The company was founded by automotive pioneer John William Lambert. In 1891, John Lambert successfully tested and drove a three-wheeled, surrey topped, gasoline powered runabout of his own design. Despite the success of the car, the vehicle was a marketing failure. Priced at $550, not a single party was interested.

He developed the friction transmission that would be a feature on all of his cars. He made an unsuccessful attempt to buy out a model call the Buckeye in 1895. Lambert’s first automobile marketing success was a model called the Union which was released in 1902. In 1906, he produced the first Lambert. With this line Lambert established himself as one of the more successful automobile manufacturers of the era.

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Lambert logo.
Lambert logo.
1908 Lambert Roadster front radiator emblem. (©Photo by Segura)
1908 Lambert Roadster front radiator emblem. (©Photo by Segura)
Jen Lambert and her 1908 Lambert Roadster - which has been in the family since new. She is the great granddaughter of John Lambert, who created the very first combustion engine in the United States in 1891 in Ohio. He created the Lambert, and even designed the logo. (©Photo by Segura)
Jen Lambert and her 1908 Lambert Roadster – which has been in the family since new. She is the great granddaughter of John Lambert, who created the very first combustion engine in the United States in 1891 in Ohio. He created the Lambert, and even designed the logo. (©Photo by Segura)
1909 portrait of John W. Lambert and view of John Lambert and two passengers posing in a Lambert friction drive en route to Bay City. 30 + 3 clincher tires and removable toneau. (source: National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library.)
1909 portrait of John W. Lambert and view of John Lambert and two passengers posing in a Lambert friction drive en route to Bay City. 30 + 3 clincher tires and removable toneau. (source: National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library.)