Think about the last time you bought a car or were considering buying a car. What features did you pay the most attention to? Most of us are concerned with the paint color, body style, interior luxuries and safety features. However, buying a car 100 years ago was very different. Drivers were not as concerned with those aspects of design. They were more interested in one thing, what powered the vehicle.
There were three options: gas, steam and electricity
Steam
Some cars needed a blowtorch to spark igniter fuel under the hood so water in the tank could heat up and the steam could power the vehicle. If you bought this option, you’d need to make sure you had at least 45 minutes to kill.
Electric
This was the easier option, but remember not every household had the electricity needed to charge a vehicle in the early 1900s. Electrically powered vehicles could also only drive for about 30 miles. Today, that’s longer than the average person’s commute to work.
Gas
Nowadays we slide the key into the ignition, turn it, and the car comes to life. A hundred years ago, to start a gas car, the driver had to turn a crank in the front and use a lot of muscle grease to get it going.
History shows us gas was the most sought after option until newer technology was implemented, morphing these cars of yesteryear into the vehicles we see on the road today.
If you have any questions, visit Barbour-Hendrick Honda Greenville. We service vehicles in Greenville, New Bern, Wilson, Goldsboro, and Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
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