C C / r I I HI [Krai THE CAR OF 1911 THE LOCOMOBILE Round the World in a Locomobile. Crossing Hamana Bay, Japan, in a ferry consisting of two sail boats lashed together THE CAR OF 1911 BEING THE LATEST EDITION OF THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK, WHICH ILLUSTRATES AND DESCRIBES 1911 LOCOMOBILE MODELS AND SETS FORTH BY WORD AND PICTURE THE MANY AND VARIED ADVANTAGES OF THE LOCOMOBILE CAR PUBLISHED BY THE ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT OF THE LOCOMOBILE COMPANY OF AMERICA BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT BRANCHES NEW YORK. BOSTON PHILADELPHIA WASHINGTON CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO COPYRIGHTED IN BY THE LOCOMOBILE COMPANY OF AMERICA i PREFACE Although presented in book form for convenient reading, this publication is essentially a catalogue of motor cars. It is arranged by chapters, indexed and illustrated. There are two Locomobile models. The "30" Type "L", $3500. Four Cylinders, Four Speeds. Described in Chapter Two. The "48" Type "M", $4800. Six Cylinders, Four Speeds. Described in Chapter Three. Both models are equipped with Shaft- Drive, High -Tension Dual Ignition and the latest types of four -door bodies they are the result of twelve years' experience in manufacturing automobiles. 803799 HE LOCOMOBILE BOOK. CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE. Reasons for Selecting a Locomobile. Its Safety. Engineering Features. Built in the Locomobile Factory. Materials. Workmanship. Thorough System of Testing. Power. Comfort. Quietness. Economy. Record. The Locomobile Organization. Pages 13 to 42. CHAPTER Two. The "jo" Locomobile, Type "L" Shaft-Drive, Four Cylinders. General description and advantages of this car. Various models with illustrations : The Touring Car, Baby Tonneau, Torpedo, Limousine, and Landaulet. Specifications. Pages 43 to 66. CHAPTER THREE. The " 48 " Locomobile, Type " M ", Shaft- Drive, Six Cylinders. General description and advantages. Various models with illustrations : The Touring Car, Torpedo, Limousine, and Landaulet. Specifications. Pages 67 to 78. CHAPTER FOUR. Round the World in a Locomobile. Describ- ing a remarkable trip in a car through Europe, Asia and America. Pages 79 to 96. CHAPTER FIVE. The Locomobile used in Important Service. Emphasizing the strength and durability of the Standard Locomobile Chassis. Pages 97 to no. CHAPTER Six. Endorsements of the Locomobile. Convincing letters of testimony from Locomobile owners. Pages in to 136. THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK CHAPTER SEVEN. The Locomobile Plant. A description of our factory and manufacturing methods. Pages 137 to 1 50. CHAPTER EIGHT. The Locomobile Organization. Its Strength, Unity and Experience. System of Branch Houses and Dealers, and Facilities for taking care of Owners. Pages 151 to 158. CHAPTER NINE. The Locomobile Motor. Its Design and Construction, fully described and illustrated. Pages 159 to 1 80. CHAPTER TEN. Cooling System. Pages 181 to 186. CHAPTER ELEVEN. The Locomobile Four-Speed Transmission. Pages 187 to 198. CHAPTER TWELVE. Locomobile Rear Axle and Shaft-Drive System. Pages 199 to 210. CHAPTER THIRTEEN. Chassis Construction. Fully described and illustrated. Pages 212 to 226. CHAPTER FOURTEEN. Control Devices. Pages 227 to 232. CHAPTER FIFTEEN. Miscellaneous Information for Motorists. State Laws. Horse-Power. Automobile Organizations. Route Books for American Touring. American Autjp- mobile Maps. Foreign Route Books and Maps. Foreign Touring. Insurance. Pages 233 to 250. APPENDIX. What is the Life of a Car? Herbert L. Towle, and reprinted from Harper's Weekly. Pages 251 to 253. STANDARD WARRANTY. Page 254. CHAPTER ONE f LOCOMOBILE 3.OOK CHAPTER ONE It is appreciated today more widely than ever that the modern motor car is essentially a machine. There is no longer any mystery about the automobile, and although the pleasure derived from its use casts a charm over it and makes it seem different from other machinery, it nevertheless exists as a twentieth century utility along with the electric locomotive and turbine steamboat. Like these, it is more than an ordinary machine it is a combination of machines, constantly subjected to the shocks induced by travel, and must therefore be particularly well built in order to prove safe and satisfactory from year to year. Every company engaged in manufacturing, milling, printing, or in any business requiring the use of machinery, realizes the necessity of purchasing the best obtainable, because it is the cheapest in the end. In fact, most machinery is of the most durable sort possible to build. The railroad does not attempt to secure low-priced engines; on the contrary, purchases the finest product available in order that trains may be hauled quickly, safely, and at a low maintenance cost. All machine tools, printing presses, and similar machines are invariably of the highest type, because HE LOG O MOB I L E BOOK companies who operate them cannot afford to 'p'lirchase anything else. The automobile is probably the most highly specialized of all modern machines. If this were not so we should have had automobiles seventy- five years ago, as we did locomotives. Consequently, if it pays the manufacturer to buy the best machinery he can get, it pays the purchaser of the automobile even better to select the safest and most durable car on the market. During the past few years the automobile industry has witnessed the introduction of a large number of new makes, mostly low in price. These cars have been bought by thousands of people in all sections of the country. Many automobilists, however, who have purchased low-priced cars are now ordering the best automobiles that are produced, and many other automobilists are buying second-hand cars of high reputation in preference to further investment in cheap new cars. The Locomobile for 1911 is offered as the safest and most durable machine that our twelve years' experience in building cars has enabled us to produce. It is a car of the soundest engineering principles, built throughout in the Locomobile factory of the finest material, put together with the greatest care, and thoroughly tested in every particular. The Locomobile is so strong and so safe that it is sure to prove the 16 H L O C O M O B BOO most reliable car and the cheapest in the end. It represents the utmost possible combination of strength and refinement, resulting in a safe vehicle with unlimited comfort and endurance. The possession of such a car, together with the benefits to be derived from doing business with a long experienced and well established organization, insures lasting satisfaction the best there is in automobiling. We offer for 1911 two models of proven excellence, together with the fullest measure of co-operation with owners. THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK REASONS FOR SELECTING THE LOCOMOBILE High Factor of Safety. Undoubtedly the most important reason for selecting the Locomobile is its safe construction. The greatest charm of automobiling is found in the visits to remote places where the roads are rough and the conditions severe; the Locomobile owner drives his car everywhere he wishes, with a feeling of absolute safety at all times, and his confi- dence in the car grows stronger every year he drives it. It is not difficult to make a car that will stand the tests of mild motoring for a time, but it takes experience and skill to make a car that is so safe that it never fails when the unexpected emergency happens. Locomobile owners trust the Locomobile car because of the high factor of safety in design, the surplus strength that prevents breakage, and consequent accident. An example of this care is shown in the wheels, which are made of the toughest second growth hickory, and so firmly fastened to the axles that they cannot come off. The spokes are very heavy and there are twelve of them in the front wheels, two more than in ordinary cars. Locomobile brakes are powerful, substantially built and operated by strong, safe mechanism ; Locomobile axles are designed and built in our works and are the strongest THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK possible to build; the Locomobile is the only shaft- driven car that uses alloy steel in the rear axle tubes; the quality of steel in the front axle is so tough that it can be bent double cold without seam or check. The safety of the Locomobile steering apparatus is a matter on which we wish to lay great stress, as the character of the control mechanism of a car is of the utmost importance to the owner. All parts of the Locomobile steering gear are exceedingly large and strong, are carefully made of the very best material obtainable, and are secured in the most substantial manner possible. The result of all these precautions, year after year, has given the Locomobile the highest reputation for safety. // is a permanently safe car under all conditions of road travel. Attractive Features in Design. Our first gasolene machine was the first American car with a four-cylinder vertical water-cooled motor, steel frame, and sliding- gear transmission. The Locomobile design today is in the hands of the same men who produced the first gasolene Locomobile; consequently our car has enjoyed a satisfactory and rational development from a sound basic design, scientifically correct in every detail. The 1911 Locomobile is fully abreast of the times ; is designed in accordance with the latest approved ideas, yet contains no feature that has not been demonstrated to be permanently valuable. '9 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK The following features indicate the desirability of the Locomobile from an engineering standpoint : 1 . High-tension dual ignition. The best imported apparatus. 