Very old automobiles, according to old car freaks, come under three categories: antique cars, vintage cars, classic cars, etc. The Brass Era (Horseless carriage era) is referred to the period from 1890 to 1919. Automobiles produced prior to World War I are considered to be antiques, whereas vintage car is commonly referred to the older automobile manufactured during the period 1919 to 1930. In the modern sense, cars produced from 1940s to 1980s are frequently called old cars. The distinctions, and criteria used by them among antique, vintage, classic cars and so on may vary, but consensus within any country is often maintained by major car clubs.
The car ownership that started off in 1919 as something of a rarity and of status symbol, turned to be a necessity in the 1930s because of the concept of mass production of car with simple mechanism affordable by all sections of the society. This is true of the US. Such sturdy, old vehicles, with strange designs of stunning beauty and workmanship, are valuable and well protected. They are seldom driven on the roads and we can seem them only at 'old car shows or in the museums only. Such antique car museums are rare in India, because it is difficult to maintain them, considering it costs, maintenance, etc. Vintage_car Manjusha Museum, Dharmasthala, Karnataka draws lots of tourists and it has an array of impressive old cars that take us back to the by gone era. So is Pranlal Bhogilal Auto World Museum in in Gujarat located in a private estate covering 200 acr It has a variety of cars, etc, and earned the Guinness Book of World Record listing in 1987. In Tamil Nadu the other car museum is GD Car Museum, Coimbatore city. It has an amazing collection of cars, etc.
Some interesting facts about early old cars:
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| en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
01. On Christmas Eve in 1801, Richard Trevithick of England built and ran a steam-powered carriage, called the Puffing Devil, that is considered the first horseless carriage but Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot took the honor of introducing the first steam powered vehicle with the fardier à vapeur in 1770 and 1771 capable of human transportation. In 1807, François Isaac de Rivaz designed the first car powered by an internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen
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| Cugnot's steam wagon, the second (1771) version.en.wikipedia.org |
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| 1801road locomotive 'Puffing Devil. en.wikipedia.org/ |
02. The first production of automobiles was by Karl Benz in 1888 in Germany and, under license from Benz, in France by Emile Roger. The four-stroke petrol (gasoline) internal combustion engine, an important part of modern automotive propulsion was invented by Nikolaus Otto. The similar four-stroke diesel engine was developed by Rudolf Diesel.
03. The Flocken Elektrowagen of 1888 by German inventor Andreas Flocken is believed to be the first real electric car of the world
04. George Selden of Rochester, NY was the first to get the US patent on November 5, 1895.
05. Gasoline automobiles were produced by Elwood Haynes in 1894, by Ransom Olds in 1895.
06. Four-wheel braking from a common foot pedal was introduced, using hydraulically actuated brakes.
07. Towards the end of the vintage era, the system of octane rating of fuel was introduced, allowing comparison between fuels. In 1923 the gasoline additive Ethyl made its debut at the Indy 500 that resulted in a boost in octane from the 50's to the 80'
08. Over two million cars were still produced in 1929 and 1930. During the same period many companies went broke an also saw the development of the high-speed diesel engines from1930. They began to replace them for wagons.
09. In 1902 and in 1909 built the World's first mile of concrete road on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. One Horatio Earle introduced the concept of Interstate highway system in 1902 and made a proposal to the US government.
10. From 1919 to 1929, US saw the growth of ''The Big Three'': General Motors, Ford Motor company and Chrysler Corporation. Among the British companies Morris, Austin, Standard and Vauxhall were well known.
11. The most rudimentary safety features, front wheel brakes and hydraulic brakes, began appearing on cars in the 1920s and 1930s respectively. https://www.navrangindia.in/2015/11/old-is-gold-vintage-car-museum.html
