ca. 1842
The wagonette was first built in England around 1842 or 1843. It had a variety of designs, both with and without a cover, but always had seats which faced inward toward each other. Also, the driver’s seat was level with the other seats. The wagonettes were famous for the large amount of weight they could carry relative to their size.
Other variations of the wagonette include the omnibus, the break and trap varieties, and the public wagonette. This museum has two close relatives of the wagonette, namely the opera bus and the Rockaway Studebaker.
This wagonette was acquired in 1978 from Christian Van Dam Antiques in Forney, Texas and it was dated to have been made in 1921 under the floorboard. There was much restoration to be done on this vehicle. It needed to have some spokes and other parts replaced, some bleaching, and some elliptical springs replaced.