Apperson Jack Rabbit History

The first Apperson Jack Rabbit speedster rolled out in 1907: a 60-horsepower, four-cylinder stripped sportster that sold for a steep $5,000. Built to be fast and little else, it is frequently described as the first commercially manufactured American speedster — a road-going sports car sold off the showroom floor rather than a one-off racer — at a time when most American cars were stately tourings.

The name proved popular enough that Apperson eventually applied 'Jack Rabbit' to its whole catalogue: by 1913 the marketing covered the firm's four- and six-cylinder cars, not just the speedster. The cars built a reputation through period racing and endurance runs, helping the small Kokomo company punch above its weight against far larger rivals.

Apperson famously claimed it would build '100 cars each year, no more, no less,' each a 'model of perfection' road-tested before delivery — though actual output ran closer to a thousand a year, peaking near 2,000 in 1916. The Jack Rabbit name faded later in the 1910s as Apperson reorganized its line around the V-8 and new marketing names.