Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.
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Writer1900
Joined: 09 Oct 2019
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:39 pm Post subject: Top speeds in the 1900s |
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Hi
Looking for information about cars built in the year 1900.
I'm trying to find out what the top speed, or average top speed was. I am guessing it can vary by manufacture, so an average would be acceptable.
I've done some research, and noted that the (1898/1899) Stanley's top speed was noted about 35 mph. (Speeds depending on weight, road conditions, etc.)
Another thing I heard was the stop speed was 10 mph in 1900 but that doesn't sound right.
Thanks. |
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Penman
Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4866
Location: Swindon, Wilts.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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Hi
Re Limits it depends on which country.
UK limit was raised from 14 to 20 in 1903.
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22791
Location: UK
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Cargy
Joined: 01 Aug 2014
Posts: 22
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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An 1899, £400 MMC / Daimler waggonette was sold for taxi work in Grimsby, England with speeds regulated, to four, six, eight and twelve miles per hour, i.e. likely fitted with a rare at the time 4-speed gearbox. The driver agreed with the town’s Hackney Carriage Committee not to exceed 6 mph. The taxi still managed to run down one of its own dismounting passengers on neighbouring Cleethorpes’ promenade that summer!
As an example of a real-world average speed limit reported in the press: on Christmas Day 1899, because no trains were running conveniently that day, half a ton of mail was delivered from Lincoln to villages as far off as New York near Coningsby, Lincolnshire at an average of 10mph using a similar Daimler Waggonette owned by motor-car agent Mr. C. H. Gilbert. |
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Writer1900
Joined: 09 Oct 2019
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Rick wrote: | Welcome to the forum. Which country in particular is relevant to your research, as that'll influence car(s) that would be available to buy, and also relevant speed limits - if any - that applied at the time?
RJ |
Thanks everyone for the replies!
When you say speed limits are you referring to the speed limit of the car itself, or a speed limit law? From the little I know, there weren't any speed limit laws in (San Francisco area) in 1900.
I'm confused about the level of technology as I've seen the Steamer of that year could run at 35 MPH, while others of that year could only go as fast as 10 MPH.
This is actually for a work of fiction, so any model car from any country applies but it takes place in the U.S. The character is richer than snot so money is no obstacle to what he wants.
However, the cars I'm currently working with are the Daimler Phoenix, https://mercedes-benz-publicarchive.com/marsClassic/instance/ko.xhtml?grp=DEFAULT_TEXT_GR&oid=5982#toRelation and the Wolseley.
Off topic, I still do need to come up with a list of 8 other cars in production in 1900.
I do have two reference books: Complete Encyclopedia of motorcars 1885 to present. And Complete Encyclopedia of vtage cars 1886 to 1940. Too bad they are not organized by years.
P.S. I'm in California, and may disappear for up to 8 days because of the blackouts. (Sorry, that's why this feels rushed.) |
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Rick
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Location: UK
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008
Posts: 1210
Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 7:09 am Post subject: |
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Setting the story in the year 1900 does limit choice a bit. I have not checked a list but I would think that electric and steam would be the most prevalent form of propulsion. Internal Combustion engined cars were around but at that time in America, they were not yet generally accepted. Bear in mind too that to own a car at that time meant that one had plenty of money to 'waste' on big boys toys. It was not for another 5 or so years before prices became more stabilised and still another 5 or so years later before even a well-heeled ordinary worker could even contemplate ownership.
Here is a link to a list of US car manufacturers that might be of help- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_defunct_automobile_manufacturers_of_the_United_States
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Rick
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mikeC
Joined: 31 Jul 2009
Posts: 1809
Location: Market Warsop, Nottinghamshire
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 8:37 am Post subject: |
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Duryea is generally acknowledged as the first successful American car manufacturer:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duryea_Motor_Wagon_Company
and they didn't produce vehicles in any great number before 1902; as others have said, setting the scene in 1900 is a little bit too early for American motoring. At that time speed wasn't really the issue - whether you reached your destination was far more significant!
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V8 Nutter
Joined: 27 Aug 2012
Posts: 602
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:54 am Post subject: |
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The Stanley Steamer was probably the fastest American car at that time. In 1901 the Curved Dash Oldsmobile was probably the most popular American car, they made 450 that year, in 1902 it was 2,500, it's top speed was claimed to 25 m.p.h. Cars like the Winton were probably faster.
In 1902 The Oldsmobile Pirate race car, and a Winton race car, competed against each other. The result was a dead heat at 57 m.p.h. |
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008
Posts: 1210
Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 7:26 am Post subject: |
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After writing yesterday, I thought of another thing that would be necessary to bear in mind to make the tale authentic. Apart from the worry of horses on the road, there was another inhibiting factor. The roads themselves. There would have been no roads that were built for 'gas buggies' they were built for horses and horse-drawn vehicles. They were, most of the time, extremely rough so even if your vehicle had the capability of 25 mph, you would have difficulty finding a road on which to drive at that pace, and 10 mph would often be too fast. Speed records- even the modest ones of 1900 were set on either carefully prepared track or on smooth hard beach sand..
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Ray White
Joined: 02 Dec 2014
Posts: 7143
Location: Derby
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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Has no one mentioned "La Jamais contente"???
Belgian Camile Jenatzy was the first to achieve 100KMPH (62mph) in 1899.
He was nicknamed 'the Red Devil" - colour of his beard!
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MVPeters
Joined: 28 Aug 2008
Posts: 822
Location: Northern MA, USA
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2019 11:47 pm Post subject: |
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| roverdriver wrote: | | After writing yesterday, I thought of another thing that would be necessary to bear in mind to make the tale authentic. Apart from the worry of horses on the road, there was another inhibiting factor. The roads themselves. There would have been no roads that were built for 'gas buggies' they were built for horses and horse-drawn vehicles. They were, most of the time, extremely rough so even if your vehicle had the capability of 25 mph, you would have difficulty finding a road on which to drive at that pace, and 10 mph would often be too fast. Speed records- even the modest ones of 1900 were set on either carefully prepared track or on smooth hard beach sand.. |
You might consider that the primary method of transit in towns & cities in the early 1900's was the trolley car or tram. Streetcar companies were often required to 'pave' either side of the tracks, mainly to prevent horses tripping on the otherwise exposed rails. Paving was usually brick or wood-blocks. They were also often required to keep the area clear of snow (at no cost to the town!).
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roverdriver
Joined: 18 Oct 2008
Posts: 1210
Location: 100 miles from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 6:42 am Post subject: |
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A good point Mike. I can imagine a pioneer motorist be fully aware of where street railways were laid in his town to take full advantage of the narrow smooth sections of roadway
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alastairq
Joined: 14 Oct 2016
Posts: 2122
Location: East Yorkshire
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | They were also often required to keep the area clear of snow (at no cost to the town!). |
https://www.tramway.co.uk/trams/london-county-council-no-106/
or even
Now, there's a broom-and-a-half?
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