" moments. The frames were stacked upside down. Why not build cars that way, he reasoned, with axles above the chassis. They would have a much lower center of gravity and thus better handling.

Tone was the chief engineer for the American Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. Formerly with the Marion Motor Car Company, he produced his first design for American in 1906, an underslung roadster. While "American Underslung" is now treated as an automotive make, in its time it was known merely as "The American," appropriate since not all Americans were underslung. The Tourist touring car and Limousine, for example, were of conventional design. The Speedster, Roadster and an attractive Coupe held to the underslung design. An eagle, naturally, was the car's emblem, appearing on the hubs and on the gas cap, though the radiator mascot seen on most Americans today is not shown in period images.

The car atop this page is a 1910 Traveler underslung tourer, one of two known to survive. Formerly owned by Connecticut collector Richard King, it is now seen on the concours circuit (Amelia Island 2006) under new stewardship. Cars of this ilk are brass-intensive, including headlamps, sidelamps and horn. Its engine is a 499-cubic-inch L-head four, which takes a hefty swing to start. Once running, however, its 50 hp propels the car with great elan.

Billed as "A Car for the Discriminating Few," it sold for $4,000, about the price of a Packard. Alas, the American fell victim to the misfortunes of its manufacturer, latterly called "American Motors." Money ran out in 1913 and refinancing failed, so receivership soon followed. The last car was built in 1914.

As not all Americans were underslung, not all underslungs were Americans. Regal, in particular built a number of underslung models, also sold in Britain as the Seabrook RMC. The traditional Morgan, too, used an underslung rear suspension.

There have been quite a few "American" cars in the history of the automobile, among them the American built 1917 to 1924 in Plainfield, New Jersey, and whose first chief engineer was Louis Chevrolet. It, too, used an eagle as its mascot. More recently, the other American Motors sold a Rambler American. But those pale in comparison. It's the underslung cars from Indianapolis that make one most proud to be an American.