Category: accessory

1972: J.C. WHITNEY OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF PENNY-PINCHER HUBCAPS – Murilee Martin @AutoWeek

1972: J.C. WHITNEY OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF PENNY-PINCHER HUBCAPS – Murilee Martin @AutoWeek

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Want GTO or Mustang “wheels” for cheap? Magnificent mags? J.C. Whitney had you covered in 1972.

Chicago’s J.C. Whitney has been around for 104 years now, though most of its business today happens online. Back in the printed-catalog era, the J.C. Whitney catalog was the source for parts and accessories

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Motometer Central – an excellent resource

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I recently became aware of the Motometer Central website as a result of my membership of The Society of Automotive Historians. The site is a wealth of information on the Motometer device which became very popular in the 1920’s with the Boyce variety being the most popular. This device is the father of the temperature gauge amongst other modern condition indicators in motor vehicles.

You can find the a history of  Motometers here

You can find information on the Boyce and other Motometers here on Wikipedia

There is a further site Moto Meter Collector here

Armstrong’ steering assist – Daniel Beaudry @Hemmings

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Whether you call it a suicide ball, or a necker, granny, or Brodie knob, it’s all the same thing: a free-spinning knob affixed to a steering wheel designed to help drivers more quickly and easily muscle around a non-power-assisted steering wheel

Read the rest of Daniel’s article here

 

The Muscle Staple: American Racing wheels – Dan Stoner @Hemmings

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Interesting historical accessory article on the creator of the famous American Racing Wheels (“Mag Wheels”). The American Racing Equipment company was formed by Romeo Palamides and partner Jim Ellison in San Francisco in 1956.

Read Dan’s article here

 

 

 

 

The Magic Tree air freshener: where it came from, and why it’s so successful

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The Magic Tree car air freshener – now more commonly known as the LITTLE TREES air freshener – has become a motoring icon. Invented in 1952, there are now over 60 different varieties available.

Julius Sämann is credited with the invention of the Christmas tree air freshener in Watertown, N.Y. But the story of how it all came about is rather interesting.

Being a chemist, the Canadian-born Sämann spent an extensive amount of time extracting oils from Canada’s evergreen tress. He applied this knowledge when speaking with a milk-truck driver about the noxious scent of spilled dairy in the cab. Anything is better than a build-up of spoiled milk.

Sämann patented the freshener, cellophane bag and string and was off to the races with his unique invention. The shape itself was inspired by the trees in forests of Canada.

While the shape remains the tree – heck the name says it all – the scent list is constantly changing to meet the demands of the market.