[00:02] fighting it, but I can I can drive this thing all day. >> I'd love to take it home, but it won't fit in my garage. >> Cuz this is one of the super cars of their day. 496 cubic inches. I mean,
[00:16] that's hilarious how big that This is bigger than any 440 Chrysler or any >> I mean, there's a time you probably wondered, "How could a car be better The roads weren't even built for the speeds we're going now. This is
[00:30] unbelievable how many unknowns. >> It's a lot of fun to drive. >> It's just just got so much torque. And the fact that you can drive this on modern roads and keep up with modern
[00:43] traffic is just unbelievable. >> Well, I mean, when we were getting the forgetting that I was in a car from 1914. >> I know. This thing is what, 112 years old, whatever it is.
[00:56] old, whatever it is. >> You look better in it. Garage, and once again featuring a car from the fabulous Nethercutt Collection. A rare automobile, extremely powerful automobile, 1914 Knox car. Now, if you
[01:14] haven't heard of them, it's it's not really that unusual. They were only in business for a few years. I think 1908 to about 1914, and they built fire trucks and a few heavy trucks and things like that. Out of Springfield,
[01:29] Massachusetts. Massachusetts was quite a automotive place in the early 1900s. The Duryea, a lot of cars came out of there. Uh watchmakers, a lot of technicians and mechanically minded people in Massachusetts in that era. And this is
[01:44] the outcome of that. It's just an amazingly well-built, beautiful car. I mean, just look at the way it sits, the way it stands. It's got such presence. Look at that beautiful radiator. Let's meet uh Cameron Richards. You know, he
[01:57] Cameron, how you doing? How did yourself? This is a great car. to enjoy. >> Oh, yeah. This is monster engines, 496 cubic inch six-cylinder six-cylinder motor.
[02:12] actually at the time. They called it the tiny motor for some reason. >> Yeah, the little six. You know, there's nothing little about this car. >> cubic inches. But think about in 1914 in
[02:25] rural Massachusetts, most people had never gone more than well, as fast as a horse and a carriage could run, maybe 8 or 12 miles an hour, something like that. And to ride in something like this capable of at least 60 or 70, I'm sure.
[02:39] >> Right. So, the Knox Little Six, this was the biggest automobile they built. They were a little off their mark with this is what the American public needs. They need a big strong six-cylinder. The demand wasn't quite there yet for 1914.
[02:53] So, this is actually the last year of production for Knox automobiles. They built 383 of these total, but only six little sixes, which this is one of two we believe to still be surviving. Easily a 50 mile an hour car. However, this car
[03:08] in particular, Jay, we This is not a concours car. We have hidden disc brakes in the rear. We put a modern drive shaft into it. It's got an alternator. So, this car chugs at 70 miles an hour all day long. It's a freight train and it
[03:23] >> Well, I love the fact that you could just use it for that purpose, you know. That's That's what makes it fun. And it's really a good look It just has such presence. You know, it's hard to design a car. Sit down with a pen and just
[03:37] sketch what you think a car looks like, and it's just going to look odd. I mean, nice. You know, that radiator is so incredibly massive. light than nickel. >> has so much better warmth to it. I've
[03:53] always preferred nickel over chrome and your guys have pointed out that you says it all over this car. >> In case you forget what it is. that number 10? Is that correct? >> the cylinders are cast in two.
[04:07] >> It makes 46 horsepower. That's where the model comes from, but I mean this thing of torque. >> Right. And remember those are not little >> Yeah, exactly. >> Let's open the hood.
[04:20] >> You want to see a really pretty engines Engines were so beautifully well made back in those days. Let's take a look here. >> So, apologies for your floors, Jay, cuz it is a total loss system.
[04:33] >> So, yeah, we got some grease and oil on there, but um they're intended to leak, but everything's nice and exposed. >> Cylinders cast in two. Got the updraft carb.
[04:46] >> Yeah, just such a beautiful machine. Can you start it up so you can get a shot of >> Yeah, that's my favorite. >> Yeah, just just to watch these things in action. >> So, it is a magneto car, of course.
[04:59] >> So, it is a magneto car, of course. >> Right. >> Ready? >> Go ahead.
[05:20] >> And it does have exhaust cutouts. >> You adjust the valves right here. >> Yeah. >> Okay, you can shut it off.
