1894 Balzer Automobile
Stephen Balzer, an obscure auto industry pioneer, trained as a watchmaker for Tiffany & Co. This car was one of his many non-timepiece projects. In 1894 it was the first American-made car to ply the streets of New York City.
This car was donated to the museum in 1899, becoming the first car in the collection. Later, Balzer briefly tried his hand, as did many others, in the automobile business. His effort was not very successful.
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Last updated December 24 2010: 9:44 AM ET
