The 1908 Fawick Flyer - Sioux Falls, SD
Posted by: 
wanderfish
N 43° 33.095 W 096° 43.713
14T E 683479 N 4824576
Original 1908 Fawick Flyer Located on the main floor of the Sioux Falls Old Courthouse Musuem Mon-Fri 8am - 5pm, Thu 8am-9pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm, Closed on major holidays.
Waymark Code: WM17BYA
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2023
Views: 0
Located on the main floor of the courthouse near the stairs you find a 1908 Fawick Flyer.
In 1908, 19-year-old Thomas Fawick built an original automobile. This two-door car is his first four-cylinder model. It could seat 5 passengers and go 60 miles per hour. (The speed limit in Sioux Falls at the time was 7mph, 4mph around corners.) Originally named the Silent Sioux it was later called the Fawick Flyer. Fawick estimated that he drove this car over 125,000 miles prior to it going on exhibit in his museum in Cleveland, Ohio. It was restored by Thomas Fawick in 1955 to its new condition and the car was donated to the Siouxland Heritage Museums in 1987.
This Fawick Flyer comes equipped with a four-cylinder, 40 horse-power motor, internal brakes, and a 124-inch wheelbase. The Flyer features both electric and gas headlights and a body made of aluminium sheeting instead of steel. Thomas Fawick mounted the gas tank directly underneath the passenger seat. The emergency brake and the gearshift are found on the right side of the car.
In 1910 Teddy Roosevelt came to Sioux Falls and rode in a Fawick Flyer in a downtown parade. This model was the first 4-door car made in the United States.
Fawick built 5 of the automobiles in Sioux Falls and sold them for $3,000 each. Each of the autos was slightly different. In 1914, he moved to Iowa and began to design and build tractors. Fawick was also an inventor who eventually held more than 300 patents.
The tires were popular Firestone bias ply tires with 'Non-Skid' embossed in the tread. Firestone tires were the first all-rubber, heavy tread, non-skid tires made. The tread was great for advertising too, leaving the trade name in the dirt roads of the time.
Car make/model: Fawick Flyer
Interaction with car: no
Admission price: Free
Is the car an original?: yes
Viewing time: Not listed
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