Credit for salient facts in the history of the automobile, obtained and used in the “Story of the Automobile,” is given to a large volume of nearly 500 pages, “The Romance of the Automobile Industry,” by James Rood Doolittle, issued lately by The Klebold Press, New York city. This volume is the most exhaustive work in book form yet published on the automobile, and covers graphically every phase of its development and popularization. It is virtually a textbook and reference guide of facts of motor car history, and devotes particular attention to the personnel of the founders of the industry and those engaged in it, and the association features.
I can only hope that the work entailed in presenting this, the “Story of the Automobile,” has been done sufficiently well to make it interesting and instructive to those who read it.
H. L. Barber.
Wheaton, Ill., April 2, 1917.
CONTENTS
| Preface | [1] |
|---|---|
| Introduction | [11] |
| Chapter I. | |
Introductory—Automobile Figures Are Amazing | [27] |
Industry reaches two billion dollar mark—optimistic offuture increase—point of saturation far off—reliabilitycontest a factor in popularizing automobiles—Ford, thewizard who converted the industry to price reduction—installmentplan of payment—part machining plays in lowselling prices—women a factor in automobile buying—goodroads now the industry’s greatest aid—farmers asavailable prospects. | |
| Chapter II. | |
Mechanical Evolution of the Automobile | [49] |
First horseless vehicle constructed by Cugnot, a Frenchman,over 150 years ago—invention traced in differentcountries, down to the first successful gasoline automobilemade in the United States by Charles E. Duryea in 1892—prohibitivelaws in England discouraged invention there—Evansin 1784 first American to experiment in horselessvehicles—French and German inventors’ part in development—Seldenfirst patentor of gasoline motor—inventor’sdifficulties in interesting capital—electrics appear—steampreceded both electrics and gasoline. | |
| Chapter III. | |
Commercializing the Automobile | [77] |
Steam and electric types outstripped by gasoline car—co-operationpartly popularized motor car—standardizationenabled price reduction—tungsten and other alloys, heattreatment of steel, advertising and invalidation of Selden’spatent, in the industry’s development—reasons for UnitedStates’ supremacy in industry. | |
| Chapter IV. | |
Automobile Industry As an Investment | [139] |
Industry had little original capital invested in it—presentinvestment largely made up of profits—difficulties ingetting capital—dealers put up money to finance distribution—productionnot reached its height—commercial carsand tractors promise great opportunities—industry a surpriseto economists—large as it is, industry still in comparativeinfancy. | |
| Chapter V. | |
Benefits Conferred by the Automobile | [155] |
A medium of exchange of knowledge and ideas by bringingpeople together—uproots bigotry and removes prejudice—revolutionizesthought and habits, and liberalizesmind—emancipates woman from drudgery of domesticity—increasessocial amenities—a health giver; saves humanlife; aid in eugenics—stimulates better roads—saving inwar. | |
| Chapter VI. | |
Reports on Automobiles, Automobile Accessoriesand Tire Manufacturers Securitiesfrom a Financial and Investment Stand-point | [171] |
Economic history, and its relation to stock trading inthe automobile industry—securities traded in on New Yorkstock exchange and curb—securities on exchanges in othercities, and data for 1916—principal securities not generallytraded in—prices and terms—newer entrants—securityissues of tire companies—comparison of automobile withother securities—present and possible future trend—graphiccharts and comparative tables. | |
| Chapter VII. | |
Passenger Automobiles Manufactured in theUnited States | [219] |
Range of prices in effect April 1, 1917. | |
| Chapter VIII. | |
Gasoline Trucks and Delivery Cars Manufacturedin the United States | [231] |
| Range of prices and other data prior to April 1, 1917.—Courtesyof Everybody’s Magazine. | |
INTRODUCTION.
“What did Benjamin Franklin have to do with the automobile?” a great many readers of this book will ask.
Benjamin Franklin was many-sided, and he had a great deal to do with much that affects the birth of the American nation; and if it had not been for what he and other patriots, statesmen and diplomats did, the automobile business might have been in this country today exactly what it is in England today—and that is a very insignificant industry.
Among other things Franklin was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and it was the American Revolution that made the automobile industry of today possible; for, had there been no revolution, we would probably still be a dominion of Britain beyond the seas, and it is pretty certain that England would have had in force in the colonies the laws she kept on her statute books until 1896, practically prohibiting, by the imposition of excessive road tolls, the use of the public highways to horseless carriages.