[05:38] means in the early days a magneto was all big heavy piece of equipment that magnets turning creating creating a electronic field. And a well-built magneto, but they were
[05:53] very expensive. That's why the battery and coil came in, that was a little cheaper to do, and in some cases more reliable. But a good mag is just great because you can everything else can be dead in the car, the battery, but if you
[06:06] can get trying to get it to crank and throw a spark, you got something friends that are pilots, so I don't know anything about airplanes. They don't the middle when we start talking about magnetos.
[06:19] mag on. >> Yeah. I could show you the exposed in here. It's real simple. Cuz if you own this car in the day, you know, you had least you should, keep everything lubricated properly.
[06:39] >> Yeah, just these pads right here. >> Yeah, and you just you kind of soak >> Soak these lines right here. >> Yeah, and then you fill it with oil. You know, I have a Franklin and it says "Lubricate the valves every day at
[06:53] big exclamation mark. And you go, "Why did they do that?" Well, nobody drove at night. So if you got up at 8:00 in the morning you're going on a trip, 12:00 was about your halfway point. So you would stop at noon, lubricate lubricate
[07:06] your journey, you know. >> I love how they give you a time, an exact time to do >> at noon. And then yeah. >> Yeah, it's all, you know, for people who aren't that mechanical,
[07:19] somebody to, you know, >> Yeah, and it mechanical. >> But I I say this all the time, especially with, you know, dealing with our musical instruments that we have,
[07:32] lot smarter 100 years ago. know, it was easy to fool people. There were people who made money when the Model T became popular, there were the kind of charlatans and con men would
[07:46] sell you a kit, get your Model T to run on water. And they would pull up in a Model T that had a hidden gas tank in the frame. And they'd they'd drain the gas tank. Look, it's empty. They fill the gas tank with
[07:58] water, start it and it would run. And oh my god, how economical. Never explained >> That's right. >> But it was using the gas that was in the front. The people buy the kit, you go off to the next town. Those you know,
[08:11] >> Yeah, and that's [clears throat and laughter] yeah, that thing. But there was a lot of con men like that. Pretty interesting. But just a beautiful And again, the flathead was the reigning engine of the day. And for
[08:26] this to have overhead valves, I guess it would be equivalent to like a four-cam >> Yeah. >> You know, just just another technology to help the engine breathe better and run better. And of course, flatheads are
[08:39] have to adjust the valves every 10 minutes and lubricate everything. But these did make more power. >> Yeah, Knox was really ahead of themselves in a number of ways. The one that really stumped me was about
[08:52] hydraulic brakes cuz everybody thought it was the Duesenberg Model A. But I guess Knox on a less commercial >> Well, Duesenberg four-wheel hydraulic brakes. Yeah, Knox had it just you just had it in the rear
[09:05] >> Yeah, and you know, like with the foot brake on cars of this era, it's really only intended for like under 10 mph. I think that's what most handbooks say, but we got the discs on this thing. So, it's actually incredible. You forget
[09:20] down the road cuz it stops really, really well. The amount of torque that this car has, you're right up behind a Tesla. It's it's really fun. four-wheel brakes back in the day was most cars were rod operated.
[09:35] So, the a rod pulled the brake. And when you turn the wheel the rod would stretch turn the wheel, you slow down. You know, so they just didn't do brakes on the front cuz roads are gravel, and you would skid and
[09:49] slide. So, they never even bothered with it. You know, it wasn't until paving came in and everything that you that you they decided then, you know, speeds went up to 30, 40, 50 mph, we got to figure out how to stop these things.
[10:02] that down. >> Sounds good. Yeah, you got your big safety bumper with the springs on it. >> That is a safety bumper. Look at these >> What did you What did you say before? It gives you the illusion of safety?
[10:16] >> Yeah, yeah, the illusion of safety. Almost as important as safety itself. >> And one thing about the my painter uh pointed out about the car is that this grayish color you see, that's really popular in like modern cars. Pretty much
[10:31] everybody just makes whites, blacks, and grays. So, this is kind of unordinary >> Well, you know, most people now have garages, so you wanted a dark kind of an army green, something it didn't show the dirt, you know, what I mean? So, yeah,
[10:46] >> And I always loved I don't know why they ever got rid of the uh your thermostat temperature is. >> Yeah, just have to look at the hood. >> Yeah, there you go. >> But, even things that we uh now have.