2. Bronze motor base. This is an important exclusive feature of the Locomobile, giving maximum life to the motor. Made in one piece for simplicity. 3. " T" head motor. Admission and exhaust valves located on opposite sides. This is the best type of motor for reliability. 4. Moderate length of motor stroke. This insures the longest life to the bevel-driving gears, power being obtained by increased shaft speed instead of by high torque. 5. Adequate cooling system. This is obtained by the use of large areas. Exceedingly efficient and reliable. 6 . Metal timing gears instead of fibre. 7. Low center of gravity combined with ample clearance for American roads insuring safety. 8. Special arrangement of motor valve lifters. This produces quietness, and obviates the use of fibre discs, which quickly wear and need renewing. 9. Automatic carbureter. This is our own design and the result of years of experience. Durable bronze construction. Perfectly automatic in action. 10. Wide use of anti-friction bearings. Imported annular bearings are used practically throughout the car. The " 30 " Locomobile Touring Car, Type " L ", Four- Cylinder, Shaft-Drive THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK 1 1 . Perfect balance. By this is meant the uniform strength of the parts, the harmonious adjustment of the various components and the careful distribution of weight. These result in a car that is a mechanical unit very durable, steady riding, and easy on tires. 12. Four-speed selective transmission. This enables the car to be operated to the best advantage and makes gear shifting easy and certain. 1 3 . Manganese bronze transmission case. The great strength of manganese bronze insures perfect alignment of the gears and bearings, and consequent long life to the mechanism. 14. Liberal differential gear design. The Loco- mobile differential gear is notable for the ample size of the gears and other parts in proportion to the size of the motor, everything being made of the best possible material. As a result there is no replacing of parts, no binding or cramping under any conditions no trouble whatever. 15. Exceedingly high factor of safety. This insures ample strength of the steering mechanism, wheels, axles, and brakes and other parts which are of great importance as regards safety. 1 6. Attractive propeller shaft details. The Loco- mobile driving shaft is alloy steel and provided with a universal joint at each end. The forward joint is of the yoke variety and the construction is such that the THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK shaft is locked in place under all conditions an important advantage. 17. Rear axle acts as a beam only. In most cars there is great torsional stress on the rear axle. In the Locomobile the spring chairs have a lubricated bearing on the rear axle and similarly with the rear ends of the distance rods to which the brakes are attached. As a result, all action of the brakes and springs, and all driving and other stresses, are properly transmitted without any twisting action on the rear axle. 1 8. No brazing in rear axle construction. A very strong advantage of the Locomobile. It is interesting to note that the strength of a brazed joint is uncertain, and for this reason the number of brazed joints in the Locomobile is reduced absolutely to a minimum. 19. Thorough lubrication system. At thirty places on the chassis where oiling is necessary, dirty oil holes are eliminated and clean and easily operated grease cups are substituted. 20. Large tire sizes. The Locomobile has always been provided with tires a little larger than necessary and this advantage is, of course, assured in the 1 9% i models, which are also provided with demountable rims. The Locomobile is Built in the Locomobile Factory. All motor cars are of two classes built cars and assembled cars. Most automobiles are of the second variety, The parts of the " 30 " Locomobile 26 HE LOCOMOBILE BOO The number of parts and pieces in the modern automobile is very great, nearly six thousand in all. This is because the motor car is a complicated structure, in reality a combination of machines. The illustration on the opposite page shows practically all the parts entering into the construction of the "30" Locomobile chassis. Any car, whether four or six - cylinder, whether low in price or not, contains about the same number of parts. In the high grade automobile, like the Locomobile, each one of these parts is made from carefully selected material, machined and finished with greatest care, and the closest attention is paid to the important inspection and testing processes so necessary to safety and durability. THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK assembled by the company from ready-made parts purchased from the part-maker's stock. The other variety comprises those cars that are largely built in the company's factory and which contain a motor, transmission, and chassis, aggregating thousands of separate pieces, all of which the maker has designed and made on his various machines. It should be evident that this is the only way in which the ideal automobile can be produced, for the reason that the design and construction of the car must be carried on under the same roof, as both are of equal importance. Any car may have attractive features that sound well, yet the car may fail if hastily designed or improperly built. And between the assembling firm and the parts maker there can only be an approximately close connection. A car built from start to finish by one organization may cost more to build than one composed of parts which are produced by the thousand for the trade, but it is better unified, better in every respect at the outset, and will certainly outlast several cars of the assembled variety. High Character of Materials. From the time, years ago, when the first Locomobile touring car appeared on the market, it has been distinguished by the uniformity and superiority of its metals. Special formula bronze is employed in three parts of the car; the crank case of the motor, the transmission case, and the housing THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK containing the steering gears. The use of bronze at these points increases the cost of the car over and above what aluminum would cost, but as no casting material has ever been found which has the strength of bronze and which can be so successfully cast in intricate shape and light section, this material has been deliberately chosen in order to insure the safety and maximum life of the machine. Aluminum is only used on the Locomobile where it can be employed safely and where weight can be reduced as a consequence. The steels used in the construction of the Loco- mobile are the most expensive obtainable and are the most suitable in every case for the purpose intended. Steel selected for a particular part is subjected to heat treatment, in a splendidly equipped factory department, so as to bring it to the exact degree of hardness or toughness which may be most desirable under the circumstances. As to quality, it may be stated for example, the spring steel for automobile springs may be purchased as low as eight cents a pound ; Loco- mobile spring steel costs twenty-eight cents a pound and is the best and toughest that can be obtained. The matter does not end, however, with the selection of stock, as rigid care and exceptional facilities must be applied to the handling of modern alloy steels which are complicated in structure