Author Archives: Ken Altes
Typical Austin couple taking the Tin Lizzie food shopping, captured by good friend Victor E.
The Ford Model T put America on wheels, 15,000,000 sold between 1908 and 1927. Perfected assembly line production allowed its prices to fall from $850 in 1908 to less than $300 in 1925. At the same time, Henry Ford raised workers hourly rate dramatically so that they could afford to buy his car. The car was very sturdy and reliable, as it needed to be before paved roads were common. Its four cylinder engine had 20 hp, taking the car to a top speed of 40-45 mph. Interesting history of the Model T here. Long documentary here. The first ones were started by hand crank but later ones could be had with electric starting. The car was often modified as tractors, snowmobiles, etc. I’m guessing this one is late teens or early ’20s. It was the Universal Car, one of the greatest cars ever.
Taken from HEB parking lot. I did not imagine this! Hope he got the bad guys!
Bertha’s husband, Karl Benz, invented the first internal combustion car, but Bertha, without his knowledge, took her two boys and the Patent Motorwagen from Mannheim to Pforzheim to see her mother, about 66 miles away. She had invested a lot of money in the development of the car and wanted to demonstrate that it was a practical conveyance. It was the first cross-country trek in a car, and it was a sensation, generating lots of publicity and the car’s first purchase orders. Along the way, several repairs were required, and because the brakes were so poor, she got a blacksmith to put a leather pad on the brake shoe, in doing so, invented brake lining.
I ran across this 1886 Patent Motorwagen Replica at Motoreum in NW Austin. Here are technical details and a similar replica.
Great looking car. I would recommend that you take your British sports cars to Ron. Every time I drop in there are different but great classic British sports cars there. Check out Ron’s website.
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