Benjamin Franklin
First great Americanteacher of thriftandinvesting for profit
Charles E. Duryea
Maker of thefirst americangasolineautomobilethat ran
Henry Ford
Father of quantityproduction of theautomobile
Story of the Automobile
Its History and DevelopmentFrom 1760 to 1917With an Analysis of theStanding and Prospects ofthe Automobile Industry
By H. L. BARBER
Economist and Financial WriterAuthor of “Making Money Make Money,” etc., etc.
CHICAGOA. J. MUNSON & CO.1917
Copyright, 1917, byH. L. BARBER
1
PREFACE.
So far as I know, there is no book in circulationthat tells, in concise form, the story ofthe mechanical and commercial evolution of theautomobile, mirrors its sudden leap into popularuse, and shows how it has demonstrated, ina most amazing way, the power of money tomake money, describes its benefits to the world,and forecasts the future possibilities of theautomobile industry as an investment.
This book, the “Story of the Automobile,”shows the struggle of man for one hundred andfifty years to devise a means of propelling avehicle without animal power.
It describes the various stages of the evolutionof the idea of motive force other than animalpower, in France, England, Germany andthe United States, and its triumphant culminationin a successful horseless vehicle. And itmakes clear how, when the automobile becameof practical use, its successful commercializationbecame most profitable in the shortestperiod of time of that of any product of man’singenuity supplying an article to meet humanwants.
But if this were all that could be recorded ofthe story of the automobile, this book would not2have been written. The automobile’s successdemonstrates all this, and something more—somethingthat would not ordinarily occur to aperson unless his attention was called to it.
The astonishing history of the automobile’ssuccess affords one of the most convincing andthe best modern instance of the opportunitiesthat are being constantly presented for investingfor profit.
It is a signal example kept in our hearingevery day by the Niagara-like roar of the carsalong our boulevards, of the fact that this is theage of golden opportunities for making moneymake money—of opportunities that disclosethemselves, sometimes unexpectedly, and, whenembraced, are apt to respond with a veritableavalanche of profits.
For was it not an avalanche of profits thatoverwhelmed the man who in thirteen yearsmade $200,000,000 and was offered another$200,000,000 for only a small part of his business?And this great fortune made by HenryFord did not exhaust the Ford automobile’spossibilities, for millions are still being takenout of the business, one investor of $2,000 havingreceived over half a million dollars out of it