N.Z. Veteran and Vintage Motoring Se Pt E Mbe R, I 9 6 3
BEADED IBEELS I N.Z. VETERAN AND VINTAGE MOTORING SE PT E MBE R, I 9 6 3 o pr I .... I ~, "HORSELESS CARRIAGE" In 1893 the first succe ssful gasoline powered motorcar in the United Slates cruised down the main streets of Springfield, Ma ss., at a speed of five miles an hour! This car was made by two brothers, Charles E. and J. Frank Duryea. In 1896 Henry Ford drove his first car out of the machine shop in Detroit. Later, his system of machine-made, interchangeable parts, and assembly line production, put motorcars within the price ran ge of the man-in-the-street. By the beginning of the 20th century, 8,000 motorcars were registered in the United States. These were powered by steam, gasoline or electricity, and even then they did not look much like the original "Horseless Ca rr iage." Some of the laws passed in the early days of the motorcar make us chuckle today. For instance, one community ruled that if a horse refused to pas s a motor car the driver of the car must "take the machine apart • •• and conceal the parts in the grass." In some places motorcars were banned entirely, and angry farmers guarded their livestock with shotguns against these "contraptions of the devil." It is easy to see that early motorists were indeed brave pioneers, often running risks th at would be hard to imagine today, for they also had to contend witb the discomfort of rough roads, open driving seats and temperamental engines. Times have changed and those first motoring enthusiasts would be the first to appreciate the advances made both in car and tyre design since the exciting, stimulating days of the "Horseless Carriage." FIRESTO NE Tyres since the earliest days of motoring, have set the standard of reliability, economy and safety.
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