The Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is always excited to welcome a new piece of Pennsylvania’s transportation history into its collection.
This year the Museum had the opportunity to add a beautiful 1915 Pullman Speedster to the displays. This fine automobile is actually a reconstruction of a 1914 Gentleman’s Roadster, or Speedster, built by a noted historian and Pullman restorer. Using original specifications from the Pullman Motor Car Company, the body was meticulously constructed and mounted on a 1915 Pullman chassis.
The York Motor Car Company was founded in York, Pennsylvania by Albert Broomell and Samuel Baily in 1905. This was just two years after the first car they built turned out to be a miserable failure-the Pullman Six-Wheeler. This engineering disaster was scrapped for an improved-and more standard-four wheel and four cylinder design. These luxury cars were marketed as Pullmans, likely in an attempt to evoke the high-society connotations of Pullman rail cars, though the two companies were not related.
Once those initial kinks were worked out, Pullmans became known for their quality, and their win at the 1910 Fairmount Park Road Race catapulted them to fame. Another big win-this time in 1911 at the Russian Exposition Rost-was quite a feather in the company’s cap, and increased fame led to increased sales. Unfortunately, a drop in quality in order to meet demand would hurt the company a few years down the line. The Junior line-of which the Museum’s Pullman is an example-was introduced in 1915, and they were essentially scaled down Pullmans. This attempt to compete with more mainstream makers like Chevrolet was not enough to salvage the company. 1917 was the last production year for Pullmans. It is estimated that 23,000 Pullmans were built during the company’s history. It is believed there are only twenty-seven surviving examples of this fine Pennsylvania automobile.
The Pullman auto now on display at the Boyertown Museum is a beautiful vehicle and a wonderful representation of this York, Pennsylvania-based car manufacturer.
