A Few Statistics

At this point it might be interesting to return to 1903 and consider world motor car production figures. Total production in that year was 61,927 units, of which 30,204 were made in France, 11,235 in the USA, 9,437 in Great Britain, 6,904 in Germany, followed by Belgium with 2,839, and Italy with 1,308.

Particularly in France, series production was beginning with 25,30, or 40 chassis on the line together. So far as the car itself was concerned, hot-tube ignition was giving way to the high-tension magneto. Single-cylinder engines were in decline, two cylinders were well established and four cylinders were making progress. Maximum rpm were rising, reaching 1,200 and even 1,500; noise was becoming less of a problem.

So far as coachwork was concerned, closed bodywork was still slow to be adopted. It must be remembered that at that time most motorist were enthusiasts, with no great consideration for weather protection Not many years were to pass, however, before the man-in-the-street was to exert his influence upon car design, creating a demand for coupes, limousines, saloons-cabriolets, etc. In those formative years however, the open 'torpedo' body, preferably a rakish one, was popular; and as progress was made the value of a low centre of gravity was appreciated, along with reasonable frontal area. Although progress was rapid, things were a long way from the motoring situation of today, when the prospective owner goes to showroom of show, makes his choice from a wide selection of cars, and takes delivery (usually) shortly afterwards. In the early years of the 20th century one had to buy a chassis and engage in weeks, or months, of discussion with the body- builders, still working in the spirit of the 'personal' vehicle of earlier times. Inevitably, many coachbuilders were craftsmen attracted to the motor car by its rapidly expanding production; and they tended to reproduce the styles they had known. Thus techniques properly adapted to the new vehicle were slow in evolving, though these early coachbuilders were able to produce work of a craftsmanship and finish that could not be matched today for commercial reasons.

Just the same, by 1903 we had vehicles with a look of the future in both engineering and coachwork. The Belgian Pipes, for instance, had overhead valves. The Maudslay in England had a magnetic clutch. Certain Fiats had compressed air starting – one of the first attempts at 'self starting'. The Dombret of Bordeaux had engine and gearbox in a common casing, and the ‘10 hp’ of Wilson and Pilcher had the first rudimentary automatic transmission.

Commentaries

1 The Belgian Pipes – автомобили бельгийской марки «Пайп».

2 Maudslay – «модсли», название автомобиля.

‘T’ In Motor Cars

The founding of the Ford Motor Company was to have an importance in the field of motor cars, not only from the point of view of mass production, but above all because it highlighted, right from its beginning, the philosophy of the car for the masses.

Along with these revolutionary ideas, Henry Ford, creator, animator, and commander of the company throughout, introduced a number of other novel concepts. In particular, he believed that not only the largest possible number of people should enjoy the products of his factory, but also that the largest number of people should share in the material benefits created by the production itself. But that is another story.

It is interesting to note that the same year of 1903 saw the birth of two companies – one in the Old World and one in the New – each representing a profoundly different technical, social, and economic evolution. On the one hand was the virtual creation of Rolls-Royce, which was to signify the standard of absolute perfection, and on the other the founding of Ford, which was to represent the opposite end of the scale – big-volume manufacture of products of low price and spartan character.