(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . LeMay Family Collection: Some 1910-1914 automobiles (photo diary) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-06-18 During the decade of the 1910s, the automobile began to enter into American life and begin its evolution from a frivolous plaything to one of life’s necessities. Cars became mass produced and mass marketing produced a trend of consumer buying. During this decade consumers could choose between many different competing brands and different price ranges. In his book Panati’s Parade of Fads, Follies, and Manias, Charles Panati writes: “Merely owning any kind of automobile was no longer the status symbol to strive for; cachet came from being able to afford (or from getting into debt for) a prestige model.” In 1910, carbon black was added to rubber tires, making them much stronger and extending their life. It also turned natural rubber black. In 1908, Ford had placed the steering on the left side to accommodate passenger entry from the curb. In 1913, the Society of Automotive Engineers suggested that left-side steering be standardized. By 1914, many car makers had switched from carbide gas lights to electric. The LeMay Family Collections at Marymount in Tacoma, Washington is the Northwest’s largest automobile collection. There are more than 1,500 vehicles in the collection. The museum is on historic grounds of former Marymount Military Academy and vehicles are displayed and stored in three buildings. Shown below are some of the cars from 1910 to 1914. 1910 Stanley Steamer Model 60 Toy Tonneau This car sold new for $1,140 and 670 were produced in 1910. It has a 2-wheel mechanical brake system and full-elliptical leaf spring suspension. The 3-cylinder steam engine has 10 horsepower. 1911 Cadillac Model 30 Touring This car sold new for $1,700. It has an inline 4-cylinder, 286 cubic inch, 32 horsepower engine. 1913 Woods Mobilette Tandem Cyclecar This vehicle sold new for $380. It was very lightweight and got 35-40 mpg. It has an inline 4-cylinder, 12 horsepower engine. 1914 Detroit Electric Priscilla Coupe This car sold new for $2,500-3,000. In 1914, a total of 4,669 were produced. It has a top speed of 20 mph and a range of 80 miles. This is the best known and most successful electric car of this era. 1914 Maxwell Model 25 This car sold new for $695 and a total of 44,625 were produced in 1914. Prior to starting his own company in 1905, Jonathan Dixon Maxwell had worked for Ransom Eli Olds. This car has an inline 4-cylinder, 186 cubic inch, 21 horsepower engine. More automobiles America's Car Museum: Cars before 1910 (photo diary) WAAAM: Automobiles of the 1910s (Photo Diary) Museums 101: Automobiles before 1920 (Photo Diary) Truck Museum: Trucks Before 1920 (Photo Diary) Packard Museum: Early Packards (photo diary) Packard Museum: Packard trucks (photo diary) [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/18/2175843/-LeMay-Family-Collection-Some-1910-1914-automobiles-photo-diary Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/