Russel A. Frisbie made a considerable impact on the Connecticut River towns of Cromwell and Middletown. Not only did he organize the Frisbie Motor Company to build engines, but he was a director of a bank. He held many patents ranging from internal combustion engines to a toy cap pistol. Like many other mechanically-inclined men of his time, he experimented with automobiles and built six of them. His fine home on Main Street now houses the Cromwell Historical Society.
Frisbie was a member of a prominent Connecticut family. His father and grandfather had been involved in manufacturing and politics and the family owned considerable land. One is certain to think of a flying plastic frisbee when the name Frisbie is mentioned. There is a connection; a branch of the family manufactured metal pie pans which Yale undergraduates first used as flying saucers. This gave a new word to the English language when it was found that the pie plates had aerodynamic qualities which provided an enjoyable pastime for young and old.
In 1899 Frisbie began constructing engines intended for boats, generator sets, cars, and motorcycles. His first patent, #656,539, dated August 21, 1900, was for a motorcycle engine. During 1900-1901 he constructed his first car, the 'Red Devil.' It had a two-cylinder opposed L-head engine, water cooled and rear-mounted. He probably built five of that model. In 1903, he exhibited a different car at the New York Auto Show at Madison Square Garden. It had a two-cylinder engine up front, in what was becoming the standard arrangement. At this point he came up against the infamous Selden automobile patent. Henry Ford had the resources to fight the patent, but Frisbie decided to concentrate on engines rather than pay royalties. The April 20, 1905 issue of Motor Age reported that a six-cylinder Frisbie engine had been installed in a 'large touring car.' The make of the car was not given.
By 1907, his engine business had outgrown the backyard shop, so he moved less than two miles to Middletown to a building his wife owned on Main Street. There he established the Frisbie Motor and Machine Works.
All Frisbie marine engines used overhead valves by 1912. They were built in two cylinder sizes, 4? x 5 and 6x6 bore and stroke. They were offered as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6-cylinder engines covering a power range of 5 to 175 HP. All the engines used a quick-removable valve cage. Owners were urged to carry a spare cage. That must have been a good sales feature, as frequent exhaust valve service was required in those days. Lubrication was by a mechanical lubricator with a pump to return oil from the crankcase to the lubricator. Ignition was jump-spark from an Atwater-Kent battery ignition system. An extra-cost option was dual-ignition with a magneto to supply the second spark plug.
During WWI, the factory made aircraft parts. This must have been profitable, as the company was in good financial condition after the war. The 1919 catalog offers a line of engines that were unchanged from pre-war models. There is a slowdown attachment for trolling which is simply a way to increase intake valve lash.
In 1920 Frisbie seems to have decided that he had worked long enough. Kirk Dyer bought Frisbie's share of the business and the company was reorganized with new directors. In the early Twenties, the reputation of the engines for quality and reliability was still good. Some models now had four valves per cylinder. However, the reorganization had left the company cash-poor, and this seems to have started the decline of the Frisbie Motor Company.
As for Russel Frisbie, he seems to have enjoyed his early retirement at age 46. He personally rebuilt the Sylla as a fishing boat and spent many hours casting on the Connecticut River. In the early Thirties he joined his father, Charles, at the J. & E. Stevens Company, where he designed and patented a toy cap pistol which the company produced. In 1938, as part of the dedication of a new bridge across the Connecticut River, he refurbished the 1901 Red Devil and drove it as the first car to cross the bridge. He died in 1968 at age 94.
Here we have the Red Devil, the only surviving example of Russel Frisbie's Automotive endeavors. The car has been in a museum collection since the early 70's and is very well preserved, but will require recommisioning. Everything is nicely intact and the motor does turn freely. This is th eonly opportunity you will have to purchase a Frisbie since its the only one known to exist.
