Big Wheels: 1917

The additional spokes of the rear wheels allow these wheels to bear the additional weight of both multiple passengers and their luggage. The front axle and wheels will bear a smaller proportion of any passengers and luggage.

Put another way, if three 150 pound men and two heavy trunks are transported in the rear and on the back, suddenly you have 500 plus pound of additional load that is mostly over the rear axle.

The Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost (40/50) was another automobile that used a different number of spokes front and rear for the same reason. The longer the wheelbase the more weight the rear axle will have to support for passengers and luggage.

This car is a White, of circa 1913 vintage -- a milestone year for many cars as they not only made the switch to electric lights and horns, but also did away with brass lights, radiators, etc. Not all cars made this evolutionary jump, most notably the Model T Ford, which didn't go electric till 1915 and didn't lose its brass till 1917, but the majority "got modern" in that year. 1913 also saw the beginnings of a cowl, extending over the firewall and dashboard, which afforded a bit more protection from the elements.

Note the electric horn. That's quite early for this period, when most horns were still bulb-style. Presumably then it had electric lights and a starter too. A well-optioned car indeed.

I guess he had this picture made to impress his clients. Sitting in his expensive touring car before entering the White House to advise President Wilson about the situation in Greece.

Very few cars had front and rear brakes in the teens. Many cars were capable of high speeds but 25 to 30 mph was about the average cruising speed so rear brakes were considered adequate. On Model T Fords, the service brake was a band inside the transmission.

Interesting,, the back wheels have 12 spokes , the front only 10. You would think the brakes would stress the front rims too. Or are there no front brakes?

[Probably not. - Dave]

Who knew cars used to come with life preservers?