Building and Fixing Cars

Building and Selling Cars
Automobile Manufacturers
Today a few very large companies produce most of the cars in the United States. In the early 1900s there were over 100 companies building gasoline, steam, and electric automobiles, often in very small quantities. The number of automakers peaked in the 1910s. By the 1930s, many small manufacturers had folded, unable to compete with low production costs at Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.
Dagmar Radiator Emblem
Chevrolet Radiator Emblem
White Radiator Emblem
REO Wolverine Radiator Emblem
A small sample of the museum's collection of radiator emblems shows the way manufacturers began to develop their brand and logo. While some makers have ceased to exist, other logos remain familiar today. Click here for the entire collection of emblems.
Fixing Cars
Early cars required frequent maintenance and repairs. Many machinists, blacksmiths, bicycle mechanics, and others started auto repair shops. New-car dealers and gasoline stations also offered repairs, and most cities had garages that stored, cleaned, fueled, and serviced automobiles.
Even though cars became more reliable, the auto repair business remained a necessity. By the 1920s there were more than 60,000 service shops. In the 1930s, oil companies also provided repairs. They used brand identity and the promise of uniform quality to attract customers.
Ford repair shop, Oklahoma, 1911
From the collections of Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village1926 Ford Model T Roadster on a Turn-Auto
Between 1908 and 1927, The Ford Model T’s relatively low price and reliability enticed more than 15 million Americans to buy an automobile. In many of those years, the Ford Motor Company produced over half of all autos sold. The mass-produced Model T helped make America a nation of drivers. The car is displayed in a Turn-Auto, which provided professional mechanics easy access to an automobile’s chassis. This example was used in Brozek’s Garage, Brooklyn, New York
Home Repair
Every driver learned to change and repair tires, which blew out frequently. Many owners also performed minor repairs for pleasure, convenience, and savings. Some got their skills from dealing with farm machinery. Others learned from repair manuals. The simplicity of the Ford Model T especially endeared it to millions of owners, many of whom claimed to fix their cars with twine, baling wire, or clothespins. Usually a screwdriver, wrench, hammer, and pliers were all the tools they needed.
Spitler Puncture Plug for tire repair, about 1915
Inventing a Better Car
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.
Homemade turn signal, 1929
Oscar J. Simler of Sebring, Ohio, patented this combination stop, slow, left turn, and right turn signal in 1929. Turn signals became a standard feature on cars a decade later.
Bell Gasoline Saver, about 1920
The Bell Gasoline Saver claimed to increase gasoline mileage when attached to the manifold of a Ford Model T.
Sinko Windshield Heater, about 1930
The Sinko electric windshield heater attached to the windshield with suction cups.
Safety reflector, 1930s
Jonathan Cass Stimson invented and marketed safety reflectors for vehicles and road signs. The cube-shaped indentations reflected light from any direction. This reflector is custom-fitted for the inside panel of an open car door.
Theft warning device, about 1915
The Theft Warning Auto Lock attached to a spoked wheel and sounded a spring-driven horn when the parked car was moved.