An ad for the newest Rambler model rolling out of Kenosha, ca. 1914

The New Rambler, Model Fifty-five

Originally selling Rambler bicycles in Chicago, Thomas B. Jeffery's early interest in automobiles led him to buy a plant in Kenosha in 1900 where he could manufacture them on a large scale. His experimental prototypes had featured two radical innovations--steering wheels and front-mounted engines--but by the time he was ready for production in 1902, Jeffery had decided to stick with tillers and engines under the seat. From 1902 to 1908, Jeffery built successively bigger, more reliable cars on assembly lines, including a five-passenger Rambler that cost $2500. Jeffery died in 1910 and his son, Charles, took over the business. In 1914, the Rambler name was replaced with the Jeffery moniker in honor of the founder, though the name change was short-lived as the company was bought out by Charles Nash in 1917 and made automobiles under that name until 1954.

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