Birmingham (United States) - AllCarIndex

Birmingham No-Axle Motor Corporation was established in Jamestown, New York, and operated briefly from 1921 to 1922. The company aimed to innovate automotive design by introducing a four-wheel independent suspension system that utilized transverse semi-elliptic springs, departing from the conventional axle-based designs prevalent in American automobiles of the time.

The Birmingham car featured a Haskelite fabric-covered sedan body, which further distinguished it from its contemporaries. It was powered by a Continental 7R6-cylinder L-head engine and had a wheelbase measuring 124 inches (3,147 mm). Despite undergoing rigorous testing, including driving pilot models over railroad ties, the Birmingham was unable to achieve commercial success, with only about 20 units produced before the company ceased operations.

The axleless design concept of the Birmingham was later attempted in the Canadian Six, although that model also failed to gain traction. However, the general design principles of the Birmingham were carried forward in the Parker cars of Montreal, which, while utilizing conventional suspension, reflected some of the aesthetic and engineering ideas of the Birmingham.