[11:01] Again, we introduced this in the '80s and '90s, the the shock absorber bumper to you know, to make it uh a little cheaper for insurance costs to to remanufacture if you have to fix after an accident. And beautiful wheels, the
[11:16] wooden wheels. Uh the Amish still do that, actually. I had some wheels made recently for an old electric car I have, my 1914 Detroit Electric. And the Amish they're as strong as a mag wheel. >> I might need that contact cuz we've got
[11:31] you know, people come visit the museum and like oh my god, the wheels are made made correctly. >> what it is? What you do is you put linseed oil on them. And that tightens them up. And if your
[11:44] wheels start to squeak, that's what you do. What they used to do was used to drive the car and park it in a creek. So the water was up to about the axle. And then the the wood would absorb the water, expand and tighten the wheel.
[11:57] >> Yeah, interesting. It was interesting. >> Very cool. I have memories hanging out right here in the rear of this car going up the five. It was this car and our Packard 12. We went and took it out to lunch. I remember just my head hanging
[12:12] spokes and all I could hear is this engine >> Yeah, yeah. >> I leaned over asked my Grandpa Jack how fast we were going and he just yelled back 70 up the five. So this car is just
[12:25] it was purpose-built. It was a pretty rough restoration that it needed. It was done in the late 80s, but it was purposely intended for touring. This car >> Right. >> It we would send this car to Pebble
[12:37] Beach just so we could do the tour in it and not compete the car just cuz it's it's purpose-built to be driven. >> And you had electric lights. >> Yep. And we added turn signals as well. >> Now this was electric from the get-go,
[12:50] >> Yeah. Yeah, 6 V. >> Because the idea was you get you these earlier cars. And like you have to do change very slowly people to accept things. So it looks gas, but oh oh it's electric. Oh, but it looks like a gas.
[13:04] >> That kind of deal. >> Very pretty and again the nickel with the warmth that it's it's very pretty. It's it's kind of subtle overall of a car. Like we have some big Pope Hartford's that are bright orange
[13:16] >> and this car is just made to be enjoyed. conservative, you know, with the sort of Puritan ethic. You didn't want something too flashy. >> Yeah, even though these cost $4,350
[13:29] >> You know, that if you go people go $4,000 is a pretty good deal. Not when you realize a house was 1,200. >> Yeah. One of the reasons why this car never made it to fruition is it was $1,000 more in asking price of a Packard
[13:42] >> And Packard was obviously much more well-known. >> Right. It's pretty amazing. Just a great great looking automobile. >> What's nice too is because this is a purpose-built touring car is there
[13:55] actually is these hooks right here on the inside that you can latch to the about this far open. >> your air conditioner. >> kind of hold your door open and pull air in, you see, so
[14:07] >> Yeah, so they were really thinking back then and it does have door locks. break into this by going like this. >> [laughter] >> Well, that's the best thing about having cars like this is nobody knows how to
[14:20] steal these. >> Yeah, that Yeah, just great. Just Yeah, how far could you get in this really? And it cost a fortune. Have jump seats, comfortably. >> But you're not stopping comfortably.
[14:34] >> Where are the jump seats? >> Uh we took them out. So, yeah, just so presents. >> Yeah, in case you're picking up Shaq, >> Yeah, exactly. These look really great with the top down, too.
[14:49] >> We did catch some rain in the way over here, but wiped it down and >> I kind of like it with the top off it, too. You just don't see it very often. >> Well, we usually when we have it displayed, we have it next to the Tool
[15:01] Time van that Tim Allen gave us and it's against one of our back walls so when we of sized up like, "Man, this is a big car. You forget how big it is." >> And you got two spare tires in the back because back in 1940 you got a flat
[15:15] >> Yeah, we're not sure how much this car weighs, but it does have 134-in >> Yeah. It's definitely not light, but it doesn't feel heavy going down the road. >> At least, yeah.
[15:29] >> Luckily, the complete absence of any safety equipment saves you a lot of top that he was referring to. If you look at it from this angle, you can see gives you the temperature of your water.
[15:42] Yeah, interesting. Well, I think the whole kind of fun part about this is >> Let's do it. That's what we're here for. >> hot.
[15:54] >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah, I told you it's hot. These mirrors we added. >> What you got out of the mirrors? >> What you got out of the mirrors? >> They work pretty well.
[16:12] What do we got here? >> flip it to battery and mag. headlights, too. There, and then that's the starter. button. Yeah. >> So, you just kind of hold it down.
