1912 Speedwell 12-J 50HP Speed Car

The Speedwell of Dayton, Ohio was the product of Pierce D. Schneck, a Dayton native who employed the engineering talents of Gilbert J. Loomis to design a sporty and reliable automobile. Initially flirting with assembled cars powered by Ruentenberg motors, by 1909 a Speedwell-built four-cylinder engine would be introduced and that powerplant would cement the brand's reputation. Known for quality construction and sound engineering, Speedwell developed novel features such as sealed transmissions reducing the pools of oil often found under many of the competitor's models.

Speedwell focused primarily on a single chassis line up and offered a wide variety of innovative and attractive body-styles. No doubt the attractiveness of their coachwork contributed to strong sales, and the period of 1909 to 1912 were particularly good years for the company; nearly 4,000 automobiles were produced and sold by the firm.

Without a doubt the most memorable and coveted of the Speedwells was the Speed Car. When initially announced, the car illustrated was a racy if not a bit outdated looking machine, but when finally produced it was the handsome and refined machine we see here. At $2,900, it was priced competitively with a Mercer Raceabout, and $900 over the new-to-the-market Stutz Bearcat.

Descriptions and pictures by bonham