OT A bit of automotive trivia

[Oldguy48]

Not all Mopar related, but interesting anyway.

 

http://local.aaca.org/siraaca/older_html/doyouknow.htm

[Young Ed]

Wow you'd think they could have found a better picture of the poor 1960 valiant.

[Robert Horne]

 

Wow you'd think they could have found a better picture of the poor 1960 valiant.

 

Yes, especially since the Valiant was the first to "not" have a direct current dynamo...

[randroid]

Gents,

 

There might be one member here who could dispute the location of the first electric stop light.

 

Great trivia post; thanks!!

 

-Randy

[Don Coatney]

From Wikipedia

 

 

On 10 December 1868, the first traffic lights were installed outside the British Houses of Parliament in London, to control the traffic in Bridge Street, Great George Street and Parliament Street. They were promoted by the railway engineer J. P. Knight and constructed by the railway signal engineers of Saxby & Farmer. The design combined three semaphore arms with red and green gas lamps for night-time use, on a pillar, operated by a police constable. The gas lantern was turned with a lever at its base so that the appropriate light faced traffic.^[4]

Although it was said to be successful at controlling traffic, its operational life was brief. It exploded on 2 January 1869, as a result of a leak in one of the gas lines underneath the pavement, injuring^[5] or killing^[6] the policeman who was operating it. With doubts about its safety, the concept was abandoned until electric signals became available.

The first electric traffic light was developed in 1912 by Lester Wire, an American policeman of Salt Lake City, Utah, who also used red-green lights.^[7] On 5 August 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company installed a traffic signal system on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio.^[8][9] It had two colors, red and green, and a buzzer, based on the design of James Hoge, to provide a warning for color changes. The design by James Hoge^[10] allowed police and fire stations to control the signals in case of emergency. The first four-way, three-color traffic light was created by police officer William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920.^[11] In 1922, T.E. Hayes patented his "Combination traffic guide and traffic regulating signal" (Patent # 1447659). Ashville, Ohio claims to be the location of the oldest working traffic light in the United States, used at an intersection of public roads until 1982 when it was moved to a local museum.^[12]

The installation of a traffic signal in San Diego in December 1940

The first interconnected traffic signal system was installed in Salt Lake City in 1917,^{[citation needed]} with six connected intersections controlled simultaneously from a manual switch. Automatic control of interconnected traffic lights was introduced March 1922 in Houston, Texas.^[13] The first automatic experimental traffic lights in England were deployed in Wolverhampton in 1927.^[14] In 1923, Garrett Morgan patented his own version. The Morgan traffic signal was a T-shaped pole unit that featured three hand-cranked positions: Stop, go, and an all -directional stop position. This third position halted traffic in all directions to give drivers more time to stop before opposing traffic started. Its one "advantage" over others of its type wa.^[15] Toronto was the first city to computerize its entire traffic signal system, which it accomplished in 1963.^{[citation needed]}

[B-Watson]

Two errors, though -

 

Oldsmobile introduced its Hydramatic for 1940, not 1939.   Production of the 1940 Oldsmobiles and the Hydramatic began in August 1939, but they were 1940 models.   The 1938 and 1939 Oldsmobile offered a semi-automatic transmission built by Buick.

 

Nash did not offer air conditioning in 1939.  Nash did not get ac until late in the 1954 model year.  What Nash did offer in 1939 was its Weather Eye conditioned air ventilation system.  It was the first car heater to use outside air that was then heated to warm the interior.   Heaters back then were recirculating designs - heated the air already inside the car. 

 

Studebaker followed a year later with their Climatizer heating system. 

[reid]

Another mistake. The 1st year for the Olds 442 was 1965 & the 442 stood for 400 ci eng., 4bbl. carb & dual exhaust. I had a 65 442 & it had a 3 speed all synchro trans with a column shift. The trans was made by Ford because GM didn't have a heavy duty enough 3 speed at the time. 

[Don Coatney]

Another mistake. The 1st year for the Olds 442 was 1965 & the 442 stood for 400 ci eng., 4bbl. carb & dual exhaust. I had a 65 442 & it had a 3 speed all synchro trans with a column shift. The trans was made by Ford because GM didn't have a heavy duty enough 3 speed at the time. 

 

1964 was the first year and I do not believe there was ever a 3 speed 442. (4 speed, 4 bbl carb,dual exhaust) The car you had may have been a clone.

Oldsmobile 442

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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Oldsmobile 442 Manufacturer General Motors Production 1964–1980 Predecessor Oldsmobile F-85 Successor Oldsmobile Aurora Class Muscle car Layout FR layout

The Oldsmobile 442 (pronounced four-four-two) was a muscle car produced by the Oldsmobile division of General Motors. It was introduced as an option package for F-85 and Cutlass models sold in the United States beginning with the 1964 model year. The 442 appellation comes from the configuration of the car: a four-barrel carburetor, a four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhaust pipes. It became a model in its own right from 1968 to 1971, then reverted to an option through the mid-1970s. Oldsmobile revived the name in the 1980s on the rear-wheel drive Cutlass Supreme and early 1990s as an option package for the new front-wheel drive Cutlass

[greg g]

Not the first installation, but the development of the controls, systems and hardware.

 

Crouse-Hinds Electric Company, a manufacturer of high grade electrical specialties, was established in 1894 in Syracuse, New York. They later shortened their name to Crouse-Hinds Company and beginning in the early 1920s specialized in the manufacture of traffic signals, controllers and accessories

[reid]

Wikipedia may correct about the year but I am correct about the transmission. I doubt anyone was cloning 442's in 1968 when I bought the car. It had a 400 ci eng., the 442 unichambered dual exhaust, 442 badging & rear anti-sway bar. 

[frankieflathead]

Two errors, though -

 

Oldsmobile introduced its Hydramatic for 1940, not 1939.   Production of the 1940 Oldsmobiles and the Hydramatic began in August 1939, but they were 1940 models.   The 1938 and 1939 Oldsmobile offered a semi-automatic transmission built by Buick.

 

Nash did not offer air conditioning in 1939.  Nash did not get ac until late in the 1954 model year.  What Nash did offer in 1939 was its Weather Eye conditioned air ventilation system.  It was the first car heater to use outside air that was then heated to warm the interior.   Heaters back then were recirculating designs - heated the air already inside the car. 

 

Studebaker followed a year later with their Climatizer heating system. 

 

Quite right. I have always thought Packard introduced the first factory installed true air conditioning in 1941.