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Briggs & Stratton Flyer Car Cited By Guinness
Briggs & Stratton Corp., the world's leading manufacturer of small gasoline engines, has made the Guinness Book of World Records with the very first product ever produced by the well-known company ù a 2-passenger, buckboard-like car called the Flyer which was on the market in the early 1920's.
Believe it or not, according to Guinness, the Flyerùwhich was powered by a Briggs & Stratton 2 hp model D "Motor Wheel" engine ù is "the most inexpensive mass-produced road car in history."
The historic fact will be highlighted in an upcoming segment of the nationally-televised show, "Guinness Book of Records." The segment is slated for showing in mid-January.
For the record, the most expensive mass-produced road car in history is the 1931 Bugatti Royalle, purchased at auction recently for a staggering $8.1 million.
The Flyer varied in price from $145 to $225 and only about 2,000 of the low-cost cars were ever produced, according to George Thompson, Briggs & Stratton di-rector of communications. Its Motor Wheel engine, however, lived on to power motor scooters, snow sleds, railway inspection cars and even rickshas.
The Flyer car was equipped with a pull start, just like you'd use to start a standard lawn mower engine today, and brakes. It had no gears but could go in reverse. In the days when it was built, railroad tracks weren't built up like they are now. The operator had to come to a complete stop, then get out and lift the Flyer and carry it over the tracks.
For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Briggs & Stratton Corp., P.O. Box 702, Milwaukee, Wis. 53201 (ph 414 259-5333).


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1988 - Volume #12, Issue #1