At first I thought the title was a reference to Raymond Chandler's novel (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farewell,_My_Lovely), but then I checked the date: the novel came out in 1940. So what is the title of this article referring to, if anything? And what was Raymond Chandler referring to, if anything? In both cases it looks rather like a quotation. Perhaps it's a reference to something that is now rather difficult to find because of all the references to Raymond Chandler's novel and its adaptations. Wikipedia should explain it, but I can't immediately find it in there.
Great para - "Persons of a suspicious or pugnacious turn of mind bought a rear-view mirror; but most Model T owners weren’t worried by what was coming from behind because they would soon enough see it out in front."
"First you bought a Ruby Safety Reflector for the rear, so that your posterior would glow in another car’s brilliance."
Not bad either, the writer had a way with words. A likeable piece.
And I didn't know that "The Model T was distinguished from all other makes of cars by the fact that its transmission was of a type known as planetary". I believe it made a comeback in the Toyota Prius, used to combine electric and combustion engine power.
The writer was E. B. White. Most schoolchildren in the US still read and love his Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. And most secondary or post-secondary students in the US are given the style guide he wrote with William Strunk, Jr., The Elements of Style.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing what he did with a piece like this.
That looks tremendous. And the audio version is included with a membership I already have... that may be my dog walking material for the next few days.
> And I didn't know that "The Model T was distinguished from all other makes of cars by the fact that its transmission was of a type known as planetary".
They are referring to the planetary gear set which is found in every hydraulic automatic transmission since the 1960's. Nothing exotic by any means.
Also, The operation of a Model T transmission is very different from the modern manual gear boxes we are familiar with. I think it has two clutches and the brakes are part of the transmission. No clutch pedal but a lever I think. A friends father owns one and it's a challenge to get moving let alone drive. The whole thing is quite fragile. Lord help you on a steep hill...
> One reason the Ford anatomy was never reduced to an exact science was that, having “fixed” it, the owner couldn’t honestly claim that the treatment had brought about the cure. There were too many authenticated cases of Fords fixing themselves—restored naturally to health after a short rest.
What a writer! You can tell he wrote the style section of Strunk and White's. He manages an informal style without falling into the high-school yearbook style he parodies so memorably in that work.
