This is a close up look at a very advanced pioneer, the 1896 Armstrong Phaeton 367 cu. in. air-cooled horizontally opposed two-cylinder engine, three-speed transmission with variable-speed magnetic drive, full-elliptic leaf-spring front and rear suspension, and a rear differential brake. Wheelbase: 74 in.
It is believed that the Armstrong was built over a period spanning 1894–1845; thus, it existed a year before England would repeal its infamous Red Flag Act. After its completion in Bridgeport, the car was one of six entrants in a race hosted by Cosmopolitan magazine, which ran from the Manhattan Post Office in New York City to the Cosmopolitan offices in Irvington, New York. As was quoted in an extensive piece written about the car by noted English automotive author and historian Michael Worthington-Williams, “The race came off like a Barnum and Bailey circus, with competitors rattling and careening over treacherous cobblestone pavements in a desperate effort to avoid collisions with horse-drawn carriages, cable cars, and (war) veterans dispersing after a parade.”

Shortly thereafter, the car was placed on the market by The American Carriage Motor Company, of New York, likely as a litmus test to help the principals of Armstrong determine the commercial viability of their prototype. After receiving a lukewarm response, it was returned to Armstrong’s Bridgeport factory, where it remained until around 1950, when the firm was purchased by Capewell. The contents of the factory, including the penny-farthings and the Armstrong, were moved to Hartford.
The Armstrong is a display of Yankee ingenuity throughout, and it bristles with features that would not be seen on other production vehicles for many years to come. These included a tubular chassis frame, electric lights, and electromagnetically controlled inlet valves. The car also features an early form of automatic spark control, which was managed by a flyweight governor mounted on the end of the crankshaft. In addition, the Armstrong features a silent electromagnetic starter within the flywheel; Armstrong called it a “commencer,” and it was also found much later on the Mercer Model 22-70 and the Owen Magnetic. The transmission is a three-speed unit with additional variable magnetic drive, which is yet another wonder that preceded the similarly engineered unit found on the Owen Magnetic some 20 years later.
( from www.RMAuctions.com )