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The Adams Company is an American manufacturing concern. It was founded in 1883 and is based in Dubuque, Iowa, United States.
Between 1905 and 1912 it produced the Adams-Farwell, a brass era automobile.
An Automobile Quarterly article credits Mr. Farwell's inspiration for his rotary radial engine to have been a steam winch he had witnessed in operation in the late 19th century. Automobile Quarterly, Fall 1969. Vol. 8. No. 2 Also mentioned in the cited article is the participation of an Adams-Farwell automobile in the first automobile race in America, but that is refuted by the following citation: name="https://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php/ADAMS-FARWELL_AUTOMOBILES"
For 1906, Model 6 became Series 6. A new Series 6 40/45 hp with a five cylinder rotary was added. The car got a somewhat longer wheelbase, and a Landaulet body style replaced the Brougham, probably very similar but with a convertible rear part of the top. New to the line was a touring car, frequently called a Convertible Runabout. Both body styles were 5-seaters.
Three more cars were offered with the 40/45 hp engine only. One was an Extension Brougham with a longer wheelbase, the other, the Model 7-A, was a 7-passenger touring with a conventional looking front; the engine still was in the rear. The rear seat was slightly moved forward. While standard wheelbase was , the Extension Brougham's was , and the 7-A's . All got the retractable front seat bench and the unique steering system. The third new car was different. Called the Model 8-A Gentleman's Speed Roadster, it had the shortest chassis with , and the larger engine. Instead of using the familiar frame with a separate body, it had no chassis at all, anticipating later unibody constructions. This sports car was very fast for the time with a top speed of around .conceptcarz.com: Adams-Farwell 7-A (1906)
The only remaining Adams-Farwell automobile shows a tag by the Connolly Carriage & Buggy Co. It seems this company, not only reputed for quality carriages and coachwork, also built the chassis for the Adams-Farwell. As period advertisements indicate complete cars were offered, there is some evidence they might have built the bulk of the Adam-Farwell bodies.encyclopediadubuque.com: Thomas Connollycoachbuilt.com: Thomas Connolly Carriage Works
For 1907, most models were gone, and Adams-Farwell offered only an improved Model 7-A Touring, now with an even longer wheelbase and a higher price.
Farwell had more ideas to offer. For 1908, a new Model 9 50 hp appeared. It seems this the first Adams-Farwell with a new and ingenious four speed transmission. Since most contemporary cars had three speeds, the new Adams-Farwell offered an ingenious construction consisting of the transmission, two clutches, a lever for each of them, and one handle to operate the levers. One clutch engaged gears 2 and 4, the other gears 1, 3, and reverse. So, two speeds could be "preselected", but the one-handle operation prevented two speeds being engaged at the same time. Further, antiquated tiller steering was replaced by a wheel, and there was a pedal for acceleration. Therefore, the removable steering was no longer offered, but Adams-Farwells got a rail instead in which the column and pedal could be moved from the left to the right, allowing the driver to sit either at the left, the right or in the center. Model 9 came as 7-passenger touring, a 3-passenger coupé, and 3-passenger roadster, the latter replacing the Model 8-A, featuring normal chassis and body construction.
A final change came for 1909. The coupé was dropped, the roadster got one more seat, and the touring became even longer. Adam-Farwells were offered until 1912 (or 1913, depending on source) in this lineup. Then, production of automobiles ceased after just about 200 cars built. Usually, 25 cars per year left the factory, with 52-54 in 1910.trombinoscar.com: Adams-Farwell 7-A (1906) A few of them went to the Dubuque Police Department.
| 1898 | Model No. 1 | 3 rotary engine | Express carriage | |||
| around 1899 | Model No. 2 | 3 rotary | ||||
| 1901 | Model No. 3 | 3 rotary | ||||
| around 1902 | Model No. 4 | 3 rotary | ||||
| 1904–1905 | Model No. 5 | 3, rotary | 25 hp | Convertible Brougham | ||
| 1905 | Model No. 6 20/25 hp | 3 rotary | 25 hp | 2134 / 84 | Convertible Brougham | $2500 |
| 1906 | Series 6 20/25 hp Model A | 3 rotary | 25 hp | 2286 / 90 | 5-passenger Touring | $2000 |
| 1906 | Series 6 20/25 hp Model B | 3 rotary | 25 hp | 2286 / 90 | 7-passenger Landaulet | $2500 |
| 1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 2286 / 90 | 5-passenger Touring | $2500 |
| 1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 2286 / 90 | 7-passenger Landaulet | $3000 |
| 1906 | Series 6 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 2388 / 94 | Extension Brougham | $4000 |
| 1906 | Model 7-A 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 2743 / 108 | 7-passenger Touring | $3000 |
| 1906 | Model 8-A 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 2184 / 86 | Gentleman's Speed Roadster | $4000 |
| 1907 | Model 7-A 40/45 hp | 5 rotary | 45 hp | 3048 / 120 | 7-passenger Touring | $3250 |
| 1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 rotary | 50 hp | 3048 / 120 | 3-passenger Roadster | $3000 |
| 1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 rotary | 50 hp | 3048 / 120 | 7-pass. Touring | $3500 |
| 1908 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 rotary | 50 hp | 3048 / 120 | 3-passenger Coupé | $4000 |
| 1909–1912 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 rotary | 50 hp | 3048 / 120 | 4-passenger Roadster | $3000 |
| 1909–1912 | Model 9 50 hp | 5 rotary | 50 hp | 3251 / 128 | 7-passenger Touring | $3500 |
Note: Above coachwork designation is by manufacturer; they may not coincide with body designations as commonly in use.
1906 advertisements show a touring car with "fake" hood, designated Model L. It seems this is the Model 7-A 40/45 hp; there is no additional information about it, and there is no further evidence more models existed than listed above.
When F. Oliver Farwell left the company in 1921. He had about 20 patents to his name and tried to build up a business on one he held for a novel transmission for . Later, he worked in a gear-cutting company in Toledo, Ohio.
As of November 2017, The Adams Company continues as a custom manufacturer of industrial and shafts. It is a closely-held private corporation.
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