and which may be spoiled in the working if treated THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK unskillfully or with insufficient apparatus. For six or seven years we have maintained one of the most up-to-date heat-treating and annealing establishments in New England, and every piece of steel used in the Locomobile is subjected to heat treatment right in the Locomobile shops; thus Locomobile metal is not only the best obtainable but it is intelligently and correctly handled, so as to get the best results from the raw material. The third important point refers to the physical and chemical tests of the materials used. Every lot of material entering into the construction of the car is subjected to a complete chemical analysis and thorough physical test in order that the high quality of Locomobile material may be maintained permanently. High Order of Workmanship. Our car has always been known as a very carefully built and substantial automobile. One of our recent customers told us that a short time ago he was visiting one of the largest, if not the largest, French automobile factories, in company with a friend, and saw there several American cars representing the best makes of this country. On inquiry it was found that the maker was designing part of his product especially for American travel and was examining the best American cars to get "pointers". When discussing the various makes, this French builder stated that the Locomobile was the THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK best built machine in the lot. Such incidents have led us to believe that the phrase "The Best Built Car in America " is amply justified. Every automobile, whether it is a small or a large car, is composed of thousands of separate pieces, and the number of nuts and bolts holding these pieces together is necessarily enormous. In the Locomobile every nut and the end of every bolt is hardened. Double lock nuts and cotter pins are used throughout so as to secure each part permanently. The Locomobile is composed largely of forgings, which are produced complete in the Locomobile works ; even the dies from which the forgings are made, are sunk by experts in our employ. Every forging and, in fact, every casting is subjected to the acid test, to the action of the sand blast, and in addition to this, every forging is heat-treated. All gear wheels are produced in the Locomobile works from start to finish. In every department the highest character of machine practice is followed, with the result that the car is a homogene- ous unit composed of perfectly built components. Thorough System of Testing. All Locomobile parts are made in the Locomobile factory and subjected to a critical inspection every forging, every nut, bolt and screw, every part, large or small, is carefully examined before it is used. Some parts, like the crank shaft, are inspected after each operation. The principal THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK components of the car carbureter, magneto, motor, transmission, steering column, rear axle, etc. are tested separately ; consequently, when the car is completed it is composed of tested units. Each car is given a severe road test during which it is tuned up and adjusted until it fulfills a long list of strict requirements. After the car is painted and equipped and ready for delivery, it is given a final inspection and road test to make sure that everything is in perfect order for the customer. All these testing processes are exceedingly expensive and are consequently not applied to the cheaper makes of cars, but it is not possible to produce a truly high class car, a safe, substantial machine like the Locomobile, unless every precaution is taken at each stage of manufacture. From the moment when the first operation is started on the first part of the Locomobile, until the completed car is ready for delivery, the manifold processes are watched and checked. The result is a perfect machine, or as nearly perfect as it is possible to make. "The Locomobile is Permanently Powerful. Purchasers* frequently infer that because a car may make a satis- factory demonstration, that it will do so every day. They are also led to believe that the mere dimensions of a motor must necessarily mean satisfactory power for hill climbing and general service, whereas it is only THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK in the high class car that the power of the motor is high for its dimensions, and it is only in a car of the highest type, such as the Locomobile, that the power of the motor remains constant and does not diminish after the car has been run a few months. The Locomobile is widely known as a machine that will accomplish the work every day that it is required to do, and that will perform with the same satisfaction at the end of a year's hard service as it did at the outset. The power of a motor car and its generally satis- factory performance result as much from proper co-ordination of the parts as anything else. A large motor may not develop the power it should, or it may suffer loss in road performance through a poor transmission design which absorbs power and cuts down speed, or else the chassis may lack balance, in which case the faulty distribution of weight makes the car skid before the full power of the motor can be utilized. Further than this, the riding qualities of the car may be such that the full power of the motor cannot be utilized for speed and hill climbing with either safety or comfort. The " 30 " Locomobile, for example, with its four-cylinder motor of 4^ -inch bore, will not merely operate consistently, but will give better road performance than many cars with larger engines, and with greater economy and greater comfort. 33 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK Comfort. The automobile, by reason of its con- venience and adaptability, is more popular than any other means of transportation, and many of our owners use their cars whenever possible in preference to traveling by rail. In these days of long motor trips the matter \of comfort is becoming increasingly important, and the only way to enjoy luxury of travel is to possess. a car that is reliable, absolutely safe, and that rides very easily and steadily. If the car is deficient in any of these particulars, there is bound to be mental or physical discomfort, or both, which may be very unpleasant on a long trip. One reason why the Locomobile rides so well is that it has a sufficient amount of weight, yet not so much as to be hard on tires. The heavy Pullman rides easier than the day coach, and the heaviest and largest ocean liners are the most comfortable vessels possible. True com- fort cannot be realized by riding in a light car. Another feature of the Locomobile is the proper distribution of weight, which produces steadiness and eliminates any tendency towards skidding or side sway when traveling at speed. The spring suspension, design of body, the shape of the cushions and their deep luxurious springs, and all of the matters which have to do with comfort, have been worked out in the Locomobile to the fulldst particular. It is a permanently comfortable car under all conditions of road travel. 34 The " 48 " Locomobile Touring Car, Type " M ", Six-Cylinder, Shaft-Drive THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK Quietness. Silence of operation is a feature of the automobile that is increasingly important. For many years the Locomobile was a chain -driven car entirely, on account of the greater reliability at that time of this particular system of final drive. Years of careful experiment enabled us to produce a shaft- driven car possessing the same reliability as our chain -driven product, with the result that all Locomobiles for 1911 are provided with shaft-drive. They are quiet cars and will continue so. The matter of permanent quietness is of great importance and the average purchaser believes that if a car is quiet at the outset, it is destined to remain so, whereas most cars have fibre gears that are not so durable as metal gears and which conse- quently wear and become noisy. The Locomobile is provided with metal gears precisely machined. Exceptional care is employed in the construction of the valve system in order to insure quietness at this point. A special arrangement of the valve lifters makes them very quiet, and without using fibre discs, which need frequent renewing. A very thorough system of lubrication enables the operator of the Locomobile to keep all wearing parts adequately lubricated by means of grease cups, in a very convenient manner, with the result that squeaking and rattling