1899 WINTON

T he 1899 Winton Phaeton was the first automobile purchased by Larz and Isabel Anderson and marks the beginning of the couple’s unique and extensive collection of automobiles. On their many trips overseas Larz and Isabel saw these new and wondrous machines rumbling down the streets of France and they became intrigued, which led to the purchase of the Winton.

The Winton Motor Carriage Company was established by Alexander Winton in 1897 in Cleveland, Ohio. Winton was a bicycle maker, who was among the first auto manufacturers in the United States at the beginning of the automotive industry. Each automobile produced by Winton was handmade and assembled piece by piece. The Winton Phaeton displayed in the Museum’s permanent collection was one of 100 built in 1899 and cost $1,000. It is designed like many automobiles at this time, with a steering tiller, buggy springs, and a small-cylinder engine under the rear deck of the automobile. This “horseless carriage” exemplifies the Museum’s ongoing tradition of preservation and represents the beginning of a remarkable era that would change the way people worked and lived all over the world.