From the Crank to the Electric Starter “Notwithstanding the hilarious grandiosity of marketing materials from the early 20th century, many people believe the starter motor was the single car part that most transformed the automobile from a luxury fascination to...
Pioneer of the road Although the invention of the first automobile happened in Germany, it is in France where the industry first flourished. Darracq was one of the first important players competing with De Dion Bouton, Renault and Peugeot for market share. Among other...
A Regal Automotive Heritage “Its history is a clear proof of the innate love of Belgian people for high-quality mechanical achievements” Ralph Stein in The Automobile Book Once, Minerva was the preferred car of Kings and Queens, rivaling today’s supercars...
A Motorized Buggy Perfect for the Countryside “The simplest, most practical, efficient and economical car made.” – Gustav A. Schacht in Kimes & Clark’s Standard Catalog of Cars Following last week’s discussion on horseless carriages, this week’s vehicle can...
Cars Before 1916 “The horse is the poorest motor ever made. He consumes ten pounds of fuel for every hour he works, and yet his thermal efficiency is only two per cent.” – Thomas Edison as reported in A Pictorial History of the Automobile by Philip...