may be entirely avoided with moderate care in maintenance. The Locomobiles for 1911 are the 37 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK quietest models we have ever produced and our effort has been to make them as permanently quiet as possible. Economy of the Locomobile. True automobile econ- omy means more than a saving in oil and gasolene over some other car, and to this the experienced automobilist will readily attest. Our claims for economy are based particularly on the fundamental merits of the Locomobile; it is an economical car to maintain because the parts do not break or wear out. Economy in tire replacement is effected by equipping our cars with tires which are large enough to do the work every day without being overloaded and are larger than required by the tire makers to carry our load. Tires frequently wear out before their time because the rubber is subjected to too much pressure ; also because of defective steering wheel design the front wheels do not run true and the tires are ground down; also because of poor balance or faulty differential design there is too much skidding at the rear and consequent wearing down of the tires of the driving wheels. The Locomobile is economical in oil and gasolene on account of its correct construction, which reduces friction and saves power. We claim economy of time in maintaining the Locomobile because of the small need for adjustment and tinkering. If a few simple rules are followed, the THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK Locomobile can be driven for thousands of miles without other attention than to fill the tanks and tp keep the wearing parts properly lubricated, arrange- ments being such that this is easily and conveniently accomplished. The greatest bugbear in the mind of the automo- bilist is depreciation, and this is something that is inseparable from economy. Rapid depreciation of paint, upholstery, and tires calls for needless outlay; rapid wearing of parts means inevitable expense in replacing such parts long before it is necessary. In the things that count the most, in the details that produce longest life and least wear, the Locomobile is the supreme American machine. Record of the Locomobile. In the early days our car was conspicuous for its performance in racing and endurance contests, but we soon found that the expense and time incidental to such competitions was out of all proportion to the benefits received. In recent years we have directed our entire energy to the betterment of our product and to the perfecting of our organization, and to giving the best possible service to customers. We believe that the performances of the Locomobile in public competitions have been so striking as to leave no doubt in the minds of the public as to the excellence of our product. It will be recalled that the Locomobile was the first American car to win 39 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK the International Race for the Vanderbilt Cup, and during this race the Locomobile made the fastest time accomplished in this contest for six years. Our pride, however, lies chiefly in the record of the Locomobile in the hands of our owners. One of our cars has made a trip around the world at a cost for repairs and replacements of less than the cost of an inner tube, without disturbing the motor, transmission, frame, brakes, cooling system or other parts of the car. Such a performance made without any factory assistance whatsoever, and by a party unafHliated in any way with our organization, is a complete proof of the excellence of the Locomobile. A later chapter of this book containing a large number of endorsements of the Locomobile doubtless will give a better idea of the record of our car than anything else. The published record of performances of a car in public competitions, owned by the maker, and driven by his own men, may be exceedingly valuable and impressive, but the record of a car in the hands of the owner is thejina/ test. The Locomobile Organization. In purchasing an automobile it is important that a good car be selected which is actually built by the makers ; the owner thus obtains a machine built precisely and carefully, in which the maker has a keen and continued interest. It is important to select a good car; it is equally H LOG MOB BOOK important to consider the character of the organization producing it its experience, and reputation for taking care of its customers. The Locomobile organization is composed of men who have been associated with it since its foundation. Practically all department heads of the Locomobile Company have been with the organization since its foundation. It is inevitable that a car produced under such favorable conditions will be a good car and will continue to be a good car, and that the service accorded to the customer will be good service and will continue to be good service. In buying any article of importance the purchaser always prefers to consider first, some company with a reputation for fair dealing; and if this is ordinarily a desirable thing, it is vastly more so in connection with the purchase of an automobile, as from the very nature of its use, and the utility character of the car, the customer and man- ufacturer are bound to be closely associated with each other. We believe that Locomo- bile service is as important and as sat- isfactory as the Loco- mobile. 4 CHAPTER TWO MODEL L" CAR HE LOCOMOBILE BOOK CHAPTER TWO THE "30" LOCOMOBILE, TYPE L". FOUR- CYLINDERS, SHAFT-DRIVE Many experienced motorists believe that the ideal automobile of the future will be moderate in size and power, but of the highest quality of material and workmanship. They consider the small car inadequate for hard daily service and too light to ride comfortably ; they regard the large car as the most luxurious type, though not the most convenient and economical for ordinary service. To such motorists the 1911 "30" Locomobile will make a strong appeal. It is a dependable car for all-round service, an ideal vehicle for the purchaser who desires neither a small car nor a large one, but who demands safety and freedom from trouble above all other considerations. The best features of both types are combined in the "30" Locomobile. It has every advantage of the small car: economy, facility of operation, and handi- ness for city use, as it can be turned without backing in a 35-foot street. The demountable tires are large, and the weight properly distributed, so that tire trouble 47 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK is practically eliminated and tire wear reduced to a minimum. The "30" has an abundance of power for all purposes, and is used with invariable success on protracted tours, both here and abroad. Each motor is required to develop 38 horse-power; the four-speed transmission enables the operator to select instantly the proper gear for any road condition. A wheel base of 1 20 inches, combined with an excellent spring suspension, large tires, and proper balancing of weight, produces a most comfortable car one that rides very easily and steadily at all speeds. It has sufficient weight to make it a luxurious automobile, yet it is not so heavy as to be hard on tires or fatiguing to drive. The "30" Locomobile runs quietly and smoothly, picks up rapidly, climbs all hills satisfac- torily, and is equipped with powerful brakes. All bodies for the 1911 "30" Locomobile are of the new four-door type, giving greater protection from dust and wind to the occupants of the two front seats. Open bodies are upholstered in the best wat^pr- grained hand-buffed leather. A folding and adjustable foot rest is provided, also a sliding coat rail made adjustable to suit the quantity of wraps to be carried. The equipment includes folding cape top of specially selected, durable waterproof cloth, with side curtains, front curtain LOCO MOB I BOOK SPECIFICATIONS OF THE "30" LOCOMOBILE TYPE "L" TOURING CAR MOTOR Four-cylinder. Bore, 4^ ". Stroke, 4 1^ ". Horse-power by A. L. A. M. Formula, 32$. CARBURETER Locomobile design and construction. Float feed, single jet type. FUEL SUPPLY 1 8 gallons, gravity feed. IGNITION High-tension, dual system, imported. COOLING Honeycomb radiator with gear-driven centrifugal pump. LUBRICATION Force feed from oiler through hollow crank shaft. OIL CAPACITY Engine oiler, .9 gallons. Extra oil tank, 1.3 gallons. TRANSMISSION Four- speed selective transmission with bronze gear case. CLUTCH Leather faced cone. DRIVE Propeller shaft-drive through bevel gears and live axles. FRAME Pressed alloy steel, heat-treated. SPRINGS Semi-elliptic, alloy steel. Front, 38" x \y". Rear, 48" x i^". AXLES