Do you know the Brasie?

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Longtime Hersheygoers tend to think they've seen it all, but each year invariably brings surprises. This year's was a Brasie Packet Express for sale in the Chocolate Field. Few people have even heard of Brasie, so a quick check of the catalogues was necessary for background.

Frank R. Brasie of Minneapolis, Minnesota had manufactured the Twin City truck, a forward-control two-ton design. In 1914 he conceived a light car and delivery vehicle, called the Brasie Messenger and Brasie Packet, respectively. Scarcely heavier than a cyclecar, the Brasie rode a 100-inch wheelbase, was powered by a 12-hp four-cylinder engine driving through a friction transmission. Final drive was via a belt.

This tidy little Brasie Packet was offered at $15,900 and drew a crowd of curious passers-by. Seemingly complete and operable, it came with a number of spare parts, including an engine block. The drive belt mentioned in printed references had been replaced by a chain, although it was not clear whether this was a later modification or whether the design had been modified during its production life, which ended in 1917.

     

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