The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-01-21
WHAT EUROPEANS THINK
OF AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE

OF AMERICAN AUTOMOBILES
How foreign engineers and motor
lists look upon the best products of
automobile factories in this country is
revealed in a significant manner by a
statement of J. W. Cassell, man of
recognized standing in the engineer
ing profession in Germany. Mr.. Cas-
sell is one Of many Europeans who
displayed unusual interest in the re-
cent Madison Square Garden Show
following the announcement of Ben
jamin Briscoe, president of the Unit
ed States Motor Company, that the
products of affiliated companies would
be manufactured abroad and sold in
a vigorous manner in England and on
the Continent. Mr.. CasselI said:
This country has not been getting it's
proportionate share Of the business. It
should be selling more cars in every
European nation than any other coun-
try.
''The American automobile manufac-
turer leads the world. He has the
building of motor cars down to a sci
ence. He has shown Europe the way.
He has chance to profit from his
superior wisdom along this line. before
the Europeans realize fully the mis-
takes that they have made While
demanding cars at reasonable price,
the people abroad will not stand for
an inferior product"
THE BEGINNING OF
THE MOTOR TRUCK.
"The first serious attempt. to bring
forth a self-propeIled truck was made
in 1885 in England" says Charles 81
Martin, sales manager Of the r. l..
Morgan Company. "A traffic associa-
ton SO called, was formed among
the Liverpool merchants to seek
means of improving traffic conditions
in the city streets. Aided by this as
ISOLATION, designers began to bring
out crude, steam-driven vans about
1896. They were funny affairs view
ed in the light of to-day's CONNER
cal car. but all things have to have
a beginning.
Two years later, in 1896, there was
held a contest in Liverpool in which
six concerns competed. American en-
interest what their English cousins
were doing, as the pleasure car at
that time was the allabsorbing top
ic. One or two feeble efforts were
made to build commercial vehicles
but these were soon abandoned
ITO Ralph Morgan, a young engin-
eer of Worcester, Mass, belongs the
credit of building the first successful
truck in America. Unlike most in
ventors, Mr.. Morgan was not hamper
ed by lack of funds, but had ample
means to develope his ideas. He spent
year in Europe studying every
phase of the truck situation and re-
turning to Worcester brought out his
first truck, steam-driven affair in
1901. This truck had capacity Of
ten tons and was the largest ever
constructed. While it worked sue
cessfully, it was found to be too
heavy for the roads.
Mr.. Morgan continued his expert
menting by building trucks and Civ
ing them to his friends to try out
until he settled on the five ton ca
paclty as the largest car possible to
operate economically and successful
ly until such time that the roads and
streets are built to stand up under
the heavier weights.
''Mr. Morgan was followed closely
by other designers and as early as
1903, there were enough to make a
very respectable showing, so the Au-
tomobiIe Club of America promoted a
contest in New York City to which
really dates the beginning of the COM
cars development.
THE complications and dangers of
steam in the hands of the average OPP
orator caused it to be soon abandon
ed in favor of gasoline and the gaso-
line engine as a means of developing
power has been pretty generally
adopted by the truck manufacturers,
owing to its simplicity and fiexibility
and because it admits of much wi
der range of action than any other
known means.
''The stimulus given by the test in
1903 caused quite a healthy demand
to spring up and many thought the
business vehicle would outstrip the
pleasure vehicle in the race for SUI
premacy, and this would probably
have been the case had the engineers
been ready with properly designed
vehicle.
1.-THE few machines put out served
their purpose and told plainly what
must be done to put the business au-
tomobile where it could compete sue
cessfully with horses in transporting
The development has
gone on steadily, each year showing
improvements over the last. 1t has
been slow reaching commercial per-
lection, but it is pretty generally ad-
mitted by all who are using the later
model trucks that they are showing
ox1iv1 4