The Automobile
Revolution
I was
looking through some old papers and discovered Arthur H Bonsor’ s drivers
license and Vehicle Registration cards from 1915 through 1920. I found this information so interesting, I
dug further into the history of the automobile and discovered Arthur must have
joined the “Automobile Revolution” by being one of the first purchasers of
these luxury vehicles.
People
started building their own automobiles in the 1890’s in very limited
numbers. Henry Ford began building cars
in 1896 and started his own company in 1903.
By 1913 Ford Motor Company was mass producing the Model T and was first
priced at $850, but by 1924 had dropped to $290. By 1927, more than 15 million
had been sold. Ford made affordable cars
for the masses with the business model of one type, one color, one price. General Motors was founded in 1908 and soon
acquired Buick, Oldsmobile, Oakland and Cadillac. They catered to the higher
social status with a variety of car types and customization. It too mass produced many brands of
automobile until it was one of the biggest manufacturers along with Ford. Packard was founded in 1899 and built only
400 cars by 1903. From the very beginning, Packard featured innovations and
concentrated on cars with prices starting at $2,600. By 1903 the Packard Motor Car Company was one
of the major luxury automobile manufactures in America. These vehicles were perceived as highly
competitive among high-priced luxury American cars.
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| 1916 Camden Motor Club Card |
When the first automobiles were introduces, anyone could drive them without restriction. Soon licenses were required by the states to collect fees for state income. New Jersey required a Driver’s License starting in 1906, which was easy to get, just pay the fee. Then in 1913, New Jersey was an early adapter of the law requiring all drivers to pass an examination of their driving abilities and a written test to reduce the number of accidents that were common nationwide. Because automobiles were new, people were not accustomed to cars’ power and often drove too fast or too recklessly. By 1918 all states required license plates made from porcelain enamel on steel, although sizes did varied until 1956.
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| 1915 New Jersey Vehicle Registration for Arthur H Bonsor Front |
According to
Arthur H Bonsor’s New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicle Registration Card, he
owned a 1911 Packard, 4 cylinder, 30 horse power, Model 30 Touring car in
1915. He paid $15 to register the
vehicle and carried a 1915 NJ Automobile Driver’s License allowing him to drive
a car of 30 and greater Horse Power. He
paid a $4 fee for his license in Camden, NJ.
He probably had this car for several years although I don’t have any
paperwork to prove this. He obviously
enjoyed the luxury 7 passenger touring car and could afford them. At this time he was 49 years old and living
with his wife Margaret and his two daughters Ethel (23) and Alice (21).
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| 1915 New Jersey Vehicle Registration for Arthur H Bonsor Back |
According to
the 1916 Vehicle driver’s license he purchased a new car, a 1914 Packard, 6
cylinder, 82 Horse Power, Model 3-48, Touring car and kept it through
1917. The list price for this vehicle
was $4,850, which in today’s value is $113,883.
Ethel and Alice drove this car in the 1916 Camden Civic Celebration
Parade on May 19. The Philadelphia
Inquirer printed a picture of them with the headline: “Pretty Girls Play Prominent Part in
Spectacle for Civic Celebrations”. They won 1st place in their
division according to the paper. So we
know that Ethel and Alice learned to drive and must have enjoyed the freedom of
the road with their friends when they were young. Of course Arthur was also a member of the
Camden Motor Club, the precursor to AAA, in 1916 and successive years.
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| 1914 Packard, Touring, 7, passenger Car, with Ethel Bonsor Driving |
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| 1915 New Jersey Driver's License for Arthur H Bonsor Front |
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| 1915 NJ Driver's License for Arthur H Bonsor Back |
By 1918 the
Vehicle Registration lists another new car, a Packard, 1916, 12 cylinder, 88
horse power, Touring car at a cost of $4440.
That is $101,219 in today’s money.
Arthur must have liked cars and enjoyed the freedom they provided. He also wanted the best in Luxury vehicles by
purchasing the higher-end Packard, when he could have purchased a Ford for less
than $1,000.
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| 1916 Packard Touring Car restored |
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| 1931 Buick De Lux Sedan presented to Ethel Johnson by Arthur |
In the 1931 family
films, Arthur presented a Buick De Lux Sedan, 7 passenger, 8 cylinder vehicle,
to Ethel Johnson for her to drive her 5 children around. He proudly displays it at the curb of 101
Harvard Ave in the film. The children
climbed in and had a great time exploring the car. I am sure it was much needed and used for all
those trips to the beach to see the grandparents.
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| 1931 Buick De Lux Sedan at 101 Harvard Ave. |
It was
interesting to run across these old papers and do a little digging. Arthur must have really liked his cars, purchasing
new ones every two to three years. He
wanted the newest inventions and learns to drive early. Most families did not have cars until the
late 1920’s. He was a wealthy man, so he seemed to enjoy selecting high-priced,
luxury cars for his family. He must have been a forward thinking and liberal
man to allow his daughters to drive these giant, difficult vehicles around
town. It was very dangerous to drive in
the early years with no stop lights, bad road conditions, and the jumbled horse
and wagon traffic. I wonder if Arthur
drove his car onto the ferry across the Delaware River and into Reading
Terminal Market to go to work every day until the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was
built in 1926. He must have driven from
Camden to Margate regularly in these vehicles, and that was a long difficult
drive. It was fun to discover and
research these old papers, I am glad I got a peek into his world and
learned a little more about Arthur
Bonsor and his family.
