1910 Fiat Tipo 1
But we want to tell you a little about the joys of driving at that time. Just look at the spare tire. This represented a further development of the pneumatic tire, which here rests in an iron rim. No, the entire rim was not removable,
but at least the rim base could be remounted.
This required more strength and effort than we know today, but in the past the entire pneumatic tire had to be removed from the rim, which even experienced mechanics needed a lot of strength and instructions to do. It's
surprising that there was only one spare wheel, as more than one flat tire was to be expected after around 100 km.
Bad roads and horses that liked to lose their hoof nails. Incidentally, their coachmen were often not attentive and the horses shied away when a motor vehicle overtook them, which often led to accidents. Slightly longer
distances were traveled by train, and by car almost only when driving to the manufacturer for repairs or, for example, installing a more modern ignition system.
As you can see, it didn't work not really without a chauffeur. Just starting the engine is too dangerous, and even for experienced drivers it often ends in a broken arm. The lamps, still rarely electric, needed to be sufficiently
filled with carbide. Just look at the complex installation at the rear. An existing battery had to be charged regularly in the house.
| Clutch (slightly defective?), accelerator pedal, foot brake |
The central lubrication had to be operated every few kilometers. It could be shifted when the gearbox just allowed it. The ignition also had to be adjusted with the gas. In Italy, until the 1920s, the driver sat on the right because
of left-hand traffic. He only had braking effect on the rear axle. Try this with your handbrake in a safe place.
There is no question of tightness against rain at all. You then somehow sat wrapped in rubber blankets, the driver often completely exposed to the weather, and of course all the passengers, and even in possible low
temperatures. Even the coolant had to be drained overnight. Have we forgotten anything else? Certainly.
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