Period images to relieve some of the stress

[nzcarnerd]

Thanks you for posting these really wonderful photos - 👍😀

[JRA]

Fantastic photos!

[Walt G]

Peter this is the photo and building I am referring to . the very left in the photo. shows a building down below the road with a tower on top, am I missing something? 

[Peter R.]

19 minutes ago, nzcarnerd said:

American cars always sold well in Europe.

Yep, 50% of the cars on the streets in Switzerland were of American manufacture in 1929. 

[Peter R.]

3 minutes ago, Walt G said:

am I missing something?

Oops, my fault, looked at the wrong picture….🙈

[nzcarnerd]

51 minutes ago, Peter R. said:

Yep, 50% of the cars on the streets in Switzerland were of American manufacture in 1929. 

In NZ the percentage was even greater. American cars could manage the poor roads better. It was only government regulation that turned the country more to British cars.

 

1925 was the first year that national registration figures were recorded. Prior to that they were done by individual counties and few records survive. In this file the 'Others' sections at the bottom would include a quite large number of makes. There were few makes that were not imported. Many of those that were, were often in very small numbers by independent importers.

 

In the Depression years of 1930-34 many of the new registrations would be of previous year models - some up to three years old.

 

From 1936 on the records were split into horsepower brackets.

 

New Zealand's population in 1930 was just under 1.5 million and our vehicle ownership rate was only a little behind the US as far as I know.

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

Some interesting trivia re Bowser pumps.

 

"Elonza J. Munger, Roanoke. Bicycle and Motorcycle repair - around 1915 - as I understand it. The photo is from Bowser fuel pump archives. Every time they did a new fuel pump install, they would take a photo of the installation. The man in the suit is the Bowser rep with E.J. Munger beside him...no name on the other guy..."

 

[8E45E]

12 hours ago, Peter R. said:

Yep, 50% of the cars on the streets in Switzerland were of American manufacture in 1929. 

It must have been earlier than when semaphore turn signals were required.  I've seen photos of many early 1930's American cars with them at the base of the windshield supports on each side.

 

Craig

[Peter R.]

On 5/20/2022 at 2:19 AM, nzcarnerd said:

It was only government regulation that turned the country more to British cars.

Interestingly we did not have many British cars in the country in 1931. Less than 1% while 30% of the motorcycles were British.

 

Switzerland‘s population in 1931 was little over 4 million people.

 

Out of a total of 63‘945 cars:

American cars 43%
French cars 25%

Italian cars 21%
German cars 6%

Swiss cars 1.7%
British cars 0.8%
others

The most common car make was Fiat. 
We had 10‘632 Fiat‘s, followed by Citroën (5‘702), Ford (4‘044), Chrysler (3‘288), Buick (3‘051), Chevrolet (2‘745), Peugeot (1‘996) etc.

 

A listing of American cars and motorcycles in the country (1931):

 

 

 

[Peter R.]

On 5/20/2022 at 1:16 AM, Walt G said:

Peter this is the photo and building I am referring to . the very left in the photo. shows a building down below the road with a tower on top, am I missing something?

Walt, by the way, the building is the „The Old Spittel“ hospice on the top of the Simplon pass. It had been built around 1650 and was originally intended to be used as accomodation for commercial travelers. The tower on top is part of a small chapel inside the building. Today the building is sporadically used by the army and it can also be rented for group activities.

 

…..and the two buses are not Saurer….those are FBW buses 🙈

 

 

[Walt G]

Thank you Peter, really sincerely appreciate the information on that building! I love architecture as well as cars ( all of the same pre 1950 era) . I taught Architecture to 10 to 12 year old kids for a Gifted and Talented Program at a school they attended and their project was to design and build ( from scratch not a kit) a house/building that was at least 14 inches square by 12 inches high.

I love that building, had a guess that the tower at the top was some kind of chapel!  Seems to be in amazingly good order for its age.

[Peter R.]

On 5/20/2022 at 12:35 AM, Gary_Ash said:

The Saurer vehicles were interesting.

Gary, were Saurer trucks just assemled or entirely made in the US?

