Various

“ With the majority of purchasers the leading factor determining whether a car comes within the range of their possible choice is the price, and we have therefore arranged the vehicles in that order; but some purchasers, especially experienced ones, have very determined notions regarding the practicability of certain mechanical features, and might not want to consider certain vehicles that do not suit their fancy with respect to mechanical design, even though right in price. ”

“ There must be many more such collisions between horse vehicles, but these, of course, do not receive the attention in the press that a collision of a horse vehicle and an automobile would, and one does not hear so much about them. This also disposes of the argument that if automobilists carry sufficiently strong lights and keep close watch of the road ahead they will always notice an approaching vehicle in time. In order to insure the greatest degree of safety to road traffic in general, all vehicles should be compelled to carry lights, as in marine practice. ”

“ Another way of putting it is to say the first cost is a matter of no serious moment, provided the cost of the useful result is quite within bounds.
There are many details in a motor car, each one of which must be thought out with a degree of care wholly at variance with the demands of any other class of machinery. A car may be well built and prove to be very serviceable indeed, and still be a very bad choice, for the reason that the design may not be in accord with (a) the materials afforded by the market ”

“ It is for this reason that "cheap," half baked cars are not the product of successful makers; and, also, on this very account American manufacturers are bound to lead in the long run, because the majority of buyers (a) cannot pay a high price; (b) will not buy an inferior product; (c) do offer a wholesome opportunity to makers of car who continually strive to lower the cost, but who positively will not lower the standard of quality. ”

“ One serious objection to the present arrangement of the controlling devices on practically all touring cars is that the entrance to the driver's seat is entirely obstructed by the brake and change gear levers, and that both occupants of the front seat are therefore forced to enter and alight at the left hand side. Since under ordinary conditions. and in accordance with road rules, a vehicle is always drawn up with its right side to a curb, the occupants of the front seat must walk around the vehicle, perhaps through mud, every time they enter or leave. ”

“ For a three passenger car there is no reason why the weight should exceed 1,500 or at most 2,000 pounds. and even if the present cab construction were to be retained the greater part of this weight should be brought much nearer the ground than it is in the present cabs, by suitable modifications in design, particularly lengthening of the wheel base. In view of the above noted facts and of the record of the cabs, it would seem to be time that some measures were taken to force these antiquated vehicles off the streets. ”

“ Considering cast iron with an ultimate tensile strength of 18,000 pounds per square inch and 3,600 pounds per square inch non-shock working load, it would be impossible to build a commercial motor car and at the same time take Seaton's advice. On the other hand, there are a vast number of cars in which the motor cylinder walls are quite as thin as that given by the above formula. It is believed that, notwithstanding the apparent safety of the above formula, some allowance should be made for deformities in the casting. ”

“ It costs approximately $25,000 to design and construct one single runabout, provided the design is new and worked out in promoting and jobbing shops. On the other hand, cars of this class are furnished to buyers by responsible makers for not far from one-fiftieth of that cost, while in so far as quality is concerned the experiment car, not withstanding its enormous cost, is likely to prove a flat failure.
To a limited extent the commercial field has been invaded, but the road ahead is long and rough. Critics are wont to complain about tires. ”

“ While the limit of 12 miles per hour in built up sections is quite liberal, the 15 mile limit for the open country is altogether too low, and if a new law be adopted the speed limit should be placed at 20 or 25 miles per hour. Automobile laws are bound to prove failures if they do not permit the reasonable and proper use of the machine. ”

“ The electric cabs operated in New York city have lately been forcibly brought to public notice through a series of accidents in which they have figured, accidents sometimes of a serious nature. Within the past few months at least two pedestrians have been knocked down and killed by them, and on one occasion two cabs came together in a head-on collision, which resulted in the serious injury of the occupant and operator of one. ”

“ Among other things the "levers," bell cranks, etc., are generally too strong, excepting in some cases in which they are not harmonious in design, hence too strong in some parts and below the needed strength in others. There are three classes of levers known to mechanics, each of which has its special use, all of which are employed in motor cars in divers ways. ”

“ It cost a lot of money to learn that conventional machinery designs would not suit in motor car work; and it was hard to forget that a bridge building factor of safety was not a factor of safety at all in automobile construction. As illustrative of the changes wrought, consider the following: According to Seaton the thickness of cylinder walls should be:
in which P is the maximum pressure on the piston in pounds per square inch, and D the diameter of the cylinder in inches. ”

“ As a matter of fact, tire troubles are brought about to a vast extent through the wholly bad practice of making cars much heavier than need be. A setting hen will bring out a brood of chickens and not fracture a single egg, while a small boy and a brick would shorten the chicken crop. ”

“ Considering that they are capable of attaining a speed of about 15 miles per hour on the level, and often run faster than this, owing to favorable grades, it will readily be seen, as is proven by their records, that they are vehicles too dangerous to be operated in crowded city streets. The average modern two passenger vehicle weighs about 1,000 pounds, and has a larger radius of action than these cabs ”

“ A movement is now on foot in various sections of the country, particularly in Massachusetts, to have more stringent legislation enacted with regard to the compulsory carrying of lights on all road vehicles at night. ”