Front, I-beam section. Rear, full floating type with alloy steel tubes and live axles. WHEELS Artillery type, 34" in diameter. MEASUREMENTS Wheel base, 1 20". Extreme width, 5' 5". Length, over all, top lowered, 1 4' 6". Extreme height, top raised, 7' 4". TIRES Demountable type. Front, 34" x 4 #. Rear, 34" x 4^". BODY Four-door Touring Car, seating five passengers. UPHOLSTERING Hand-buffed leather, tufted. FINISH Optional within reasonable limits. EQUIPMENT Close-coupled headlights with gas tank. Combination oil and electric side lamps and rear lamp. Storage battery, top, horn, jack, tool bag and kit of tools. Tire carrier, tire tools, tire pump, tire repair kit. Coat rail, foot rest, storm apron for front seat. PRICE $3500, including above equipment. THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK and cover, also storm apron for front seat. The customer is given his choice of colors, enabling him to have a car that is an expression of his own personal taste. The lamp equipment includes acetylene head- lights with gas tank, and combination oil and electric lamps at the sides and rear. Closed bodies are upholstered inside with the finest quality morocco leather or imported cloths of handsome pattern and delicate shading, finished off with rich laces, made to order specially to match the material. The front seats are upholstered in durable hand-buffed leather. The windows are of plate glass with silk curtains on spring rollers. The front division is composed of three glass frames and the wide center frame can be lowered. The side windows can be dropped when desired. An electric dome light with frosted glass is placed in the roof and operated by current from a storage battery. A speaking tube enables the owner of the car to give instructions to the driver. All inside fixtures are gun metal. A toilet set and other accessories are included in the equipment, all of the best quality and made to harmonize with the luxurious character of the car. Doors are wide, carefully swung, and open wide, affording ease of exit or entrance and are provided with locks so they can be fastened when car is left standing. The " 30 " touring chassis with heavier springs, carries the standard "30" limousine and landaulet bodies. s* s ' ' q o S, 3 57 2 Chief Edward F. Dahill, of the New Bedford, Mass., Fire Department, answering an inquiry, described the Locomobile chemical and hose cart first purchased by that city, as follows : We have only one piece of automobile fire apparatus at present, a combination of chemical and hose wagon that was built for us by the Locomobile Company of America, at Bridgeport, Conn. The city is so well pleased with the work of this one that we are at present trying to get the Locomobile Company to build us an auto engine for pumping water, to take the place of steam fire engines. The writer spent five years working iron and steel, and last October spent one week at the Locomobile plant to get instructed in regard to operating the auto chemical. I was so favorably impressed with the excellence of the materials used and the class of work at this factory, that I take pleasure in stating that I believe Locomobile construction to be equal to if not better than any other American car. Trusting the above covers your inquiry, I am, Yours truly, E. F. DAHILL, Chief Engineer. The satisfactory performance of this car has induced the New Bedford Fire Department to add a similar vehicle to its equipment. 105 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK A recent appreciation of the Locomobile is shown by the purchase of a standard " 30 " Roadster by Secretary of State Samuel S. Koenig, of New York, to be used for the examination of chauffeurs for licenses under the recent New York State law. Such service necessitates a car of standard up-to-date design and able to stand up to hard work every day. For a number of years Locomobile cars have been used with great success in City Department Service for very important work, as will be indicated by the following list : New York, Dock Department (three cars). New York, Board of Water Supply. New York, Finance Department (two cars). New York, Department Public Works. New York, Borough of Richmond. New York, Department of Gas and Electricity. Brooklyn Fire Department (two cars). Brooklyn Police Department (two cars). Baltimore, Md., Police Department, 4 patrol wagons. Baltimore, Md., Police Department, Marshall car. Chicago, 111., car for Capt. Richards, South Park Commissioner. Albany, N. Y., Mayor's car. Milwaukee, Wis., Board of Park Commissioners. 1 06 Fairmount Hotel, San Francisco The Locomobile cars used by this hotel for the service of guests Locomobiles being used by a forwarding company. Illustrates the strength of the Locomobile chassis THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK The first patrol wagon purchased by the city of Baltimore for use in the Police Department, was found to be so valuable that it enabled the department to dispose of three wagons and eight horses. The car was so efficient that the city ordered three more. The m record of this car is very clearly set forth in the following extracts from an address made by Marshal Farnan of the Baltimore Police Department at the Convention of the International Association of Police Chiefs: "It will comfortably carry 16 ,men, and in an emergency 21 can be crowded into it. It has been in service a year and in that time has not cost a cent for repairs and has not been out of service a day. Taking it, all in all, and counting its expeditious service, it has proven more satisfactory, more economical and more reliable than the horse-drawn wagons. In performing its services in the Central Station, and other stations to which it has been called in emer- gencies, it has covered 9000 miles over rough streets, up and down hills and upon all kinds of roads when necessary on 'hurry up' trips to the suburban sections. " On September 9th last, the second, a 30 horse- power, shaft-drive, was purchased and assigned for use at police headquarters. This last car has proved such a valuable addition to our equipment that I wonder how we got along without it. 109 H L O C O M O B I BOOK " Our department has recently purchased three additional patrol wagons which will be delivered next month and we will welcome their arrival, for they will still further add to our efficiency/' iio CHAPTER SIX ENDORSEMENT HE LOCOMOBILE BOO CHAPTER SIX ENDORSEMENTS A letter of endorsement is valuable only when it comes from some one who has used an article long enough to appreciate its permanent worth. GREENWICH, CONN., March 14, 1910 'The Locomobile Company of America Bridgeport, Conn. Gentlemen : Replying to your inquiry of the 1 5th ult., you are advised that fortunately I am the owner of a 1908 Model "E" Locomobile, No. 1769, purchased through Allen Asten Co., now Allen Brothers. Furthermore, I use it every day, rain or shine never have any trouble with it ; in fact, for my own use, I would not trade it for any car I know of. I intend sometime to get a larger car, but will not get rid of this one. Yours very truly, 113 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK ST. Louis, Mo., April 28, 1910 The Locomobile Company of America Bridgeport, Conn. Gentlemen: I had some correspondence with you last winter relative to a trip which I was about to make to Jamaica, and I believe I promised you some photographs. I spent a portion of January, February and March in Jamaica, and found it an ideal place for winter automobiling. The ships of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co., or the United Fruit Line Co., carry automobiles uncrated for $35.00 or $40.00, so that it is very easy to take a car from New York. In Jamaica there are some 2000 miles of roads of good surface. The island, however, is mountainous and a good car and a good driver are the essentials of safe automobiling. The climate is ideal and the scenery very beautiful. I enclose herewith a number of photographs which I took, all of which show the Locomobile. Aside from a little tire trouble, we had no difficulty of any sort with the Locomobile, and it continued to prove itself a perfect touring car. Although some of the grades are very severe (one hill, 7^ miles long, rising about 3500 feet), I think during our entire time on the Island we were not on first speed more than 1 5 minutes. We did most of the hill work^ on third speed, but where the mountain roads zigzagged it was necessary to take the curves on second speed. Yours truly, 114 COMOBILE BOO Readiness to run every day without trouble is the principal requirement of most owners. BROOKLYN, N. Y., February 25, 1910 The Locomobile Company of America j6th Street and Broadway New York Gentlemen: I am now getting ready for my third year with the little Type perpetual. Covered by regis- tration. One rear, 3 inches high ; IA., 2 inches high. Not supplied. Exempt. No State Law. No State Law. No State Law. Secretary of State at Augusta. $2, perpetual Chauffeur, $^ t perpetual. Front and rear, supplied by State. Exempt, if home State numbers front and rear are carried. Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, Baltimore. Fee, under 20 h.-p., $6 ; 20 to 40 h.-p., ji2 5 over 40 h.-p., $18. Operator's license required, $2. Two front and rear, furnished by State. Other tags to be re- moved. Must not swing. Exempt 7 consec- utive days under special permit. Enquire Commis- sioner of Motor Vehicle*. Mass. Highway Comm. Fee, less than 20 h.-p. (A.L.A.M. for- mula), $5; 20 to 30 h.-p., 10 ; 30 to 40 h.-p., 15; 40 to 50 h.-p., $20 i 50 h. -p. and over, 1*5- Driver's license required, $2. Front and rear, fur- nished by State. Exempt for any 10 days in the year, if carrying home State numbers. Summer residents may pay half the State fees for July, August and Sep- tember. Secretary of State at Lansing. 53* Chauffeur, 2, annual. Two, front and rear. Exempt. Secretary of State at St. Paul. Fee, $1.50, annual. Chauffeur only, $2 annual; $i for renewal. Front and rear, fur- nished by State. Remove others. Exempt. H L O C O M O B BOOK STATZ REGISTRATION LICENSE NUMBERS NON-RESIDENTS MISSISSIPPI MISSOURI . MONTANA . NEBRASKA . NEVADA . NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY . NEW YORK . (New 19 10 Law) NEW MEXICO . NORTH CAROLINA . No State Law. Secretary of State at Jefferson City. $1.50, perpetual. Chauffeurs, $2, perpetual. Front and rear ; front illuminated letters, 3 inches high; Mo., 2 inches high. White on black. Not supplied. Exempt 20 days. No State Law. Secretary of State at Lincoln. $i, annual. None required. Rear only ; letters 3 inches high 5 NEB., 2 inches high. Not sup- plied. Exempt. Secretary of State at Carson City. One rear seal ; must be displayed. Exempt. Secretary of State at Concord. Fee, $10. Chauffeur, $5. Owner, $i. Two, furnished by State. Exempt 10 days, conditionally. Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. Fee, 10 h.-p., $3; II to 29 h.-p., $5; 30 h.-p. and over, *IO. Driver' s license required, grad- uated according to h.-p., $2 and $4- Front and rear, fur- nished by State. Not exempt. Spe- cial license, good for 8 days, on payment of $i. Annually with Secretary of State at Albany. 25h.-p.(A.L.A. M.rating)orless, $5; *5 to 35 h.-p.,$io;35to 50 h.-p., 155 over 50 h.-p. **5- Chauffeur, $2. Examination re- quired. Owner may drive Rear, 3 inches high; N.Y. i inch high. Furnished by State. Illumination rear number impor- tant. Exempt, if prop- erly registered and home State reciprocates* No State Law. Secretary of State at Raleigh. Fee, $5. 2 number plates, 3 inches high; N.C.iinchhigh. Exempt. H L O C M O O K STATE REGISTRATION LICENSE NUMBERS NON-RESIDENTS NORTH DAKOTA OHIO . . . OKLAHOMA OREGON PENNSYLVANIA RHODE ISLAND SOUTH CAROLINA . . SOUTH DAKOTA TENNESSEE TEXAS . . . UTAH . . . No State provision Exempt. Secretary of State at Columbus. Fee, $5, annual. Chauffeur, $*, Annual, Jan. i. Front and rear, furnished by State. Exempt, when displaying home State numbers. No State Law. Secretary of State at Salem. $3* perpetual. None required. I rear, 3 inches high. Light on dark preceded by ORE. 3 inches high. Exempt. State Highway Department, Harrisburg. Fee, $5 under 20 h.-p. j 20 to 50 h.-p. 10; over 50 h.-p. $15 Driver's license required. $2, annually. 2 plates furnished by State. Other tags to be removed. Exempt, 10 days based on reci- procity. State Board of Public Roads, Auto Dept., at Providence. Fee, 5 to 20 h. -p. 5 ; 20 to 30 h.-p. $10; 30 to 40 h.-p. 15; 40 and over $25. Driver's license required. Fee,$i. Front and rear, fur- nished by State. Exempt, 10 days if home State laws are complied with. No State Law. Secretary of State at Pierre. Fee, $i. Rear, 3 inches high, S.D. 2 inches high. Exempt. Secretary of State at Nashville. Fee, $2, $i for filing. Not required. Front and rear, letters 3 inches high, I }4 inches wide. Not exempt. County Clerk. Fee, $0.50. One, 6 inches high, conspicu- ous. Not exempt. Secretary of State at Salt Lake City. Fee, $2. One rear plate, seal must be displayed. Exempt. 239 H LOCO MOB I K STATE REGISTRATION LICENSE NUMBERS NON-RESIDENTS VERMONT . . VIRGINIA . . WASHINGTON . W. VIRGINIA . WISCONSIN WYOMING . ONTARIO, CAN. QUEBEC, CAN. . NEW BRUNSWICK, CAN. . . . NOVA SCOTIA, CAN. . . . Secretary of State, Montpelier, $i per h. p., first registration ; 750. second reg- istration j 500. third. Driver's license. Fee, $2. All drivers. Front and rear, furnished by State. Exempt not ex- ceeding 10 days. Special arrange- ment for 60 days or less. Secretary of Com- monwealth, Richmond. Fee, ft, No driving license required. One, rear, sup- plied by State. Not exempt. Secretary of State, Olympia. Fee, $z annually. Rear, 4 inches high; WASH. same size. Exempt. Secretary of State at Charleston. Not required. Two numbers, plates supplied by State. Not expressly ex- empt. Secretary of State at Madison. Fee, $a, per- petual. Rear, 3 inches high with Wis. supplied by State. Exempt if comply- ing with home State law. No State Law. Provincial Secre- tary at Toronto. Fee, $4; $2 re- newal, annual. Chauffeur'slicense required. Fee, flfo Front and rear, furnished. Re- move other tags. Not exempt. Comptroller of Provincial Rev- enue, Quebec. Fee, $$. Ow ne r ' s and cha uff e u r * s license. $5, annual. April i. 4 inches high, I inch wide, front and rear. QUE. underneath. Non-resident Cana- dians only ex- empt. Secretary Public Works, Fred- ericton. Fee, $*. Chauffeur's, $2. Owner may drive. Rear, figures 3 inches high. N. B. one inch high, black on white, not sup- plied. Exempt. ^ Provincial Secre- tary at Halifax. Fee, $5- Chauffeur's, $z. Owner may drive. Rear, figures 3 inches high. N.S. i inch high, black on white. Exempt if comply- ing with home Province or State. 240 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK out at night, so extra care must be given to this when touring. Sound the horn when passing under bridges, culverts, or at dangerous points. Horse-power. The best known and most used formula for estimating the horse-power of an automobile motor is that known as the A. L. A. M. formula because of its adoption by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers. This formula is now used as a standard in a number of State laws. This formula is as follows : H.-P.=5^. D is diameter of the cylinder, N is the number of cylinders, and 2.5 is a constant. According to this formula the four-cylinder motor of the Type "L" "30" Locomobile develops 32$ H.-P., and the six-cylinder motor of the Type "M" "48" Locomobile develops 48} H.-P. Automobile Organizations. The largest organization in this country is the American Automobile Association, composed of thirty-six State associations and several hundred clubs. New members pay $5.00 a year dues, but are not required to pay any entrance fee. Member- ship is of value in connection with American and foreign touring, and other matters, details of which may be obtained from the secretary, Robert Bruce, 437 Fifth Avenue, New York. The Automobile Club of America maintains a Bureau of Tours, which offers information and assistance to tourists who are either members of the club or THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK members of the Bureau of Tours. The subscription fee, securing membership in the Bureau of Tours, amounts to $10.00 a year. Inquiries and applications should be addressed to the Secretary of the Bureau of Tours, Automobile Club of America, 54th Street, west of Broadway, New York. The Touring Club of America, Broadway and 76th Street, opposite the New York Branch of the Loco- mobile Company of America, makes a specialty of supplying touring information to members. Route Books for American "Touring. The "Blue Book" is a standard publication issued for the convenience of automobile tourists, and is the official tour book of the American Automobile Association. Published by the Class Journal Company, 23 1 West 39th Street, New York. It is issued in four parts as follows : Vol. i. New York State and Lower Canada. Vol. 2. New England. Vol. 3. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia and South-Eastern States. Vol. 4. Middle Western States. