History of the Automobile, Part II

The mission of the Northeast Classic Car Museum consists of educating the public on different aspects of the automobile and its history throughout the years. This is the 2nd in a series of 5, originally published in the Norwich Evening Sun in 2006.

In 1919, Sinclair Lewis wrote whimsically of his adventures in a Model T. One of the most famous books, which is now a standard text in high school and university courses on American literature in countries around the world, was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, ‘The Great Gatsby,” which portrayed the cynicism of post-World War I by the use of Gatsby’s cream-colored Rolls-Royce. In 1962, William Faulkner wrote about human frailties against the backdrop of an early Winton Flyer automobile in his classic, “The Reivers.” Other books such as “Christine,” by Stephen King, were also centered on automobiles.

Even more than writers, composers of popular music were attracted to cars. Between 1905 and 1908, more than 120 songs were written in which the automobile was the subject. The automotive themes of these songs reflected the general culture of the automotive industry: sexual adventure, liberation from social control, and masculine power. Titles include “In My Merry Oldsmobile,” “Tumble in a Rumble Seat,” “On the Back Seat of A Henry Ford,” up to the contemporary songs such as “Mustang Sally,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Little Red Corvette,” and “Pink Cadillac.” Trucking songs, such as “King of the Road,” “On the Road Again,” and others too numerous to name are immensely popular. In 1929, American Paul Galvin, the head of Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, invented the first car radio. The first car radios were not available from car makers. Consumers had to purchase the radios separately. Galvin coined the name “Motorola” for the company’s new products, combining the idea of motion and radio.

The Los Angeles Music Center and Museum of Contemporary Art commissioned several playwrights to create original ten-minute scripts to be acted out in automobiles and the film industry has relied heavily on the automobile, ranging from “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World,” “Bonnie and Clyde,” the “Dukes of Hazzard,” “Starsky and Hutch” and hundreds of other movies with chase scenes. Television made the automobile the star of the show in “My Mother the Car,” and “Knight Rider,” in which KITT was smarter than any of the rest of the cast. The Northeast Classic Car Museum has a 1981 DeLorean that visitors remember as “the Back to the Future Car.”

Artists followed Toulouse-Lautrec’s lead from his 1896 lithograph, “The Motorist,” to take up brushes and portray the essence of the automobile. Some used their brushes in cartoon fashion to show it as a toy for the idle rich. Andy Warhol saw art in a Campbell soup can and also painted a series devoted to gruesome car wrecks. Other artists see the automobile as a graceful, flowing form of man-made beauty, an art in itself.

Cars have been named after animals, stars, heroes and mythology and ownership came to be associated with independence, freedom, and increased status. The culture in the 1950s and 1960s often catered to the automobile with motels and drive-in restaurants. Americans tend to view obtaining a driver’s license as a rite of passage and most Americans of all ages and genders expect to own and drive cars.


Article written by Audrey Robinson and Richard Ellinwood of the NECCM Education Committee. Reprinted courtesy of The Evening Sun, Norwich, NY.

Waverley Electric Car at Northeast Classic Car Museum

In 1910, many things were happening. Haley’s Comet was visible, the Boy Scouts were created, King Edward II passed away, and Ford sold almost 10,000 gasoline-powered motor vehicles. In comparison to the gasoline standard, electric cars were gaining attention, due to their lack of a hand crank and gear shifter. The design of the electric car made things much easier for the average woman of the time, making them an ideal target for advertisement.

One model of electric car that was popular in 1910 was the Waverley Coupe. The 1910 Waverley Coupe was a luxury car that combined quality, value, efficiency, and convenience, making it one of the premier electric cars of the early 1900’s. It seated 4, and was quite easy to customize, allowing for different colors, tops, batteries, and even tires. On top of this, it was relatively affordable, selling at $2,250 - almost $300 less than the popular Detroit Electric.



The Waverley Company, formed from a merger of the American Electric and Indiana Bicycle Companies, boasted quality and convenience in comparison to its price. For example, the silence of the Coupe was one of the company’s main points for advertisement, along with its appearance. The Waverley Company prided itself on using premium materials and brilliant designs to make a ride that rode as smooth as it looked.

The manufacturers of the Coupe showed a great attention to detail, not only by employing multiple inspectors, but by taking each vehicle through a twelve week, twenty-eight step operation for the paint job which used sixteen coats of paint. That’s detail!

In addition to its look, the Waverley Coupe was known for the quality of the ride. The ride of the vehicle was lower,and added drop sills enabled easier access to the vehicle. The vehicle’s body was made primarily from aluminum, providing a weight that would put less wear on the tires than conventional bodies. Dust-proof casings were used to ensure the longevity of parts, while broad windows allowed for complete visibility while driving. On top of this, the Waverley had a patented controller, for the purpose of driver safety. Thanks to this, the vehicle could only be started if it was not moving. For convenience, the reverse speed lever was placed behind the forward lever, and prohibited from being used until the forward speed lever was off.

Despite sales to wealthy individuals such as Thomas Edison, Emile Berliner (inventor of the disk gramophone), and William E. Horlick (creator of malted milk), the company soon went out of business, competing with newer, greater technologies, and the lack of facilities to charge batteries. The Waverley Company closed in 1916.

The Coupe contained a battery that held a charge that could last 50 miles. Today, car companies are researching ways to extend that range, and increase the speed of the electric car. Currently, the Tesla Roadster boasts a range of 220 miles per charge and a top speed of 125 miles per hour. Chevrolet plans to introduce the Volt in 2010, designed for drivers who travel fewer than 40 miles per day. Numerous other automakers are using new technology to jump on the electric car bandwagon. They owe it all to one of the first – the Waverley Electric Coupe.

The 1910 Waverley Electric Coupe shown above can currently be seen at the Northeast Classic Car Museum, Norwich, NY. www.classiccarmuseum.org

Article by Adam Munio