Motor-Car Principles

Back in 1910 when you had to specify that an automobile used gasoline (as opposed to being a steam or electric powered vehicle), this very useful guide not only explained how your new vehicle worked but also had chapters on “Locating Trouble” – such as overheating, strange noises, and “engine starts well but comes to a stop” – and “Maintenance and Construction” – including adjusting the carburetor and washing the car. The book contains over 70 detailed illustrations showing the various components of a gasoline engine. The author, Roger B. Whitman, was the Technical Director of the New York School of Automobile Engineers, so he surely knew his stuff. Books like this help curators at the National Museum of American History study the workings of early automobiles in their collection.