AutomobileMag Forums

For an upcoming issue, I had the pleasure of driving a car built before 1920. It was a fantastic experience.

-So, what is the oldest car you're driven?
-What do you enjoy/not enjoy about driving older vehicles?
-Would you daily drive an older car and enjoy it?  

My best friend's dad collected 'brass' cars (pre-wwI) and I once took his 1908 Locomobile racer down an empty road.  I helped him work on it and so had a long time to figure out its bizarre operating functions.  It was not enjoyable to drive, but certainly a challenge and thrill.

Basically, everything early but the 3 "P"s (Pope, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow) were built by good craftsmen, but semi-amateur engineers.  The Loco has a 1 1/4" mild steel crankshaft with a 500ci 4 cyl engine with 3 bearings, I think.  The owner broke them regularly.  It *was* fun to tear down the highway at 75mph passing modern cars in goggles.  He still has a 2 cyl '02 Cadillac he keeps in England for the Brighton Run.

(He had a '58 Ferrari 250GT one summer he got in trade that I still dream about.  It was a couple of years before the Ferris Bueller model, but similar, smaller and my buddy and I snuck out with it a couple of glorious nights.  All I need is oxygen and that car.)

Brass cars are challanging because the controls are all over the place.  As I remember, the Loco has 2 throttles: a stalk lever on the steering column and a left-right slider on the floor used for driving by sliding your right foot to the right.  There are 2 sets of brakes: rear wheels by a lever and the band brake around the massive flywheel is the primary stopper.  (I might have those crossed.)  There are no front brakes.  Trans operation is bizarre, but I can't remember the combo of gear and clutch levers.  There really is no logic to any of it at all.  The transmission is the size and shape of a coffin and has a normal-sized set of cogs in it.  You can just about climb into it to work on the gears, while soaking in a bath of oil.

You could probably ride to work on something from 1930 onwards pretty regularly.  Depends on your route.  You wouldn't want any freeway for that old a car, though.  

On pretty days, like today, I ride to work on a '37 flathead harley (named 'Prius') and it's a lot of fun to tear down the highway passing modern cars in goggles.  
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Graduate, Rodan School of Automotive Design

these are all very old cars, i can not compare to it since my oldest car was an '89.  

Not very old. Just as old as me. A 1973 Citroen SM. Freakish Citroen driving dynamics, Maserati power. Just one weird-ass car. Wish I owned one.  

Driven? A chopped '49 Mercury...a good ol' "lead sled".

Owned? A '67 Mercury Caliente.  

A 1979 Nissan. My friend has one and he let me try it. Couldn't go on second gear though  
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