1902 Rambler Model C Runabout Now we are looking at a horseless carriage that is OLD. This Rambler was the oldest automobile in the show and is easily one of the top five oldest automobiles I have ever seen. As you can see from its condition , the owner must love this auto. Every detail was clean and spotless. Even the white tires. From what I can find, Ramblers were not equipped with steering "wheels" until the 1904 models. Prior, they were equipped with steering levers. The '02 Runabout is powered by a single cylinder four horsepower engine. Horsepower figures quadrupled by 1904. A fine example of a Model C Runabout like this is believed to be capable of fetching $32,000 today. That seems quiet measly when one considers its age and history. Rambler began automobile production in 1897 while having been the second largest bicycle maker in the United States. Operated in Chicago by Thomas B. Jeffery and R. Philip Gormully, Rambler entered into auto manufacture at the urging of Thomas Jeffery and his son Charles. Thomas built the first Rambler, a single cylider, wire-spoked wheel iteration that was largely ignored by the motoring press. Charles, a year later, introduced two more sophisticated machines but still didn't receieve the press they desired. Finally, in 1900, the Jefferys went to auto shows in Chicago and New York with their car and were noticed. At this point they sold their bicycle business to the American Bicycle Company, as Gormully had died, and moved automobile production to Kenosha, Wisconsin. By 1902, the year of the Rambler in the photos, Thomas had decided against using a wheel for steering purposes as suggested by his son, moved the driver from their original left-hand position to the right-hand side, and moved the engine from the front of the vehicle to the back under the seat. Sticker price was reported to be a steal for $750. 1902 was a great year as 1,500 Rambler Runabouts were made. These production figures were only beaten by Ransom Eli Olds.