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Cugnot Automobile
The first vehicle to move under its own power for which there is a record was designed by Nicholas Joseph Cugnot and constructed by M. Brezin in 1769. A replica of this vehicle is on display at the Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers, in Paris. I believe that the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D. C. also has a large (half size ?) scale model. A second unit was built in 1770 which weighed 8000 pounds and had a top speed on 2 miles per hour and on the cobble stone streets of Paris this was probably as fast as anyone wanted to go it. The picture shows the first model on its first drive around Paris were it hit and knocked down a stone wall. It also had a tendency to tip over frontward unless it was counterweighted with a canon in the rear. the purpose of the vehicle was to haul canons around town.
FIAT 600 Multipla
A MOST VERSATILE VEHICLE -- with a pretty face. Fiat's 600 Multipla, introduced in 1956, was an early hint at what would become the minivan. This November 1960 promo photo of the 600D version suggests a Pontiac Aztek-like niche for a car targeted to outdoorspeople -- though this family seems fonder of passive recreation. Kit Foster Collection
Dodge Commando 2
NO, I'LL DRIVE! The press release from Karrier Motors, Ltd. of Dunstable, Bedfordshire, tells us that "Dual steering is now available as a factory-fitted option on Dodge Commando 2 vehicles for specialized municipal applications." As a result of the Chrysler takeover of Rootes Motors the Dodge name seems to have replaced Karrier on the Commando line circa 1976. Kit Foster Collection
Gin, a NASH and two women
"Gin rummy for two during a rest en route," reads the Nash Motors caption on this promotional photo for 1950's "twin convertible beds." A more candid caption might be "What's Dad going to say when he finds we've cut the doors off?" Photo from the Kit Foster Collection.
Cadillac Wagon
ESCALADE'S ELDER? Cadillac wagons are nothing new. Various coachbuilders and conversion houses have been turning them out for years. This is an odd duck, with what appears to be 1960 fins on '59 light pods. What may have passed for a luxury interior back then would be called motorhome kitsch today. Anyone know who built it? Kit Foster Collection
Chrysler Robot
YOU DRIVE, Sheila, I'm too wired. This photo is captioned on the reverse, "Chrysler robot, Nov. 1960." Does anyone with a Chrysler engineering background remember coming across this gentleman? The nameplate on the "brain" reads "Instrumentation Research" and carries the Forward Look Logo. Kit Foster Collection
The First Chevrolet
WE'LL BE THERE: W. C. Durant (standing, right, in bowler) and Louis Chevrolet (sans hat) admire the first Chevrolet car in 1912. The trouble was, the two men didn't agree just where "there" was and soon parted ways as Durant made the Chevrolet into a smaller and cheaper (and much more popular) car. At the wheel is Durant's son Cliff, his wife, Adelaide, beside him. Can anyone recognize any other faces? Kit Foster Collection
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