The "E.R. Thomas Motor Company" located in Buffalo, New York, was founded by Erwin Ross Thomas in the late 1890s. The E.R. Thomas company began as a manufacturer of "Cleveland bicycles," but was one of the many companies that decided to diversify into the world of motor-driven bicycles, motorized tricycles, and automobiles that were becoming the latest fad at the turn of the century.
The E.R. Thomas Motor Company's "Auto-Bi" or "Auto-Bike" began production in 1901, making E.R. Thomas one of the first manufacturers in the United States to mass-produce motor driven cycles.
The E. R. Thomas Auto-Bi Company
The "Auto-Bi" was manufactured under the "Buffalo Automobile and Auto-Bi Company" which manufactured cars and motorbikes. The 1901 E.R. Thomas 'Auto-Bi' had a 442cc single cylinder motor, wood wheels and handlebars, and a leather belt drive.
1901 with 442cc Cylinder Motor - Owner: Richard Bunch, California - Zoom
The 'Buffalo Car' & 'Thomas Flyer'
The first automobile manufactured by E.R. Thomas was in 1903. The cars were small, single-cylinder two-seater runabouts called the "Buffalo." E.R. Thomas began manufacturing the Thomas Flyer touring car in 1904, and in 1908 a Thomas Flyer won the 22,000-mile New York to Paris Race (aka "The Great Race").
Bent-Wood Tiller Handlebars with Cork Grips
The E.R. Thomas Motor Company built automobiles from 1902 and 1919. In 1912, the company went into receivership, and was purchased by Empire Smelting & Refining Company owner C.A. Finnegan. E.R. Thomas was finally shut down between 1918 and 1919.
Auto-Bi Wood Wheel Rims
Auto-Bi Wicker Seat Vent
Auto-Bi 442cc Single-Cylinder Motor - Zoom
Auto-Bi Kerosene Headlamp
E.R. Thomas Motor Company Links
Motoring Memories: 1907 Thomas Flyer by Bill Vance
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