Autoped
Autoped
Motorised scooter
The Autoped was an early motor scooter or motorized scooter manufactured by the Autoped Company of Long Island City, New York[2] from 1915 to 1922.[3][4]
The driver stood on a platform with 10-inch tires and operated the machine using only the handlebars and steering column, pushing them forward to engage the clutch, using a lever on the handlebar to control the throttle, and pulling the handlebars and column back to disengage the clutch and apply the brake.[1][2][3][4] After riding, the steering column would be folded onto the platform to store the scooter more easily. The engine was an air-cooled, 4-stroke, 155 cc engine over the front wheel.[2][3] The bike came with a headlamp and tail lamp, a Klaxon horn, and a toolbox. It was quite efficient, but was not widely distributed.[2]
A patent for the Autoped as a "self-propelled vehicle" was applied for in July 1913 and granted in July 1916.[5][6] An early description of the Autoped described it as having a hollow steering column that acted as the fuel tank.[7] However, the production version had a fuel tank above the front mudguard.[3]
The Autoped went out of production in the United States in 1921, but was manufactured by Krupp in Germany from 1919 to 1922.[3][8]
- Historical photo of an Autoped in use by a traffic cop in Newark, New Jersey, 1922
- Krupp licence-built Autoped with seat