The Call of the Road (1927).

A fascinating booklet by J.A.A. Pickard for motorists from the 1920s.

This spiffing little publication is labelled as being 'A Handbook for the prospective Motorist', and was published back in 1927. Sale price a whopping One Shilling and Sixpence, the author a Lieutenant-Colonel J.A.A. Pickard, M.Inst T., M.I.A.E. The cover features an idyllic scene of the open countryside with empty winding roads to navigate along. In the 1920s, the motorcar was still quite an exclusive possession, much less commonplace than it is in today's world, where every driveway seems to have a least two brand new shiny identikit automobiles.

Back in those days, there was no driving test, as the following text, which was the Preface within the book, alluded to....

"This book is written for the 'man or woman in the street' who has not yet experienced the joys of motor-ownership; who perhaps has not even realised how comparatively simple it is to sample those joys.

So far as the Government is concerned, the possession of five shillings and seventeen years of age is the only qualification demanded of a driver before he or she may take the wheel of a car. Having certified the second and paid over the first qualification, the driver will be given a licence, together with a copy of a little pamphlet (compiled by the guilty perpetrator of this book) dealing with what to do, and what not to do when actually on the road, in the trustful hope that the recipient will read, mark, learn, and ever fulfil all that is contained in that pamphlet. The Authorities get it for nothing; the driver gets it for nothing; but its contents are perhaps worth a little more than that.

The motor-car supplier expects rather more cash than does the Government; but even so, it is surprising how little money stands between prospective and actual motor-ownership.

The object of this book is to remind the reader of the advantages of motor-ownership; to help in making a wise choice; to outline the responsibilities and liabilities attaching to ownership; and particularly to show him or her how to make the best use of the service on the road which is available for the asking, both before and after purchase, from the local motor trader. 1st February, 1927."

Chapter 1, titled perhaps unsurprisingly as "The Call Of The Road", continues in a flowery fashion ....

"Who has not heard the call of the road, of hill or vallery, sea or lake, forest or moor; of change of scene; of movement? First in the spring when life is awakening, and all is youth and fresh colour; later, when summer heat calls for sea breezes or leafy shade; later again when Autumn tints repaint the landscape; and last of all when the winter sun shines frostily on a sparkling countryside with air as exhilarating as champagne. These are the times when the townsman longs to leave behind the bricks and mortar of his everyday surroundings, and even the country dweller feels drawn to pastures new.

To the motor-owner the means of enjoying these delights are ever at hand. Modern motoring has three great boons - comfort, convenience and cheapness. Cars are better sprung, tyres are not only cheaper but more easy riding than ever they have been before. Protection from inclement weather is complete, seats are properly designed, and you can drive for a whole long day without cramping ache or pain. You can stop where and when you will, and the load you carry rests with you, not with the limit of capacity of a crowded railway compartment. All these mean Comfort. Your are not tied down to someone else's timetable, you can start and stop as you wish. Door to door transit, no taxis, porters, tips or changes. Shopping, golfing, visiting all made easy. All these mean Convenience.

Half-a-crownsworth or petrol and sixpennyworth of oil will take you anything from 40 up to 100 miles, and though after several thousand miles you will have to get a new set of tyres, and possibly one or two other spare parts, yet the cost of these, spread over that distance, is surprisingly small, as is fully explained in the next chapter. When you consider all the usual expenses incidental to a family journey, most of which will be saved entirely if you travel in your own car, you realise that it is not only a question of what you pay, but also of what you save by motoring. This means Cheapness.

Long past are the days when a motor journey was something of a pioneering adventure; when to complete a day's run without some form of trouble was a noteworthy event. Gone too are the bad old days when every little cycle repairer hung out the optimistic sign 'Garage - Repairs'. Now is the time when every reputable make of car runs with the regularity of clockwork, easy to control, comfortable to ride in, a saver of time, discomfort and often expense; when there is real service on the road, with a chain of reliable garages up and down the country, capable not only of advising you upon, and of procuring, the most suitable make of car, but also of giving the necessary practical tuition in driving, and - what is more important still - in the rules and courtesies of the road, and in keeping your machine in first class running order.

Two hundred thousand additional driving licences are issued each year. This is the most wonderful proof of the way in which the call of the road is being answered."

Chapter 2 deals with "The Cost of Motoring", and contains a useful chunk of information for anyone planning to purchase their next motorcar, including these excerpts...

"A NEW car costs anything from 100 to several thousands. This particular book is written primarily for the would-be motorist who is of 'moderate means' and the following costs are calculated for what are popularly described as 'light cars'. These may be broadly divided into three categories:-

A more or less 'miniature' type of two or four cylinder car of from 7 to 9 horse-power, costing from 100 to about 200.

A medium size 'family' type of four-cylinder car, of from 10 to 15 horse-power, costing from about 150 to 275.

A more commodious 'family' type, often with saloon body, with four or six cylinders, of from 15 to 20 horse-power, and costing from about 250 to 350 upwards."

Following on from various tables spelling out the other costs of motoring, are these wise words of advice when it comes to maintaining and servicing ones motor carriage...

"The cost of running a car, particularly as it gets older, will very largely depend upon the way the new car is treated and maintained, especially during the first thousand miles. The importance to the novice of skilled advice and proper maintenance from the moment he or she decides to get a car cannot be too highly stressed. A few pounds saved by an injudicious first choice of type and make will soon be swallowed up in added costs of running. Insufficient training in how to handle a new car may (quite apart from damage by accident which may be covered by insurance) do harm which will be revealed later in repair bills.

The novice about to get his or her first car should go to the best motor firm in the district: where proper advice as to the most suitable make can be obtained : where proper tuition in driving can be obtained beforehand, and where instruction will be given in the special care and attention necessary with a new car. Though most makers issue valuable instruction books with their new cars, the novice may easily miss the importance of some written warning. Personal tuition is invaluable; a car is too costly to run the risk of damage through lack of a knowledge which can be so easily obtained for the asking by the new owner.

By placing the order for a car with the leading local motor trader, the new owner is assured of receiving preferential after-sales service, which, from his point of view, is a valuable asset, particularly in the early stages of ownership."

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