Briggs & Stratton Flyer : 1917

During our six-week excursion in Spain (and other parts of Europe) we have come across many unique stories from Barcelona and the surrounding "Pueblos", like L' Autrodrom De Terramar, Artes, and Automoviles Utilitarios S.A.'s PTV, to name a few, and one such find is this very rare 1917 Briggs & Stratton Flyer from Milwaukee Wisconsin (USA).

This was a very unexpected find. We had just left the AUSA factory after speaking with the folks there about the history of their PTV vehicle, when Antoni and Xavier told us about Jant Joan, and the collection of micro cars he had restored.

This vehicle is powered by a fifth wheel (that contains the motor) and when a lever (that appears like a shifter) is moved, it drops the rear wheel, which makes contact with the road and pushes the car.

In 1908, an informal partnership was formed between inventor Stephen F. Briggs and investor Harold M. Stratton.

From there, Briggs & Stratton progressed to manufacturing automobile parts. Some of the parts the Company produced for the automobile industry included locks, switches, and igniters. In 1910 Briggs & Stratton incorporated, and due to the growing demand for automobiles, starter switches became the early mainstay of the Company’s business.

This informal partnership flourished into the Briggs & Stratton Corporation. Within the initial partnership, Briggs was the inventor and Stratton was the investor. This partnership first ventured into the automobile manufacturing business with this 1917 Briggs & Stratton Flyer.

It was restored, and is currently located at Autos Retro near Barcelona, Spain.