Gaeth / Gaethmobile (United States)

Gaeth Motor Car Company was established in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1902 by Paul Gaeth, a German-born immigrant. Gaeth had previously built two experimental vehicles in 1898, one powered by steam and the other by an internal combustion engine. After forming the People's Automobile Company, which produced buses and cars for two years, he launched his own company with financial backing from local businessmen.

The Gaethmobile, the company's primary product, was a light car available with either a single or a two-cylinder engine, featuring epicyclic transmission and chain drive. Approximately 25 units of this model were produced. In 1904, Gaeth introduced the Gaeth Triplex, a larger vehicle equipped with a 25/30 horsepower three-cylinder engine mounted horizontally under the seat, along with planetary transmission and shaft drive. By 1906, the company transitioned to a more conventional design with a front-mounted vertical engine, which became the standard for the remaining models in the Gaeth range.

Throughout its operation, Gaeth Motor Car Company offered various models, including those with horsepower ratings of 20/24, 30/34, and 50/54, culminating in a 40/45 horsepower model in 1910. The prices of these vehicles increased over time, with the 1910 models ranging from $3,500 to $4,500. However, due to Paul Gaeth's lack of business acumen, the company was taken over by Stuyvesant Motor Company in November 1910. A modified version of Gaeth's four-cylinder car was subsequently produced as the Stuyvesant Four 40/45. In total, approximately 300 Gaeth vehicles were manufactured. After the company's closure, Paul Gaeth operated a small garage and workshop in Cleveland, continuing to drive a Gaeth car into the mid-1920s and working on both new and vintage automobiles until his death at the age of 79.