Amedee B. Cole's inexpensive St. Louis high-wheeler maker that evolved from the $300 Autobuggy into twin-cylinder utility vehicles and conventional four-cylinder cars

A(L Identity / Register monogram
8models on record
1905–1910recorded span
Model activity by decade
1900s1900s
About the marque
Founded
1905 – 1910
Country
United States

Amedee B. Cole sold several high-wheelers of his own design before organizing the Auto Buggy Manufacturing Company in St. Louis in 1905. Its light, lever-steered, wooden Autobuggy used a transverse air-cooled single, friction transmission and chain drive and was promoted as an exceptionally simple $300 rural car. A more refined 1907 version preceded reorganization as A.B.C. Motor Vehicle Company in 1908, when a water- or air-cooled 16/18 hp twin-cylinder family added two- and three-seat runabouts, a four-seat Surrey and delivery wagon; 183 vehicles were built that year. Renamed A.B.C. Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Company for 1909, the firm also introduced a modern low-wheel 30/35 hp four-cylinder range with front engine and 112-inch wheelbase. The simultaneous old and new platforms could not secure the business, and creditor proceedings began shortly before Christmas 1910. A.B.C. refers to Cole's name and is unrelated to Britain's later ABC Motors or St. Louis competitor Success Auto-Buggy.

Text adapted from “A.B.C. (St. Louis)” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Catalog

8 models

models
1905–1908
Autobuggy 10 HP

Amedee B. Cole's opening design and the sole product before the A.B.C. reorganization. It used lever steering, a split rear axle, four full-elliptic…

CURATED
1908–1910
Model C 16/18 HP Runabout

Two-seat member of the enlarged twin-cylinder range introduced late in 1908. In 1909 solid-rubber Model C and pneumatic-tire Model PC designations…

CURATED
1908–1910
Model D 16/18 HP Roadster

Three-seat twin-cylinder high-wheeler, called a runabout at introduction and Roadster thereafter. Pneumatic-tire 1909 cars used PD while 1910…

CURATED
1908–1910
Model E 16/18 HP Surrey

Four-passenger high-wheeler body in the 16/18 hp family. Model PE denoted its 1909 pneumatic-tire configuration, while Model E covered solid rubber…

CURATED
1908–1909
Model F 16/18 HP Delivery Wagon

Commercial body introduced with the twin-cylinder range at $700. It disappeared from the passenger-car table in 1909 but Model F is independently…

CURATED
1909–1910
Model G 30/35 HP Runabout

Smallest body on Cole's new conventional automobile, marking A.B.C.'s move away from archaic high-wheelers. It cost $1,100 in 1909 and $1,250 in…

CURATED
1909–1910
Model H 30/35 HP Roadster

Three-passenger roadster version of the modern 30/35 hp platform, priced at $1,200 for 1909 and $1,400 for 1910. A registry reference to a two-seat H…

CURATED
1909–1910
Model I 30/35 HP Touring

Touring body and largest passenger offering in the final A.B.C. range, listed at $1,250 in 1909 and $1,400 in 1910. Some registry material mentions…

CURATED