Doctors’ Cars

If you were playing a word association game and someone said the phrase “doctor’s car,” what would be your response?  BMW? Range Rover?  In the early twentieth century, that term had a completely different connotation.

In the 1800s, doctors made house calls and needed a fast, safe and reliable  method of travel and so “doctor’s buggies” that met those requirements were common.  At the turn of the century, doctors were still making house calls and Maxwell continued the tradition by offering a “doctor’s car” option.  I wondered how many other companies offered a version designed for docs, and the answer is, “Just about everyone!”  Here are just a few:

This 1907 advertisement offered the “Dr. Mitchell” for $1000.
In 1906, Compound claimed to have the best doctor’s runabout on the market.
According to this 1905 advertisement, Oldsmobile’s doctor’s runabouts were “going like hot cakes”.
In 1906, $650 could get you Wayne’s doctor’s runabout with a 2-cylinder 14-hp engine.