1911 Palmer-Singer Model 4-50 Seven Passenger Touring
Only four Palmer-Singer automobiles are known to survive today, making this brass era manufacturer among the rarest in automotive history.
The company emerged from a 1908 partnership between Henry Palmer (a wealthy barrel manufacturer) and Charles Singer (from the sewing machine family), who initially operated a New York dealership selling Simplex and other luxury cars before launching their own manufacturing operation.
Built in a Long Island factory, the Palmer-Singer featured advanced engineering that set it apart from many contemporaries. The seven-passenger touring body rode on a chassis equipped with hand-forged I-beam front axles and semi-elliptic leaf spring suspension, while dual brakes operated on each rear wheel.
Power came from a 499 cubic inch T-head four-cylinder engine producing 50 horsepower, paired with a four-speed selective transmission using a multiple-disc clutch and shaft drive. This drivetrain configuration was exceptionally modern for 1911, when many luxury cars still relied on chain drive systems.
Palmer-Singer demonstrated its performance capabilities by winning the 1911 Long Island Motor Derby, covering 182 miles in 179 minutes. The company’s ambitious engineering ultimately proved its downfall when it introduced the problematic Magic Six slide-valve engine in 1914, ending production after just six years of remarkable automobiles.
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