 

Here are some pictures of Saurer trucks in the US.

 

Peter

 

 

[Peter R.]

[Peter R.]

 Not sure if this is in the US….could be a WWI picture.

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Peter R.]

A special Saurer truck transporting a truss to the Mount Wilson Observatory in 1915.

 

 

[Walt G]

The contributions and comments about the vehicles and subjects in the period photos "of the era" just keep going on and get better and better. THANK YOU TO ALL.

Please Remember it is AACA who is hosting this site that is keeping us all connected and somewhat sane while we are still coping with many things in everyday life we do not wish to deal with but have to .

Special personal thanks to the incredible  moderators, AACA staff, officers, and especially CEO Steve Moskowitz who has the responsibility to keep us all "in the flow" and happy.

My very best to the good friends who from day one added to this peek into history after I asked them to help out so I wouldn't flood this with all the old odd debris I have collected in the past 60 years. It is a privilege to have so many new friends that are now old friends - we justify our collective passion and craziness for the love of history.

Walt

 

PS the on going response PROVES how much the pre WWII era is such an important factor to so many people - own an 80 + year old vehicle or not you can still embrace what they are and respect the steps they placed down for everything that followed to walk or drive upon.

Edited May 21, 2022 by Walt G (see edit history)

[nzcarnerd]

Posted by Mike Wakeman on a facebook page. He writes - "My families(sic) home town in Northern California. Early 1900s. The town was established in 1848 when gold was discovered near here which started the great gold rush of 1949" but neglects to mention the name of the town. 

 

The car in the photo all look to be more expensive models, and are decorated. Must be some sort of special occasion.

 

[nzcarnerd]

Buffalo 1905. Any recognisable cars?

 

[nzcarnerd]

A Reo sedan. I am not sure of the year - maybe 1918-19? A quick internet search failed to find another similar one.

 

Maybe someone can interpret the plate.

 

[nzcarnerd]

The location of this one i apparently Fort Smith, Arkansas.

 

I think the car may be something obscure. Haven't time to trawl through The Standard Catalog at the moment.

 

[Peter R.]

On 5/20/2022 at 12:35 AM, Gary_Ash said:

A nephew, Curt Saurer, came to the U.S. from Switzerland, worked for Saurer/Mack trucks in the U.S. in early 1900s, eventually worked for Firestone many years and invented vibration-isolating rubber and steel engine mounts, had about 50 U.S. patents.

Gary,

Would you know whose son Curt Saurer was? I have records that Julius Emil Saurer (1843-1896) moved to Detoit in 1867 but later returned back to Switzerland to work for the „F. Saurer & Sons“ company. I don‘t find a Curt Saurer in the records.

 

A little bit of genealogical history of the Saurer family:

 

The Saurer company was founded by Franz Saurer (1806-1882).

 

Franz was one of eighteen children of Johann Nepomuk Saurer (1767-1837) and his wife Agatha (1775-1835), of which only ten children reached adult age.

 

Franz Saurer had seven children:

Johann Anton Saurer (1835-1872)

Franz Carl Saurer (1839-1850)

Adolph Saurer (1841-1920)

Julius Emil Saurer (1843-1896)

Hippolyt Conrad Saurer (1847-1877)

Heinrich Saurer (1848-1888)

Franz Xaver Saurer (1864-1892)

 

It would be Adolph Saurer playing a leading role in the history of the Saurer company.

 

Adolph Saurer (later also called „Papa Saurer“) had five children - one son and four daugthers:

Hippolyt Saurer (1878-1936)

Hedwig

Marie

Meta

Nelly

 

I is said that Hippolyt „Hippo“ Saurer was a math genius. He was the driving force to enter the passenger car and truck business and the development of internal combustion engines.
 

Hippolyt Saurer had only one child, daughter Anita (1904-1973), which was not involved in the Saurer business.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Peter R.]

A portrait of Johann Nepomuk Saurer (1767-1837) an his wife Agatha (1775-1835).

 

 

[Peter R.]

The only portrait known to exist of Franz Saurer (1806-1882).

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Peter R.]

