So you like cars? You're a fan of swans? You like carved wood? Gadgets are good too? Slightly mental?
104 years ago, this was the quirky result. Personally liking the brushes which were to ensure elephant excrement didn't remain on the tyres. Awesome.
Here's the blurb. Basically the guy loved to show off in his car, wasn't interested in speed, but just wanted attention. Why the hell not.
More info:
"The Brooke Swan Car was commissioned in 1909 by Robert Nicholl Matthewson -- an engineer nicknamed "Scotty" -- and built by England's foremost maker of fairground rides on the chassis of a 30-hp Brooke sedan. The eyes in the head of the swan glow amber, the horn has eight notes so the passenger can play a tune from the rear seat, and the beak of the swan can shoot hot water so that a chauffeur could clear crowded Indian streets of pedestrians. There was even a device that would deposit drops of whitewash behind the car to mimic swan excrement.
While one might think this car alone could spur a revolt, the car was instead a hit among India's wealthy. It was soon bought by the Maharaja of Nabha, who had a tiny companion Cygnet built to match the Swan, and held onto both cars for 70 years. Now stored at the Louwmans Museum in the Netherlands, the pair is en route to California for this month's show, where it will be the centerpiece attraction. If you're going, be careful when walking right behind it."
104 years ago, this was the quirky result. Personally liking the brushes which were to ensure elephant excrement didn't remain on the tyres. Awesome.
Here's the blurb. Basically the guy loved to show off in his car, wasn't interested in speed, but just wanted attention. Why the hell not.
More info:
"The Brooke Swan Car was commissioned in 1909 by Robert Nicholl Matthewson -- an engineer nicknamed "Scotty" -- and built by England's foremost maker of fairground rides on the chassis of a 30-hp Brooke sedan. The eyes in the head of the swan glow amber, the horn has eight notes so the passenger can play a tune from the rear seat, and the beak of the swan can shoot hot water so that a chauffeur could clear crowded Indian streets of pedestrians. There was even a device that would deposit drops of whitewash behind the car to mimic swan excrement.
While one might think this car alone could spur a revolt, the car was instead a hit among India's wealthy. It was soon bought by the Maharaja of Nabha, who had a tiny companion Cygnet built to match the Swan, and held onto both cars for 70 years. Now stored at the Louwmans Museum in the Netherlands, the pair is en route to California for this month's show, where it will be the centerpiece attraction. If you're going, be careful when walking right behind it."