One of the first rotary gas engines, designed by Fay Oliver Farwell in 1896. The year before, he had joined joined the Adams Company of Dubuque, Iowa as manager. His experimenting with internal-combustion engines led to a 3 cylinder rotary engine powering what was probably the first rubber-tired automobile in 1899. Apparently it all worked well enough that he then developed the above 5 cylinder version for the next generation Adams automobile. The company made about 200 units between the years 1898 to 1913.
The only real advantage to that layout has got to be the cooling aspect of cylinders whooshing around through the air. The penalties for having that much metal and machinery whizzing around near the passengers was enough that no other auto company felt the need to copy the arrangement.
For some reason the pioneering aircraft designers liked the idea though, and stuck the whirling mass on the front of flimsy flying machines. Le Rhône developed the idea into successful 7 and 9 cylinder engines during the WW1 years.
Images below and early rotary engine article (including the contemporary Balzer rotary) from Hagerty. More info in Smithsonian.
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