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    A Century of Motoring
    A Century of Motoring
    A Century of Motoring
    Ebook113 pages35 minutes

    A Century of Motoring

    By Jon Pressnell

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    The lot of the motorist has changed greatly over the last hundred years. In the early twentieth century, only the most wealthy could afford a motor car and there were very few rules and regulations. Now most British people own a car and are protected by air bags and crumple zones, but also hemmed in by parking regulations, traffic jams and speed restrictions. In this richly illustrated history of the past hundred years of motoring, expert Jon Pressnell explores the main developments, such as the introduction and refinement of the driving test; the improvement of roads and the impact of the motorway; and how affordable cars such as the Mini have helped democratise driving. The evolution of the car itself is also explored, from the coachbuilt custom-made cars of the 1910s, through to the more attainable mass-produced models of the inter-war years, and finally to today's complex and sometimes hybrid-powered vehicles.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateMay 10, 2015
    ISBN9781784420758
    A Century of Motoring

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      Book preview

      A Century of Motoring - Jon Pressnell

      Kingdom.

      Dressing for the motor car

      circa 1908

      While the gradual disappearance of open-cockpit coachwork had lessened exposure to the elements, it was still necessary in Edwardian times for motorists to be appropriately garbed. This was not just because cars were generally open-bodied, with the occupants sitting high and unsheltered, but also because of the dust raised on the unsealed roads of the time.

      The wealthy went to suppliers such as Dunhill, Burberry or Aquascutum, or had their tailor or milliner confect suitable items. A sturdy coat, long and usually double-breasted, was a basic requirement. Leather was one choice, as it was windproof, but breathable materials such as tweed and Irish frieze (a coarse-woven woollen cloth) were also popular, as were proofed coats in gabardine (invented by Burberry) or aquascutum (a waterproof wool which gave its name to the eponymous company).

      Coats were likely to be fur-lined and possibly fur-trimmed, sometimes in exotic furs such as puma, opossum, seal or leopard. Coats wholly of fur were also seen, but held dust and were unpleasant in the wet. A leather waistcoat might be worn underneath, and gloves, goggles and a cap (often with ear-flaps) were vital items of equipment.

      Ladies protected their heads with hoods, perhaps equipped with mica or silicone visors, or covered hat and face with a veil. Full-face masks were sufficiently bizarre to be a minority interest. Feet, meanwhile, might be kept warm by fur overboots or foot muffs, accompanied by a fur knee apron for the lower body, and maybe even a pair of leather motoring knickers.

      Model T with staff of Ford’s London office

      1912

      If by the outbreak of the First World War one car could be said to have started the long haul to popularising motoring in Britain, it had to be the Ford, British assembly of which had begun in 1911. The reasons why British motorists took to the Model T were simple. Mass-production methods, as pioneered by Ford in the US, meant that it was cheap: at £135 in 1914 for a four-seat tourer, it cost £40 less than the first Morris Oxford. Crucially, too, it was light but robust, and made of high-quality metals. It had a two-speed transmission with gear engagement by pedal, and with its low-stressed 2890cc four-cylinder engine it was capable of good performance for the time, with a maximum speed of just over 40 mph.

      Initially the Ford was sneered at by many, who regarded a hand-assembled British motor car as being the only motorised transport suitable for gentlefolk. Such arguments did not last long, and by 1919 a full 41 per cent of cars on the roads were Fords. Motoring magazines devoted special sections to the Model T, and countless firms offered accessories to improve or embellish the car.

      Inevitably, though, Ford’s dominance started to be eroded as the car became more old-fashioned. The Model T was also dealt a blow by the 1921 revision of the horsepower tax, a change specifically intended to deter the purchase of cars of American origin with large-bore engines; despite this, only in 1924 did Ford lose market

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