[16:29] kind of just stays at the 3:00. >> throttle. >> Three-speed and four. >> It's a three. So, honestly, all you need to do, two, three. Just skip first. This thing's a stump puller.
[16:42] thing's a stump puller. >> Yeah. clutch out. >> Yeah.
[17:04] a real long time. >> I must say, it's great. automobile development. You had a Duryea and a bunch of cars came out of
[17:18] Massachusetts. Plus the motorcycles from the Indian Springfield. engine is. >> Uh pulls right away. But it gets up to 50 mph really easy. >> Yeah, and you know, when you realize 20
[17:32] automobiles didn't exist. >> Right. Yeah, this this was like a >> Yeah, I mean this is like a Bugatti or I mean most people have never gone over
[17:44] 10 or 12 mph in their life. Maybe they rode on a train, and trains went maybe 35 mph, but I mean the fact you could go 50 mph in an hour, that was like unbelievable. The Stanley Steamer got about 1 mile per
[17:59] gallon and a 30 gallon tank, and they they said, "Well, nobody would ever drive more than 30 miles in a day." Cuz that that was a whole day's coverage in a horse and wagon, you know. >> Crazy how fast we've evolved.
[18:11] >> And the fact that you can drive this on modern roads and keep up with modern traffic, it's just unbelievable. >> Well, I mean when we were getting the car ready to bring over here, I kept forgetting that I was in a car from
[18:23] >> I know. This thing's about 112 years old, whatever it is. >> Yeah, and it keeps up with I mean I was right behind a Tesla driving the other day on the streets. I mean it I mean besides the obvious age
[18:36] almost. >> Oh, yeah. >> Yeah, that's Springfield, Massachusetts, too. It's It's wild to watch it all you know, Indiana was
[18:50] >> That was it, too. >> The ACD Museum has this big map of all the automotive companies before the >> unbelievable to see. >> 350 of them.
[19:02] >> And when you bought cars like this back in the day, the warranty was for like life. Cuz they figured you'd buy one car in your whole life, and it would last you your whole life.
[19:15] You know, they'd sell you a car but they'd also give you really good documentation on you know, how to preserve it and how to fix it if it breaks. >> yeah. You know, these things to me are
[19:28] as much fun to drive as the supercars, you know? >> Cuz these were the supercars of their day. I mean, that's hilarious
[19:41] Chrysler or any Hemi, you know? >> I Yeah, I agree. They're way more fun to >> Oh yeah. >> I was admiring your ZR1, but experience. >> Oh yeah. You can drive it like a normal
[19:54] mean, it's pretty amazing. >> We've crossed rivers in it. We've We've >> We've crossed rivers in it. We've We've toured this thing all over the place.
[20:17] there's no synchro. You just got these fabulous. >> And the suspension too soaks up these rough roads. I mean, it's it's unbelievable and how there's no body
[20:31] these bumps. This This car was built so phenomenally well. >> And the roads are getting more like they were back in 1914 now with >> Certain parts of Southern California, yeah.
[20:44] >> Big motometer on the radiator. You can see your exact water temperature. hasn't even gone up yet. The Knox as a company though, they they kind of flew too close to the sun. They they
[20:56] made these big six-cylinder cars and >> Yeah, they were pretty much out of Yeah. >> Yeah, they made fire trucks for >> like a few decades after that, but automobiles, they were
[21:10] just the demand wasn't there yet. >> What, this cost more than a house? >> Yeah, this was almost $5,000 new. >> Yeah, this was almost $5,000 new. >> Yeah, $5,000. I mean, the average income
[21:23] >> Yeah, $5,000. I mean, the average income was like 800 or something a year rather. So, he buy a car for $5,000. Oh my god. >> Yeah, and also, you know, the sheer size of this car, too. I mean, where are you going to keep it? Most horse carriages
[21:37] large. This is the same wheelbase as a Model J. wheelbase as a Model J. >> Oh, it's 143, huh? 142, yeah. 7 and 1/2 ft tall. >> Yeah, yeah.
[21:50] Why, it really does drive nicely. >> Oh, it's amazing, isn't it? I'd put this right up with with your Pierce-Arrow 66. >> Do you have a favorite touring car? >> I think that Pierce 66. I mean, it's
[22:05] >> Yeah. >> It's 14 and 1/2 L. >> Frank Kearns for pistons. >> It's 826 cubic inches. >> There's no replacement for displacement. >> Oh, yeah.
