A Motor Car A Hundred Years Too Early April 27, 2018
Author: Beach Combing | in : Modern , trackback
This blog has frequently pioneered ‘wrong time’ objects: things that appear decades or generations before we might reasonably expect them to. Here is an instance (not our first, wrong time car readers might remember) of a motor car about one hundred and fifty years before the car was invented. We are in London in 1742
This is to acquaint all Lovers of Ingenuity, that there is lately arriv’d from the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, and to be seen at the Mitre Tavern, Charing-Cross, from Nine in the Morning till Nine at Night, a most curious Chaise that travels without Horses. This beautiful convenient Machine is so simply contriv’d, and easily manag’d, as to travel upwards of forty Miles a Day, with very little Trouble to the Rider, or Danger of being put out of Order. The whole Thing, though capable of carrying three Persons, weighs less than Two Hundred Weight.
This seems to be the same vehicle as
Mr. Pinchbeck’s curious chaise that travels without horses ran from Hampstead to Tottenham Court in less than forty minutes [about three miles] in sight of several hundreds of people; at which place it will continue to be shown during the time of the fair.*
So it travelled at perhaps four miles an hour and had three wheels – presumably one in front? Was it, thinking of the Swiss connection, run on clockwork? Surely not. Is this actually just a tricycle?? Alternatively, and I’m running out of options, it was run on steam. Any ideas about this: I’m really curious… drbeachcombing AT gmail DOT com
*Another advert states: ‘the curious three-wheeled Chaise, that travels without Horses, which has given so universal a Satisfaction to all the Nobility and Gentry, while shown at the Mitre Tavern, Charing Cross, is now remov’d to the Great Booth near the Steps in Middle Moorfields.’ In fact, I ran across this ‘monstrosity’ (in historical terms) looking at a monster fish at the Mitre, which acted as an open cabinet of curiosities.
29 Apr 2018 Julian Rowlands writes in with this example of pedal power (via twitter)
Amanda, 3 May 2018 sends these links in. Steam carriage, 1829; a timeline of steam vehicles; a steam carriage; and a steam car club!
