1916 Woods Mobilette Model 5
Description
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE
The AACA Museum at Hershey is truly America’s transportation experience. The 71,000-square-foot museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened on 26 June 2003 and since then has displayed vintage automobiles in a truly unique way. Visitors walk through eight decades in time while traveling from New York to San Francisco with iconic settings revealing vehicles from generations of American motoring. The AACA Museum at Hershey ranks among the top automotive museums in the world and has been recognized by the Smithsonian as an Affiliate Museum. Hagerty Marketplace is honored to offer this collection of exceptional and unusual vehicles from The AACA Museum at Hershey.
The first “horseless carriages” were expensive, costing more than the annual income of most families. The race to produce a vehicle Americans could afford was on, and inventor Francis A. Woods of Harvey, Illinois, took on the challenge. Woods’ early hopes were to produce an electric car that could be converted to gasoline power in less than ten minutes. When that venture failed Woods produced a small, affordable vehicle that would better than the popular Ford Model T. Woods’ Mobilette was introduced with tandem seating and an air-cooled engine in 1911 and production peaked in 1914 at a claimed 1,000 units per month. In 1915, Woods updated his design with the introduction of the Model 5, featuring staggered seating for improved comfort and a four-cylinder engine. The car offered 30-40 mpg versus the Model T’s 25 mpg, and ads for the Mobilette claimed it would “give gasoline a new value, a new worth, new distances, new mileages.”
The small, spartan Mobilette was no match for the less expensive full-sized Ford Model T and by 1917 Woods ceased production. This 1916 Woods Mobilette Model 5 from The AACA Museum at Hershey represents a very innovative approach to motorizing America.
Highlights
Offered from The AACA Museum at Hershey
Early people’s car, base price $380 ($20 more than a full-size Ford Model T)
AACA National First Prize Winner 1982
Low-profile underslung chassis
Water-cooled 86.6 cu-in inline-four engine producing 12 hp
Magneto ignition
Two-speed rear axle with “no clashing, no grating, no slipping or grabbing”
Brakes ($10 option)
Features
1916 total production: 723 units
Wood-rimmed steering wheel
Hand-operated horn
Fuel-burning head, cowl, and tail lamps
Staggered seating
Folding windscreen
Delaware assigned VIN
Folding vinyl convertible top
Cooling System: Thermo-syphon
Weight: 950 pounds
Wheelbase: 104 inches
Tire size: 28x3 inches
Known Imperfections
One of the leather straps holding the top needs to be replaced
Ownership History
This 1916 Woods Mobilette Model 5 has been on display at The AACA Museum at Hershey since 1995.
Additional Notes
A Broad Arrow Group Consignment Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the owner of this vehicle. Contact: Donnie Gould Phone: 954.647.0779 email: dgould@hagerty.com
