The high-wheeler is a uniquely American vehicle, as it was essentially a horseless carriage that was built to adapt to the deplorable road conditions common at the time. Ground clearance was at a premium. While high-wheelers looked like the good ole’ buckboard buggy that had been meeting the needs of farmers for years, they had the ability to function…horseless.

Henry Holsman, the founder of the Holsman Automobile Company of Chicago, Illinois, was on to something, and his design was an exercise in simplicity. Initially, the driveline was ⅞-inch manila rope, which proved unsatisfactory after it sustained wet-weather use. Later, Holsman and his associate, C. H. Bryan, devised a chain braided over with manila and steel wire, and then they finally adapted to the chain alone. Steering is by a right-hand tiller, while its brakes are hand-operated and applied directly against the solid rubber tires.

This 1907 Holsman High-Wheel Runabout is described by its consigner as a superb older restoration. It received its AACA Senior National First Prize in 1986 and a Grand National Award in 1988. Since that time, it has been maintained in a private museum and has received little use, but it runs and drives as expected. The consigner further describes its black body, dark green chassis with red coachlines, black upholstery, and elegant yet simple brass trim to be in excellent condition throughout.

As one of the few surviving Holsman Runabouts known to exist, this is the perfect vehicle for the High Wheeler races held annually at the AACA Fall Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania.