January 1917 "Scientific American" - Motor Vehicles

[Curt Renz]

Happy New Year!

From the January 1917 Scientific American

In the year just closed, the U.S. has produced more automobiles, both passenger carrying and commercial vehicle types, than have ever before been made in the same period. The development of the automobile mechanism has reached that point where the majority of automobiles incorporate the same essential principles. It matters not whether the engine is one of four or twelve cylinders or the selling price of the car $500 or $5,000, the proportions of the constituent parts and the best materials for the different members are now so well known that engine or chassis failure, resulting from poor design, is practically unknown on even the cheapest cars.

 

[BluestarE3]

Ah, the unbridled optimism from a century ago! So much has changed since then, yet so much hasn't. Thanks for posting that little nugget.

 

[Discoducky]

Reading this makes me wonder how much is going change this year in regards to how many cars are shown at shows that have materially different constituent parts. It is largely unknown how much different Tesla's are to other EVs; not just other cars.

 

[AudubonB]

They did highlight poor design as not being a concern for failure, but they missed on not considering poor manufacturing processes, sloppy quality control, deliberate subversion of tests, over-concern of short-term profit margins....what a century it's been!

I'm also concerned that Curt's issue has shown up...I've been waiting for mine in the mail for what seems like a century.