   thumb|a stanley steamer racecar in 1903; in 1906, a similar stanley rocket set the world land speed record at 205.5 km/h (127.6 mi/h) at daytona beach road course. the automotive brass era was an early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. it extended from the veteran era until about world war i. the term "brass-era automobile" is a retronym for "horseless carriage", the original name for such vehicles, which is still in use today. it is known in britain as the veteran era (pre-1904) or the edwardian era (1905 onwards). it was followed by what many collectors call the vintage era. within the 15 years that make up this era, the various experimental designs and alternative power systems would be marginalised. although the modern touring car had been invented earlier, it was not until panhard et levassor's systÃ¨me panhard was widely licensed and adopted that recognisable and standardised automobiles were created. this system specified front-engined, rear-wheel drive internal combustion engined cars with a sliding gear transmission. traditional coach-style vehicles were rapidly abandoned, and buckboard runabouts lost favour with the introduction of tonneaus and other less-expensive touring bodies. by 1906, steam car development had advanced, and they were among the fastest road vehicles in that period. throughout this era, development of automotive technology was rapid, due in part to hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. key developments included the electric ignition system (by dynamotor on the arnold in 1898,. though robert bosch, 1903, tends to get the credit), independent suspension (actually conceived by bollÃ©e in 1873), and four-wheel brakes (by the arrol-johnston company of scotland in 1909).. leaf springs were widely used for suspension, though many other systems
Automobiles_by_period