The term Speedster was not clearly defined in the early twentieth century, even though it was distinct from a roadster or a cabriolet. In fact, even in contemporary times, it had not been clearly defined! This post traces some of that history.

Speedsters evolved quickly during a relatively short thirty years, from 1905-1935. This post covers three distinct types of speedster that thrived within this timeframe.

Speedster is an American term that describes a car whose earliest conception was like that of a horse-driven buckboard or buggy – small, light, open, and fast. Where it differed from the buckboard and buggy, aside from being horseless, was its purpose-built nature: to have open air fun and adventure on the roads. In this post we define the speedster.