Johann Anton Saurer (1835-1872)

 

 

[Peter R.]

Adolph Saurer (1841-1920)

 

 

[Peter R.]

Julius Emil Saurer (1843-1896)

 

 

[Peter R.]

Hippolyt Conrad Saurer (1847-1877)

 

 

[Peter R.]

Franz Xaver Saurer (1864-1892)

(The only son of Franz Saurer sen. with his second wife Pauline)

 

 

[Peter R.]

Hippolyt „Hippo“ Saurer (1878-1936) and his wife Sina Saurer-Hegner.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Peter R.]

Does anyone recognise what car this was?

[Peter R.]

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Peter R.]

[Peter R.]

A Buick with a custom built body.

 

 

[LCK81403]

Peter, this is a good photo.  Accident photos add a little spice to the scene.  In this case it is interesting to see that the impact of the collision was strong enough to turn the delivery van on its side.  The damage to the ambulance does not appear to be great enough to topple the delivery van.  Because both of the damaged vehicles are oriented in the same direction, rather than in opposing directions, one has to wonder how the accident happened.  The major impact to the ambulance appears to have struck behind the front right fender, bending down the running board and glancing off the passenger side door.  Hence the force on the ambulance was from right front toward left rear, as if it was a glancing head-on collision, yet the overturned delivery van has no damage to its right side.  It appears that the overturned delivery van did not strike the ambulance.  Perhaps the delivery van tipped over due to panic over steer by the driver.

 

On the left side of the photo at mid level, it appears that the bystander's attention is drawn to something.  There is a white square object that may be the top of an automobile or trailer (towed by the dark tone car in front, and there appears to be a man wearing a vest and cap, arm extended, looking into the possible car.  That may be the car/trailer that collided with the ambulance.  Or rather, perhaps the ambulance side-swiped the left rear corner of the car/trailer.

 

One last interesting observation is the presence of the heavy-lift truck.  The truck has an inverted "U" shape supports, or gantry assembly, complete with tackle block.  That particular configuration is/was commonly found on trucks that lift-transport-unload heavy objects such as large stone and concrete objects.  Trucks equipped like that still can be seen transporting concrete sewage septic tanks and concrete burial vaults at cemeteries.

 

Is that a Chrysler radiator cap between the ambulance and the rear of the heavy-lift truck?

 

[Peter R.]

During the depression years Swiss truck manufacturer Saurer did the final assembly of all Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth passenger cars that Chrysler delivered to Switzerland. Five 1935 Dodge had been equippeed with Saurer Diesel engines. Saurer‘s first Diesel engined truck appeared in 1929.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Peter R. (see edit history)

[Bloo]

23 minutes ago, Peter R. said:

During the depression years Swiss truck manufacturer Saurer did the final assembly of all Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth passenger cars that Chrysler delivered to Switzerland. Five 1934 Dodge had been equippeed with Saurer Diesel engines. Saurer‘s first Diesel engined truck appeared in 1929.

It would be interesting to find that car now wouldn't it?

 

The headlights with their flat lenses are also interesting. I wonder if those were special equipment for Switzerland?

 

[keiser31]

1 hour ago, Peter R. said:

During the depression years Swiss truck manufacturer Saurer did the final assembly of all Chrysler, DeSoto, Dodge and Plymouth passenger cars that Chrysler delivered to Switzerland. Five 1935 Dodge had been equippeed with Saurer Diesel engines. Saurer‘s first Diesel engined truck appeared in 1929.

That Dodge is a 1936.

[Hans1]

19 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

Posted by Mike Wakeman on a facebook page. He writes - "My families(sic) home town in Northern California. Early 1900s. The town was established in 1848 when gold was discovered near here which started the great gold rush of 1949" but neglects to mention the name of the town. 

 

The car in the photo all look to be more expensive models, and are decorated. Must be some sort of special occasion.

 

44 stars on US flag

[LCK81403]

Wheel color on the '34 Ford, was it an option that cost extra?  Were side curtains an option?

[Dave Mellor NJ]

16 hours ago, Peter R. said:

That truck laying on its side is a 31 Ford Model AA panel truck