The Washington herald., 1915-01-24
FIRST OLDSMOBILE
GIVEN TO MUSEUM

Probably the best known historic OBJ
| jeCt connected with the automobile indus
try. the original model OldsmObile which
was constructed several years before the
earliest types Of motor carriages made
their appearance. has been presented by
the Olds Motor Works TO the Smithsonian
Institution and will he relinQushed to the
National Museum during the month Of
January. 1915.
This car is commonly looked upon as
being the grandsire of the mOtorcar buSi-
ness. II was designed and built. or
| la bOriOusly hammered and nodded out of
metals in Lansing, Mich. in 1894 and 1885.
About tho aged relic is woven the rO-
nance Of more than quarter OF a CEN
tury of struggles. tragedies aud sue
cesses which marked the formative period
Of this great industry. Plans laid as far
back as lSS for building the vehicle,
which originally was to have been pro-
PEELED by steam, but did not materialiZe
until the spring Of 1894, and experiments
during this lapse OF time proved to the
builders the efficacy Of the gasoline
motor
Among those who helped to build the
ancient car are workmcn who are en-
plOyed in the OldsmObile factories and
they tell many interesting stories Of the
adverse conditions which were met. and
because OF which Two years were required
to bring it to n state Of completion. Sew
eral years were spent in testing it. dur
ing which il was often espied on the
roadways and became a familiar sight to
most OF the inhabitants OF Southern
Michigan. Subsequently 1t served as a
working model for the first curved dash
Oldsmobile runabOut
1t has Travelled by railroad to different
parts Of the country to be exhibited at
automobile shows. fairs and eNpositions.
and always has been faithfully kept in a
sound state by the original makers be-
cause OF its historic value 1t is cherished
by the residents OF Lansing, Mich, be-
cause the commercial prosperity of the
city dated from the building os the car
When placed on public exhibition in Lam
sing in the month Of November ii attract
ed great crowds.
In appearance it presents a strange
combination Of the hOrse-drawn and pow
er-driven vehicle So closely does it re-
sembe the former that il might easily
be mistaken for one OF the oIdstyle trap
carriages in vogue some twenty years ago
were it not for the absence Of shafts and
a whip socket. The dash board usually
associated with horse-drawn vehicles was
not omitted by the designers and 35-inCh
wooden wheels with solid rubber Carriage
tires are another odd feature Of the equip
age. The steering apparatus consists Of
a jointed hand lever somewhat similar to
the steering levers on some of the earliest
types OF mOtorcars A crank at the
drivers right operates the gear shift and
clutch release. The motor is a One-Cylin-
der gasoline engine and a considerable
number of its parts are almost identical
with the stationary engine of that day. |
A gasoline tank with a capacity OF ten
gallons is located under the rear seat
In all it is estima ted that the vehicle
has been driven some 5000 miles. Per-
haps the most remarkable thing about
the car is the fact that It is still capable /
of being run, and at afr rate of speed, |
although built almost a generation ago.