[22:24] >> pull away right >> right away. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah, with the modified drivetrain and, you know, all the the added things we did to this car, the steering box is
[22:36] still a, you know, that's untouched. It It's just good as is. >> I can't imagine this having this in New England with the snow. exhaust cutouts. >> Oh, yeah.
[22:49] >> In between the clutch and the brake. >> let's see. >> Yeah, going from second to third in in uh traffic is hilarious. It's
[23:17] fighting it, but I could I could drive this thing all day. >> I'd love to take it home, but it won't fit my garage. >> I mean, at this time you probably
[23:29] >> Right. >> You know, I mean, it's fast. The roads really weren't even built for the speeds we're going now. just chugging along. Got a pretty good exhaust note.
[23:45] >> Yeah, very nice. And three-speed was more desirable than four-speed because oh, you had less shifting. I mean, that was Nobody wanted to shift. >> This car actually um
[23:58] years ago you know, from all the touring it's had several tops remade for it, but um one time including a dash had to be redone because someone left the magneto on and the car caught on fire in the
[24:12] shop. We're lucky we got to save this car. Not getting the full awooga. >> Yeah, not getting
[24:25] >> Yeah. >> Well, even the horn's good for modern >> People still hear that even if their windows are rolled up. I just love the simplicity of this era of the automobile, too, cuz
[24:39] we have an original piece of wood that with lines on it that came with the car >> All right. >> for your fuel levels. when they when they put the fuel gauge on the tank. So, you had to get out of
[24:55] >> Oh, we have a car like that where you have to remove the trunk just to see the >> And Knox is a name that does not resonate with I mean, you really have to be an automotive antique enthusiast
[25:09] like you said, they were gone by '15 or '16. Although >> Yeah, it's one of those companies they they came and they went and um I mean, I would probably not know of it if we didn't have one either.
[25:25] you know, the Harrah Museum still I mean, the amount of he was obsessed with just transportation in general. So, all these carriages and all these things he had just unbelievable how many unknowns.
[25:39] >> I think it's a lot of fun to drive. >> I knew you'd like it. >> It's got It's got so much torque. Feels like a steam engine. it. But as you know, this is a total loss
[25:51] system. So, there's a lot of oiling you got to do, but it's worth it. Yeah, we uh I took a night 1909 Packard Runabout to a show. And I just unloaded it off the trailer
[26:04] and this old old older gentleman pulled up And he's just staring at me and I'm like, "Good morning. How's it going?" And he just he just goes, "Get a horse." and drove off. And
[26:17] it was it was hilarious. >> Well, that's what Henry Ford said when when uh Ford asked, "What do people ask for in transportation?" And he said, I mean, that's what people wanted. But the Model T was the the savior of the of
[26:32] the American horse. Cuz horses they used everything, you know, junk men in the streets and all that kind of stuff. >> Yeah, it's incredible the jump. And it's fun to compare the Model T to any other production number.
[26:45] unbelievable. >> Well, just how fast. When you realize Lindbergh flew New York to Paris. He was 25 years old. 47 years later, he's sitting in mission command watching Neil Armstrong land on the
[27:01] >> I know. It's crazy. >> Yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable. >> Well, I'm a firm believer too that the American spirit, if you put your mind to anything. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think that's true.
[27:15] >> This car likes you. >> This thing is great. And it's so overbuilt, you know? You got a massive cooling system. I mean, we're driving it 50 miles an hour and the temperature gauge hasn't moved.
[27:28] limit. >> Yeah, the steering is so tight. >> Yeah, steering is great. >> You know, some brass cars are just fun. it's so fun to drive. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah.
[27:46] American history. Thanks for bringing it. You know, it's hard to convince people how powerful this car is cuz they don't build these kind of motors anymore. This is low revving, low end torque, you know? The idea is you could
[27:58] cover great distances in American made vehicles cuz they were so overbuilt. You revving engines. But these things are just big workhorses, like Clydesdales, you know? >> Oh, absolutely. Yeah.
[28:12] >> Well, always fun. Cameron, thank you, my friend. Thanks for bringing this. And Nethercutt Museum. >> Call the room with the mirrors um the >> The Grand Salon, yeah. Uh they've done it up to look like
[28:26] unbelievable. It's one of the great museums. And go to their website. What's >> nethercuttcollection.org >> nethercuttcollection.org. You'll see cars. You'll see something you've never heard of before, I
[28:39] Thanks for watching. And uh we'll see you next week with more cool stuff.