When Was This Car Made?

"Raphael Orlove" (orlove)
08/20/2014 at 23:37 • Filed to: Car History, Motorsports

I have a theory that years age. They shrink and grow closer as they get older.

2013 and 2012 stand very tall, big years, with lots of memories in them. Take two older years, like 1911 and 1912, and they seem condensed, almost like one collective moment. These days you can hardly see the difference between two years like 1336 and 1337, and you have to study them very closely to see them stretched out to modern size.

But that's all a little linear for my taste, and I don't have many good tools for measuring year size.

But I do have this little series, which approaches some kind of test.

So what year was this car made (assuming it was produced the year in which it was raced, which is where I'm getting the date for this photo)?

DISCUSSION (26)

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > Raphael Orlove
08/20/2014 at 23:42

Cue everyone GIS'ing this, because THIS IS A CONTEST AND I MUST WIN!!!

ly2v8-Brian > Raphael Orlove
08/20/2014 at 23:42

About two weeks ago.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Raphael Orlove
08/20/2014 at 23:42

that's actually a photo of me after being stuck behind a rolling coal douchebag. The grin is from the sweet, sweet revenge I just enacted on him.

Alfalfa > sm70- why not Duesenberg?
08/20/2014 at 23:46

I think it's fun to try my Google prowess without the image search. I'm coming up dry on this one, though.

Jay Lauer > Raphael Orlove
08/20/2014 at 23:54

It's a 2007 Lada.

Alfalfa > Raphael Orlove
08/20/2014 at 23:59

I finally caved and did a reverse image search. Apparently, all black and white photos look the same to Google, and I found nothing.

StoneCold > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 00:04

They shrink and grow closer as they get older.

I completely agree, and the change fascinates me.

I think it stems from the advances in travel and communication. Think of the time it took to get from New York City to San Francisco in 1800 vs 1900 vs 1950 vs today. Months to weeks to days to hours.

Now think of how you had to spend time productively . The proliferation of cheaper and varied literature coupled with cheaper, better quality writing utensils and paper meant you could fit more education and work into your life more cheaply and quickly.

More, more, more. Average college kids are taking trips (multiple usually) around the US and the world that people in the 1900's would only dream of making or make once in their lifetime (unless they joined the navy). We're all fitting much more in longer lifetimes.

I would love to write something on how these things have drastically impacted our idea of "patience". Too many thoughts, so I'm not coherent enough to put them to paper.

Agrajag > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 00:32

I think I've heard a legitimate theory on this before. Possibly one of the explanations Calvin's Dad gave him explaining the passage of time.

On the subject of the car, I've no idea. But I can tell you that that man has killed before.

camaroboy68ss > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 00:32

Chain driven, wood wheels, look like real gas lamps on the cowl. im going to take a swing at 1900-1910, maybe up to 1915 but I really doubt that.

tapzz > camaroboy68ss
08/21/2014 at 01:08

Agreed on the time scale. Also; it already has a Système Panhard layout (front engine, rear drive- not a given prior to 1900ish), smallish wheels, but not yet the typical coffin shaped bonnet.

I'm going to go with between 1900 and 1905.

camaroboy68ss > tapzz
08/21/2014 at 01:30

that style front end could also lend itself to being a electric car as well since they had no radiator. I doubt it's a steam car, but electric and steam were actually more popular at first over gas cars until range killed electric the first time and steam is labor intensive to maintain.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 01:38

That's some deep shit. Now please pass the crack pipe.

maxandgrinch > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 02:31

1901 Mors?

Prior to 1900 most of the cars had much larger tires because of road conditions, and front hub would be at his waist.

Rear fender covers front sprocket and acts as step. Mercedes completely covered the sprocket and had the muffler behind the step.

Cowl lights were a common addition to the headlights also in the image.

1902 Mors had less of a slope of the hood, and it does look very similar to the Panhard of the same era, they were fierce competitors.

Springfielder > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
08/21/2014 at 02:49

Bear spray through his open driver window?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 05:51

1898 I'm guessing...

I also really like your theory. You could also view it as distance. From very far away, two years sort of merge into one, whereas under the microscope of the very present, you can see all the detail laid out in front of you.

There's another cool little theory about time that I rather like. Do you find that as you get older, time seems to pass quicker? A summer when you were 6 seemed like an eternity, whereas now a year goes by and you hardly notice.

The idea is that as you get older, each individual hour/day/year takes up a smaller and smaller percentage of your life so far. Thus, each individual moment seems smaller.

There's a kickass little short about it actually. Well worth a watch:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Margatroid > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 07:50

I have a theory that years age. They shrink and grow closer as they get older.

Very deep.
You should send that in to the Reader's Digest. They've got a page for people like you.

Raphael Orlove > Alfalfa
08/21/2014 at 08:34

we can still hide from the all seeing googleeye

Raphael Orlove > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
08/21/2014 at 08:38

I'll check that out! Also, you're the closest. This was 1899 and that's Camille Jenatzy (who everyone remembers for his world speed record of breaking 100km/h in the electric jamais contente a few months after this picture was taken.

The car is a 16 horsepower Mors, and the race was the Tour de France.

Raphael Orlove > camaroboy68ss
08/21/2014 at 08:39

close! this was 1899. A few months later the driver became famous for driving a particular electric car

Raphael Orlove > maxandgrinch
08/21/2014 at 08:40

so close! This is a Mors, but the shot is from the 1899 Tour de France

Raphael Orlove > Margatroid
08/21/2014 at 08:40

deep thoughts with raphael orlove

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 10:58

Kickass :) Imagine someone calling a modern car 'the content'. It'd be a Buick/Oldsmobile wouldn't it? Oldsmobile Content. Yep, that's the one.

I'll have to take some pictures of the old crocks that go by once a year. Basically, pre-1904 all car drivers in Britain had to drive behind a man walking along with a flag in his hand. For 1905, that was lifted and drivers celebrated by taking their cars and driving them from London to Brighton sans-escort.

Each year, pre-1904 cars make the same run, which is usually a great watch :) it's got a fancy name, but we just call it 'the old crocks run' :)

BocaMoccaJoe > StoneCold
08/21/2014 at 11:12

Your insight on an already profound insight on the oxymoronic effect time HAS on time is astounding! Somehow or another, I think this has opened up something deep...

travestyebo > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
08/21/2014 at 13:06

Kind of interesting.... On the other hand, as the sand of time passes, you might say that every moment that you currently exist in is an increasing larger percentage of what time you have left? I only wish I could live in the latter vs the smaller idea. I struggle with it daily.

Just saying. That is why I refuse to watch any nicki minaj videos. Ain't nobody got time for that.

BenLikesCars > Raphael Orlove
08/21/2014 at 22:54

Dang. My guess was 1898 and I did get a thought of Jenatzy and the French speed-record before my guess on that. Then you wrote something about a contest and I presumed it was one of those jaw-dropping London to Peking jaunts.

Tour de France, huh? Were the bicycles faster, or, ?

BenLikesCars > Jay Lauer
08/21/2014 at 22:57

I thought it was a Caterham SUV prototype.