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August 28, 2023

GEARLESS

Gearless Transmission Company (1907-1909)
Gearless Car Co. (1909)
Rochester, New York


This is a Gearless radiator script (c1908-1909)    mjs
Size: 293mm wide

The Gearless Transmission Company was established in late 1905 but production of the Gearless automobile did not begin until late 1906 for the 1907 model year. The Gearless began as a high priced, four-cylinder automobile offered in 50, 60 and 75 hp model sizes, each with friction transmission and double chain drive. 

A large and impressive 75 hp Great Six model was introduced later in 1907 for the 1908 model year. But the Gearless Transmission Company was not producing a profit and it was decided to change its plans. The company was reorganized in 1909 as the Gearless Car Company and lower powered, lower priced cars were offered, including cars using conventional transmission. But it did not work and the company was out of business by the fall of that year.

Emblem

Gearless advertisements do not show a logo style an there is no evidence of an emblem or radiator script, see example shown below:

Gearless advertisement (1907)  ma

However, an original period photo of a Gearless car taking part in an unnamed tour in about 1908 shows the car displaying the "Gearless" name on a script attached to the radiator core, see below:

Gearless tour car with radiator script (c1908)   dpl

The following front elevation of a Gearless car, taken from a Gearless catalog, shows a Gearless radiator script used on both models, probably in 1907 for the 1908 model year 
:

Gearless car showing a radiator script (1907-1908)  mcnygenealogy

The brass Gearless radiator script shown above at the top of this post is a similar radiator script. Original Gearless radiator scripts are rare.

 





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