Chassis No.
1195
| Hershey, Pennsylvania
Addendum
Please note that, contrary to the printed catalogue, this Schacht is, in fact, a Model R. Therefore, it is equipped with a 24-horsepower engine, a planetary transmission, and a 90-inch wheelbase chassis.
24 bhp, 183 cu. in. two-cylinder engine with single carburetor, planetary transmission, front and rear suspension with Concord 72-inch springs, and four-wheel mechanical brakes. Wheelbase: 90 in.
Originally founding their business on producing wagons and horse-drawn carriages before the advent of the motor car, brothers William and Gustav A. Schacht established the Schacht Manufacturing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, and their first automobile entered production in 1904. Marketed in its day as the “Invincible Schacht,” the cars were thought to be of utmost quality and reliability, while only bearing a price tag of $680. Even though the company’s roots were in producing highwheel buggies and more conventional passenger cars, the manufacturer eventually left those cars behind to build commercial trucks.
Equipped with a steering wheel, while other vehicles of the time had a tiller, as well as a water-cooled engine, as evidenced by the brass radiator at the front of the vehicle, the Schacht Model R was undoubtedly ahead of its time.
The Schacht Model R Auto-Runabout Roadster offered here has been a part of the AACA Museum Collection since 1996. The vehicle is currently finished in black paint over a black interior and yellow wheels, and it is in very good original and unrestored condition. Exterior components, such as the headlights, grille, and body, show very few signs of wear. Despite its remarkable original condition, the Schacht has not been run since it was donated to the museum. As a result, some mechanical work is required to bring the car back to working condition.
As the G.A. Schacht Motor Truck Company moved towards producing commercial trucks, their earlier roadster models started to slip into obscurity and were often forgotten about in the larger perspective of the company’s history. Sadly, bigger did not always mean better, and Schacht closed its doors in 1940. This vehicle would be a prime addition to any collection of early American automobiles, as it is a fine example of a popular model from a company that did not make many passenger cars, even more so when considering its remarkable condition. Seeing that the vehicle is currently in incredible original condition, it has indeed proved to be “invincible,” just as its manufacturers intended it to be.
