What would the purpose of this be ??
Flotaition? Dave
The Octoauto was created in order to two-up the Sextoauto drivers. There's an Overland chassis in there somewhere.
Tom, sounds like I need to be proctologist to figure that one out~
Don, I have got a spare front and a spare rear axle that would fit that 27 T of yours, You could have it done by Christmas as fast as you work! Jim Derocher, AuGres, MI
Jim, it took me 3 days to mount one split rim...I wouldn't live long enough to retread that thing !
Somebody daring to be different! In building automobiles that is.
John Semprez posted some history about the Reeves company and the Sexto/Octo converted Overland in 2010: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/150662.html?1279028953
"I used to work for the company that bought the Reeves pulley co. Reeves also built the Reeves Octoauto.
The Reeves Pulley Co built Block Belt Variable Speed Drives using wooden segments with leather tips, on an endless canvas belt.
These systems worked very well into the 1980's in factories, but occasionally we would see a failure... usually related to the wood substrate. (---)
The Reeves Octo/Sexto was the same car, an Overland. Since M.O.Reeves could not sell any he had the Overland put back together as a 4 wheel car and sold it.
His driver shown in the pictures was Clemmie Cummins who began a Diesel Engine company in Columbus Ind.
He was pushed out of his company in the 50's, moved to California and invented a compression brake for Diesel trucks. The Jake Brake.
Died poor but sure saved a lot of lives!
I found most of this history and many glass plate negatives in a big vault at the Reeves factory in the '70's. - John"
Would love to have one of those. Driving that down the street would get more attention than any other car I can think of. I wonder if all 4 wheels on the front were steerable. I would guess they probably were. That gives me ideas for a unique speedster.
Floyd Clymer's book "Treasury of Early American Automobiles 1877-1925" has a couple of pages on this car (1911)along with it's sister the Sextoauto (1912), which had the normal 2 wheels in the front and 4 in the back.
Roger, that is very interesting. How cool !
Considering that many four wheel cars of the era carried two spare tires, how many would you need for this rig (and a NEAT rig it is!)? Maybe a truck with spare tires followed it around.
Thanks for posting a really great picture, Don.
If you put Snowmobile tracks on each front wheel and tracks on the back it would make a great sandmobile or Skies on the front WALA a snowmobile. The Snow flyer Co tried a chain drive for the rear axles but it failed.
1911-12 was before the Snowmobile was started.
Bob
It might be smoother and have more traction, but very expensive to operate! Twice as many tires to maintain, and likely whey would slide when making turns causing them to wear out faster.
It looks very different though.
Norm
Reeves advertised that the Octo gave a smooth ride like a Pullman train. I believe they failed to sell any octos so went to the sexto and maybe sold a few... if any. I always have liked the look of the octo and wondered what it's turning radius would be.
TH
I think a tire salesman invented that car. I bet Railroad tracks were fun to cross.
Could it have been earlier than 1911, RHD?
Worried about getting a flat tire? Is he wearing two sets of suspenders?? :>)
1910 Mars Rover
I don't see two sets of suspenders, but I bet he's wearing both suspenders and a belt!
This was one of many things Reeves was involved with in the early days of the automobile. It was also one of the last. He was not happy that no one else liked his idea enough to buy one. He tried for more than two years to sell these and never sold one. In the end, both the Overland and the Stutz touring he had modified were converted back to standard cars at his expense and sold anonymously.
Interestingly, he believed and claimed that tires would last longer because they carried less weight each.
I also found it interesting back in the 1960s when I was getting into this hobby, that William Harrah often advertised in hobby magazines for cars and parts that he wanted. Many of those ads included 1910 to 1912 Overland cars and chassis parts. This in spite of the fact that his collection contained a fair number of early Overlands. Then one day it dawned on me. He was hoping to find the frame or more with the modifications to indicate it had been that one Overland. It could still be out there.
Reeves had a very successful business with the industrial pulleys and drive systems, and pretty much stuck to that from then on.
Drive carefully, and enjoy the holidays! W2
Ca-mon. You mean to tell me some genius actually tried to produce and sell this thing? The Monty Python sketch comes to mind with the double vision expedition leader, (John Cleese) going to climb both peaks of Mount Kilamonjero. Forgive the spelling. I'm speachless.
oh, hummmm....try this one:
According to the Standard Catalog of American Automobiles (Kimes & Clark), some of his advertising was aimed at offering to do this conversion to any make of car.
Funny, I was just reading their entry about these a few days ago.