Its a Small World: The Eshelman

The C.L. Eshelman Co. of Baltimore, Maryland made lawn mowers, roto-tillers and children’s peddle cars. They also built some actual cars…sort of. The Eshelman looked like one of those things you used to find outside supermarkets that for a quarter kids can ride in (and in fact, the company made those as well) With its gangly proportions and protruding basket shaped grill, an Eshelman would have looked at home driven by some kooky old character in The Wacky Racers, that old Hanna Barbera cartoon from the 60s. 

Eshelman Sportabout (www.TrombinnoCar.com)

Eshelman had some small success, pardon the pun. They were the second most successful of the American microcars after the King Midget. Eschelman made 4 different models from 1953 to 1960. After starting out with a 2hp, 54” long kiddie car that weighed just 270lbs, then came a 64” 6hp ‘Adult Sports Car,’ that, unlike its little brother, had brakes on all four wheels. Then came a 72” Sportabout that put out a pavement melting 8 1/2hp. In the final years there was a 2 cylinder, 2 passenger kinda almost real car called the Model 903.

An Eshelman 903 with a model who’s image might not be actual size (www.DuniaBelagar-18.blogspot.com)

Total Eshelman automobile production over its seven years of operation is not known, but was not likely to have been more than a few hunded.

Eshelman, like Packard, rests in peace (www.DuniaBelajar-18_blogspot.com)