Car (DK Eyewitness Books)(3)

13

老爷车

The open road

equipped for touring. Indeed, protective clothing was vital in the open cars of the pioneer era. Not only was there rain and cold to contend with but, worst of all, the dreadful dust thrown up by dry dirt roads. Motorists would often come home covered from head to foot in a thick layer of muck. At first, clothes were adapted from riding and yachting and other outdoor pursuits. But before long a huge variety of special motoring clothes was on sale. Some were practical and sensible; others clearly for show. A motorist could easily spend as much on a motoring wardrobe as on a new car. Yet the pleasures of the open road made all the little hardships and the expense worthwhile, and touring became highly fashionable.

Nose-swivel to insure good fitOwning a car provided every reason for dressing up and getting

Orange tint to reduce road glare

THE RIGHT GEAR

Dust flap for earsGoggles and headgear were vital in an open car with no windshield. At first, peaked caps (right) were popular with the fashion-conscious; serious drivers preferred helmet and goggles (left and above). But soon most drivers were wearing helmets – with built-in visors, earmuffs, and even “anti-collision protectors.”DRESSED TO DRIVE aboveHere are just some of the many styles of early motoring wear. The woman’s “beekeeper” bonnet was very popular with fashionable women for keeping dust off the face and hair. Thick fur coats were usually made at huge expense from Russian sable, ocelot, and beaver.

Copper body to conduct heat

HOT FOOT

HANDY WEARThe driver’s hands would soon get cold and dirty on the controls. So a good pair of gloves – preferably gauntlets – was essential. Gauntlets were usually fur-lined leather, like many modern motorcycle gloves.Sitting in an open car on a winter’s day could make one bitterly cold. Many a passenger must have been grateful for a foot-warmer like this, which could be filled with hot water before setting out. Foot muffs and “puttees” (leggings) also helped keep out the cold.

1

老爷车

Heatproof felt

TEA BAG leftWith few roadside cafés, British motorists found taking their own tea with them was a necessity – and all part of the great adventure of motoring. Since the journey could take hours, and you could be stranded anywhere, it was worth doing properly. So motorists paid for beautiful tea baskets like this one in leather and silver. They often came with a matching lunch basket.

Tea box

Combined kettle and teapot

PICNIC BY THE SEAOnly the rich could afford a car in the early days, so motoring picnics tended to be lavish. The luxury shops could provide fine cutlery and glass, as well as hampers of champagne, roast chicken, and other expensive food.

Paraffin stove to heat waterMatchbox

THE JOYS OF MOTORING leftCar advertisements made the most of the pleasures of fast motoring through lovely countryside. This is a picture of a 6-cylinder Essex, a typical 1920s American sedan.

Getting lost became a regular’ hazard for pioneer motorists on tour. Signposts were then few and far between. One dirt road looked much like another. And there was no coachman on hand to guide the motorist safely home. Sets of the new, detailed road maps that quickly appeared in stores became as vital to the motorist as a set of tools.

Complete set of road maps in leather index case, from the 1920sWHERE NEXT? right

1

老爷车

Mass-production

Detroit farmboy Henry Ford’s dream to build “a motor car for the great multitude – a car so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one.” When he finally realized his dream, with the launch of the Model T Ford in 1908, the effect was revolutionary. The T meant people barely able to afford a horse and buggy could buy a car. In 1908, fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. owned cars; five years later 250,000 owned Model Ts alone. By 1930, over 15 million Ts had been sold. The key to Ford’s success was mass production. By using huge teams of men working systematically to build huge numbers of cars, he could sell them all very cheaply. Indeed, the more he BOLT-ON FENDERsold, the cheaper they became.A simple mounting bracket Simple hinged half-door

Wood-frame body tubslots through the hole and bolts on to the fender.

Pneumatic tireCars were the toys of the rich in the early days. But it was Body-mounting bracket

DROP-ON BODYThe wood-frame body tub (here missing its seat cushion, or “squab”) was made on another production line then lowered onto the chassis at the right moment.

Exhaust pipe

Rear axle and final-drive gear

Frame for fold-down roofButtoned leather upholsteryROLLING CHASSIS

Pressed steel body panelThe wheels were fitted early in production so that the chassis could be easily moved.

The production line

Before Ford, complete cars were built by small teams of men. In the Ford factory, each worker added just one small component, as partly assembled cars were pulled rapidly past on the production line.Rear mudguard

1

老爷车

The principles Ford used to make the Model T are used in car manufacturing to this day. Modern assembly lines use robots to build cars more quickly, cheaply, and accurately. But the idea of assembling components on a moving production line remains.

BIT BY BITHENRY FORD AND SONIt is easy to see how the Model T took shape from its individual components. Fenders, running board, and sill all bolt together to form one side of the car, and are mounted directly on to the chassis.One of the things that made the Model T so cheap was its standardized body. At the time, most car bodies were built separately by specialist coachbuilders; the Model T’s was made right on the Ford production line. So Ts could not be tailor-made to suit i …… 此处隐藏：6252字，全部文档内容请下载后查看。喜欢就下载吧 ……