"Brass-era" car question

[TG57Roadmaster]

Before you make the final choice, consider the Napier, an English car made in London. This is the motorcar chosen by wealthy American Charles J. Glidden to make his 'round-the-world tour with wife Lucy, begun in 1901. Eight years (and a second, newer Napier) later, they had encompassed nearly 47,000 miles and introduced the automobile to many who'd never seen one. (Google Glidden Tour.)

A wealthy, proud British subject might have chosen to drive an automobile of the realm, rather than a French or other import. Several are pictured at the site you found with the Darracq. Is your gent <span style="font-style: italic">nouveau riche</span>, or is it <span style="font-style: italic">old</span> mill money?

In the early days of motordom, the people who drove cars were called automobilists, autoists, and Tourists. Many wealthy folk didn't drive at all, and employed mechanicians and/or chauffeurs to do the "dirty" work. Though that won't work for your story line, I would bone up on period jargon for authenticity's sake. Also, when you hook up with the nearby vintage club, hopefully you'll see some of the unusual clothing of the automobilist, de rigeur and all the rage at the time. Dusters, mufflers, goggles and other specific protective gear kept the grime of the road at bay. It was unflattering and not too chic, but got the job done.

Just a thought (or three),

TG

[1937hd45]

Kristina, If you really are a research nut you MUST get a few issues of Country Life from the era the book takes place in. They give a great view of life back it those times with features on grand estates, automobiles and day to day living of the upper end of society. I'll post some photos as soon as I locate the issues I have.

[oldcarfudd]

Each issue of the Horeless Carriage Gazette has an article about the fashions of a particular year from the earliest 1900s through 1915, where the interest of the club and the magazine essentially stop. These are culled from the magazines of the era. They may cover formal wear, informal wear, evening wear, overcoats, raincoats - even, on rare occasion, something about men's clothing. The Horseless Carriage Foundation Research Library has all the back issues, and can photo appropriate pages for you for a modest charge. Try research@hcfi.org to find out what they have for the years you want. Or you can get back issues of the whole magazine, when you find out (probably from the library) what issues you want. Try office@hcca.org

Also, get your hero a car that was new in the year you're writing about. Progress in cars was astoundingly rapid in the early years of the last century. He wouldn't have wanted to be caught courting a fair damsel in an outdated old crock, would he? For instance, the Darracqs you looked up on the London-to-Brighton website were 1904. Yes, they had a back seat, but it wouldn't have been much use for amorous pursuits, because the left and right halves of the back seat were split by the door, which was smack-dab in the middle of the back of the car. By 1906, rear entrances were as dead as dinosaurs, because cars were longer and designers had caught on to the utility of side entrances. Old car nuts today pay a premium for rear entrance cars, since most of them were built before 1905 and are eligible for the very prestigious London-to-Brighton run. But in 1906, a 1904 car was just a used car.

Gil Fitzhugh

[Ivan Saxton]

Kristina, further following,1937hd45's sound advice, you should grab a copy of Arthur Bryant's 1940 book "English Saga", which is a social/economic history of England over the previous 100 years. This will probably cost several dollars through alibris or abebooks, and is one of the most readable and significant books in the language.

The best reference on Napier is ISBN 0 85429 989 0, titled Napier,subtitle The First to Wear the Green; by David Venables. Another earlier book which should be accessible through libraries is Wilson and Reader's Men and Machines, which might be worth a look also. The most appropriate model would be a T20, a moderate size 6 cylnder car that were raced at Brooklands and elsewhere. Arthur Lang had a 1907 one of these, and gathered enough of the missing parts to restore it before he inconsiderately died. Another friend had a much larger 65hp model several years later which I worked on; but the 40hp has always been the "Brass" car that I most wanted to own.

Ivan Saxton

[Rusty_OToole]

One thing you should bear in mind. In the last 100 years the standard of living has increased by hundreds of percent. But for the top 5% of the population it has gone down just as significantly.

The typical millionaire's mansion of today would about do for the gatehouse on the estate of a 1906 plutocrat. In constant dollars the typical 40HP car which the average millionaire owned would cost about $250,000. The 65HP "road locomotives" cost multiples of that.

The servant problem was practically non existent until after WW1. Even a lower middle class family of modest means would employ several full time servants. A rich man would employ from 12 to 20.

WW1 was a watershed in many ways. The old world vanished overnight and was replaced by what is essentially the world we know today.

Those who were old enough to experience both, all say the old world was better.

[oldcarfudd]

As long as you were in the top 5% and didn't get one of the many common diseases for which there was no cure. The average life expectancy, even for the very rich, was such that I wouldn't have been here now, and I'm still pretty hale and hardy at 71.

Gil Fitzhugh

[Rusty_OToole]

You should see what J.B. Priestley has to say. He was an English author, a WW1 veteran and his family was far from wealthy. He grew up in an industrial town in the north of England.

In his view life was better and richer before the war even though there was more money around after the war.

Many others have echoed these sentiments. Not all of them were rich.

[1937hd45]

All I could find were some 1902 issues of Country Life, 15 bedroon country house for 6,000 pounds on 12 acres, was quite a deal, even if it did lack a garage.

[Jonathan Miller]

1903 60hp Grand Prix Mercedes? Rawr!

[Kristina_Cook]

You guys are an *amazing* resource! Wow!! I'm definitely going to look for some issues of Country Life. I've got my DVD copy of Genevieve--going to watch it tonight--and I've also got my handy-dandy copy of Moncrieff's VETERAN AND EDWARDIAN MOTOR CARS, which is chock-full of information. And I'm definitely going to catch a couple of upcoming local antique car shows.

Can't thank you all enough!

~Kristina

www.kristinacook.com

[Kristina_Cook]

You guys are an *amazing* resource! Wow!! I'm definitely going to look for some issues of Country Life. I've got my DVD copy of Genevieve--going to watch it tonight--and I've also got my handy-dandy copy of Moncrieff's VETERAN AND EDWARDIAN MOTOR CARS, which is chock-full of information. And I'm definitely going to catch a couple of upcoming local antique car shows.

Can't thank you all enough!

~Kristina

www.kristinacook.com

[Richard Lichtfel]

I just finished restoring a 1909 Mason model 12 two in one that has a C cab truck body and 5 passenger touring body.Two men, six bolts, and 20 minutes you can change bodies

( according to the manual) we have found that it takes 4 men.

I have been asked several times if there are any other two in one of any make still in exsistence. I have been going to car shows for 50 years and have never seen one. Does anyone know of any other two in one out there?

thank you