Power Steering

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Gents,

Did you know that Pierce-Arrow was the first US motorcar to have power steering?

I’ll explain after the ROAR quiets, or after some smart guy pops up with the correct response.

Roger may NOT provide information for this discussion.

Peter

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Motorcar? I had heard power steering was offered on trucks about 1920, but I never heard a out motorcars. All of them had Armstrong Power Steering as far as I know.

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I read the story of the inventor of power steering. He, the name escapes me, installed a demo unit into a Pierce and attempted to sell the idea to Detroit. He did not succeed in his efforts to market it, and others eventually stole his invention. I’ll have to search further for the book.

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Bob,

Very good!

The inventor was Francis W. Davis and the book about him was: The Unreasonable American; Francis W. Davis, Inventor of Power Steering.

He did finally get his power steering installed on GM cars, but it took 40-years or more.

In the meantime, his units were installed on WWII tanks and heavy trucks and were applauded as contributing greatly to winning the war.

Chrysler and Gemmer stole his out-of-date patents, but he didn’t care too much because he had improved his units so much that they were essentially stealing old technology.

It is good book to read and yes, he did his first installation on his 1920 Pierce-Arrow which he drove from Buffalo to Detroit to sell it to GM after PAMCC rejected the concept as too advanced / complicated.

He worked at PAMCC until he got fed up with their not appreciating his inventive mind.

Peter

http://www.abebooks.com/Unreasonable-American-Francis-Davis-Inventor-Power/50956774/bd

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There is a story that the car was being tested by Pierce Arrow and someone drove it off the ferry and into the drink in Martha”s Vineyard………It was published years ago…..with a photo of the car if I remember correctly. Anyone remember this article? Ed”

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Was his name Ted?

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