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wiscon- sin, Kentucky, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. These books are illustrated with maps. Price is $2.50 a volume; special rates to members of the A. A. A. 242 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK The tour book of the Automobile Club of America is a good publication, containing American touring routes, and miscellaneous information on foreign touring, etc. This book is free to the members of the Bureau of Tours ; the price is $3.00 to the general public. American Automobile Maps. "Pilot" maps of the New England and Hudson River districts contain 103 sectional plates, and are published by the Automobile Blue Book Publishing Co., New York and Chicago. Large maps published by the A. C. A. are on sale at the Bureau of Tours, New York. C. S. Mendenhall, 512 Race St., Cincinnati, Ohio, publishes twenty State automobile maps, and issues a printed folder describing same, which will be sent on request. Road maps of a number of the far Western States such as Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico and Montana, are published by Clason. Consult your bookseller. Other maps are Servoss's sectional maps ; Blanchard's Pilot maps of New England ; Walker's Adirondack and Canadian districts, etc. Brentano, New York, publishes a cata- logue referring to automobile maps. The topographical maps of the United States Geological Survey are exceedingly interesting to those who are familiar with contour maps. They are useful in exploring a limited area, because they give so much accurate and detailed information. Address the 243 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK Director, U. S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C., and he will furnish advertising matter regarding them. Foreign Route Books and Maps. Publications for the benefit of foreign touring are many in number. Brentano, Fifth Avenue, New York, publishes a cata- logue of such publications, and this may be consulted to advantage. Bartholomew's Strip Maps of England are well regarded by those who have used them, and in Paris the Routes Taride are excellent. They are also published for Italy and Switzerland. The Carte Routiere Dion-Bouton is a very good general road map of France. Mittelbach's road maps of Germany and Austria are similarly well known. Good hand books are published by the Michelin and Continental tire companies, and are easily obtain- able. The automobile clubs of France, Italy and Switzerland publish excellent guide books, and member- ship in these clubs will enable the tourist to secure copies of these books. "Le Guide Taride" is a guide book that is regarded as excellent for touring in France. Foreign Touring. The following suggestions ^will be found useful : i . The tour should be planned in advance. This will be facilitated by reading up on the subject. There are a number of entertaining books about foreign automobile travel, among which are "Motoring Abroad", by Presbrey; "English Highways and Byways 244 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK from a Motor Car", by Murphy; "The Automobilist Abroad", by Miltoun; "High Roads of the Alps", by C. L. Freeston, and others. Consult your bookseller. 2. Shipment of the car may be placed in the hands of some reliable customs house broker in New York, or wherever the point of departure may be. He can take care of many details, including the crate, which should be of the "knocked down" variety, and ordinarily costs from $40.00 to $65.00 ; also pay the ocean freight and other charges, all for a lump sum. The rates for ocean freight are cheap from Boston and Philadelphia. All charges, including freight (ocean), boxing, dock charges, and customs charges, from New York to Liverpool, amount to about $108.00. 3. The owner's car must be registered at the Custom House in New York, or other point of depar- ture, to obtain outward bound clearance, and before returning to America the owner must obtain from the American Consul at the point of departure, an inward bound clearance, and a declaration must be made before the consul that the car was exported from America. If the car is shipped through a customs broker, as in No. 2, this trouble is obviated as the broker will handle the matter. 4. The American Express Company are authorized forwarding agents of the American Automobile Associa- tion, and have issued a pamphlet entitled, "Auto Tips THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK for Auto Trips* ', which will be mailed on application to the foreign department of the company at 65 Broad- way, New York. 5. Oelrichs & Company, Bowling Green Building, New York, are general agents for the North German Lloyd Company, and issue a pamphlet called, "How to Ship an Automobile Abroad' '. This may be consulted to advantage. 6. Before starting, obtain a letter from the manufacturer of the car, giving the name of the maker, model (year), style of car, number of car, color of body and chassis, make of tires, number of seats (places), weight, value, number of motor, number of cylinders, motive power, horse-power, together with the owner's name and address. 7. Membership in the Touring Club of France, at a cost of six francs, is desirable, and this can be secured by presenting certificate of membership in the A. C. A., or a letter from the A. A. A. certifying membership therein. The Touring Club of France arranges for a deposit to cover customs, duties, eta, by a "Triptyque". Deposit is returned at the end or the tour. Thus all duties are paid in advance, eliminating delays and trouble. 8. The Association Generate of France also offers service to the tourist. Membership is ten francs a year. Application blanks may be secured from the 246 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK A. C. A. or the A. A. A. This Association can furnish chauffeurs and has the power to issue licenses. The matter of license is very important in France. 9. The A. A. A. maintains reciprocal arrange- ments with the Automobile Association of London, and the Motor Union of Great Britain and Ireland, whereby these bodies extend certain courtesies and supply certain information upon presentation of A. A. A. membership cards. Members of the A. C. A. are able to secure cards of introduction to the Royal Automobile Club in order to secure information in planning trips in Europe. Insurance. Automobile owners carry insurance in some of the various forms given below, especially the "floater' ' form of fire insurance, which includes burglary, theft, and hazards of transportation. Liability insurance for injuries to persons and damage to property is also desirable. While some desire insurance covering damage to the car, it is not carried by the majority of motorists today, owing to its high rate of premium, the cost being higher than that for personal injuries. i. Fire, burglary and theft, and hazards or transportation. This policy is issued in floating form, covering the car wherever it may be within the boundaries of the United States or Canada, or on board a United States or Canadian coastwise 47 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK steamer, against loss or damage to the automobile by fire, arising from any cause whatsoever, explosion, self-ignition, and all hazards of transportation by railroads, steamboats, and coast- wise steamers, at the lowest prevailing rates. The cost of this class of insurance is 2 per cent where the car is kept in a private garage seven months in the year. Where the car is kept in a public garage, the cost is 2^ per cent. (Policies can be extended for a small additional premium to cover European touring.) 2. Injuries to persons. (Liability.) This class of insurance protects the owner against his legal liability for injuries caused by his car to person or persons. The limits of this policy are $5000 for injuries to one person, and $10,000 for injuries on any one accident, no matter how many persons may be involved. The Insurance Company defends all suits and pays all the law costs incurred by the owner in addition to the full limits of the policy. It gives protection for claims and suits which are many times brought against an owner for exorbitant sums, and which are always annoying and costly. The rates for this class of insurance vary with the horse-power of the car, and also as to whether the car is used in or around large cities or in small cities and in the country. 