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Theft Warning Auto Lock
Catalog #: 1979.0687.04,
Accession #: 1979.0687 Currently on display
From the Smithsonian Collection
This device locked on the tire and rim of an automobile. It was made by the Theft Warning Auto-Lock Corp., Box 713, Los Angeles, CA. Serial B-2380.
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Physical Description |
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artifact 11" x 6 1/2" x 7 1/2"; Sargent lock (key missing.) Klaxon horn blows when car is moved.
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Details |
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Credit: | Gift of Don H. Berkebile |
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History |
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Many people thought that cars, as the dealer sold them, were inefficient or lacked much-needed accessories. Model T owners sent the Ford Motor Company ideas for improvements, and hundreds of mail-order gadgets and attachments allowed owners to upgrade the Model T or make it work better. Inventors fashioned devices that claimed to make cars safer, more fuel-efficient, or easier to use. Some of these devices later became standard features on cars. Others remained popular add-on items, and still others failed to catch on.
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Related People, Places, and Events |
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Donor
Don H. Berkebile
Donor worked for the National Museum of American History. He donated this artifact in June 1979
Place of Manufacture
Los Angeles
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