3. Damages to car. This insurance covers damages done to the car by collision with another car, or with any other object. It covers all damages up to the full insurance value of the car (including tires, if damage amounts to $200). It includes damage done to lamps. a 4 8 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK 4. Damage to property of others. This provides insurance for damage to property of others by collision, for which the assured is liable. This applies to any other automobile or wagon, or fence, bridge or other object. This insurance will cost 25 per cent of the rate charged you for personal injuries. For this small premium it is well worth while to have this insurance. 5. Owner's insurance. This class of insurance insures the owner against personal injuries sustained while operating, being driven in, or caring for the insured motor car. 6. Chauffeur's insurance. This insures the paid driver against personal injuries sustained while operating, being driven in, or caring for the 'nsured motor car. 049 'X. HI LOCOMOBILE BOO WHAT IS THE LIFE OF A CAR? BY HERBERT L. TOWLE Many a car, by dint of constant tinkering, continues to run after it is " all When an automobile reaches this stage of its existence, it may be said to have no value. Long ago it has probably changed hands several times. For the individual owner, therefore, the practical question is, " How far will this car run before I want to get rid of it, and what will its selling value be then" ? Until very recently it was the custom to consider the automobile purely a means of recreation. If it was ready to run, well and good. If not, an afternoon would be spent fixing it up, and no particular harm was done. Latterly, however, a new class of owners has arisen, comprising physicians, business men, commuters, and others, who depend on their automobiles for necessary daily transportation. To these owners their automobiles are useful only so long as they can be kept in daily service. Two or three weeks may be allowed during the winter for overhauling, but it is essential that the automobile shall not give out in unexpected ways. If it simply wears out, the various parts can be watched and replaced or refitted. When, however, things begin to break or come loose, the car must be passed on to a less exacting owner, though with care its subsequent mileage may be considerable. To be specific, let us assume that a car is used to go a couple of miles to and from the station or place of business in practically all weathers. During the day, the owner's wife uses it in various ways, such as for paying calls, marketing, and taking out her friends ; also it is run, as a rule, on a pleasure excursion of from fifty to one hundred and fifty miles each week-end. It is housed in a private garage, and is kept clean and in order by the handy man under the owner's directions. The car for this service will probably have from twenty to thirty horse-power. In twelve months it is likely to run about ten thousand miles. How many seasons such as this will it bear before it ceases to be thoroughly dependable ? The answer will depend almost wholly on the quality of materials and workmanship in the car. A high-grade, high-priced car may easily run fifty 151 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK thousand to seventy - five thousand miles without developing weakness in any part. It will wear out, it is true, but it will wear out by degrees, and a yearly overhauling will make everything sound for the next twelve months, barring minor adjustments, and the like. It may, indeed, be said of the high - grade car that its useful life is not limited by the durability of the major wearing parts cylinders, pistons, gears, bushings, etc. since all of these, even the cylinders, can be replaced without prohibitive expense. The end of its usefulness to the average owner is reached rather when the thousand and one minor wearing parts become so loose and so noisy that, although the car still runs, there is no longer pleasure in driving it. In modern cars more or less is done to defer the inevitable day when minor parts wear out, but when they do it is frequently impracticable to do anything except buy new ones throughout, which would cost more than the remaining value of the car. It is true that in many cases ingenuity will avail to minimize the expense, and it is also true that the tendency is steadily toward making it easier to refit or replace the small as well as the large wearing parts, and to defer the day of their wearing out, by providing lubrication. Nevertheless, it may be said broadly that the car has reached the end of its usefulness when its noise is no longer bearable. How is it with the cheaper cars ? For one thing, the cheaper car does not last as long. Where a thirty- horse- power car, costing from $2500 to $3000, will run 50,000 miles before ceasing to satisfy the exacting owner, the $1200 car of like horse -power is exhausted when it has covered 15,000 or 20,000 miles. As for the cars rated at twenty horse-power and thereabouts, and sold at $900 to $1000, 10,000 miles seems to be about their limit of mileage in the hand of the first owner. The fact is that it is impossible to build as good a car for the lower as for the higher price. The gears, shafts, axles, and frames must be of cheaper steely more hastily finished and put together. The bearings are necessarily quite different from the costly, but almost indestructible, ball and roller bearings of the expensive cars. The fitting is more hastily done, and detail refinements of both design and construction are everywhere slighted in order to get the factory cost within the permissible limit. The result is not simply that wear is more rapid, but that it can less Confidently be predicted. The high - grade car is not exactly like the " One- Hoss Shay " ; yet, at all events, it doesn't break down, but simply wears out. The design of the cheap car is not so well balanced ; THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK something or other is sure to break or loosen before its time, and little unpleasant surprises, such as the loosening of the steering - gear, the shearing of a key, or the stripping of a badly hardened gear, are to be expected after the first year ot service. These things may not necessarily condemn the car for subsequent pleasure use, but they do unfit it for the exacting requirements of business use. As for the value of a car when sold at the end of its ten thousand or fifty thousand miles, that is a subject on which it is hard to generalize. Probably as many used cars are sold at too high as at too low figures. A low- grade car can generally be sold for about half its first price at the end o. its first season, though whether it is worth as much may sometimes be questioned. The high - grade car at the corresponding period of its life will admittedly command a lower sum ; that is to say, one cannot sell it after fifty thousand miles at half its first price. A quarter is more nearly correct, but that is due partly to the simple lapse of time and partly to the likelihood that similar cars can be bought for less money than the used car cost when new, owing to lessened cost of production. Even at that, however, the writer regards the high-grade car, bought with a view to running it, say fifty thousand miles before selling, as the more economical purchase of the two. 153 THE LOCOMOBILE BOOK t NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS, INC. STANDARD WARRANTY ADOPTED MAY i4th, 1910 We warrant the motor vehicles manufactured by us for ninety days after the date of shipment, this warranty being limited to the furnishing at our factory of such parts of the motor vehicle as shall, under normal use and service, appear to us to have been defective in material or workmanship. This warranty is limited to the shipment to the purchaser, without charge, except for transportation, of the part or parts intended to replace the part or parts claimed to have been defective, and which, upon their return to us at our factory for inspection, we shall have determined were defective, and provided the transportation charges for the parts so returned have been prepaid. We make no warranty whatever in respect to tires or rims. The condition of this warranty is such that if the motor vehicle to which it applies is altered, or repaired outside of our factory, our liability under this warranty shall cease. The purchaser understands and agrees that no warranty or the motor vehicle is made, or authorized to be made, by the company, other than that hereinabove set forth. Dated BARTLETT ORRPRESS THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW AN INITIAL FINE OF 25 CENTS WILL BE ASSESSED FOR FAILURE TO RETURN THIS BOOK ON THE DATE DUE. THE PENALTY WILL INCREASE TO SO CENTS ON E FOURTH DAY AND TO $I.OO ON THE SEVENTH DAY OVERDUE. FEB 19* mtt$ LD 21-100m-7,'39(402s) YC 68253 803799 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY