Discussion
Turbobanana said:
Looks like an early form of cruise control (or tempomat, speedostat). Also looks French, judging by the acute accent on the first E of RÉSERVE.
I don't think that is an acute accent, I think it just a bit of grubbiness!Surely 'route' would be 'itinéraire' if it was French?

Doesn't answer the question but it's a 1938 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Saloon.
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
Cranked said:
Doesn't answer the question but it's a 1938 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Saloon.
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
I know. https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
DodgyGeezer said:
Doofus said:
Lancias were all RHD until the 1950s.

Not sure whether that is true but logical. It could also be that it made it easier to nip into the shops when abandoning the car at the side of the road.
Doofus said:
Cranked said:
Doesn't answer the question but it's a 1938 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Saloon.
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
I know. https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
Doofus said:
Cranked said:
Doesn't answer the question but it's a 1938 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Saloon.
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
I know. https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
But you didn't bother to mention it, even when people were suggesting it was French. Cranked said:
Doofus said:
Cranked said:
Doesn't answer the question but it's a 1938 Lancia Astura Pininfarina Saloon.
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
I know. https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1938-lancia...
But you didn't bother to mention it, even when people were suggesting it was French. Deefor62 said:
DodgyGeezer said:
Doofus said:
Lancias were all RHD until the 1950s.

Not sure whether that is true but logical. It could also be that it made it easier to nip into the shops when abandoning the car at the side of the road.
Deefor62 said:
DodgyGeezer said:
Doofus said:
Lancias were all RHD until the 1950s.

Not sure whether that is true but logical. It could also be that it made it easier to nip into the shops when abandoning the car at the side of the road.
) until the last city to switch to driving on the right was Milan in (IIRC) 1929.It gets stranger...
Many French cars retained right hand drive, despite driving on the right, until the 1950s. This seems to have been partly due to snobbishness – it implied that one always or sometimes had a chauffeur who found it more convenient to step out directly onto the pavement to open the rear door for his passengers.
Up to the 1920s many American, Italian and German cars came only with right hand drive and American fire engines favoured this layout up to the early 1930s. In general it was cheaper cars for owner-drivers that had left hand drive in their homelands, examples being the first Chevrolets, Citroens and Opels. Hence why all pre-war Bugattis are rhd...??
The safety aspect is aother as said- Italiann trucks up to the 50s were rhd
Italy was odd, as above: towns with 25000+ inhabitants could choose. Milan and Turing drove on the left. Genoa hsd no real rule and visitirs were advused to stop and ask before entering!
In 1926, the following drove on the left: Austria, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden, Croatia, Slovenia and parts of Switzerland closest to Italy. Not surprisingly the British Empire followed Britain’s lead as did bordering countries and several that adjoined the main route to the East via the Suez Canal.
At the start of 1946 China switched to the right but Japan and Hong Kong stayed on the left. Korea had driven on the right, but was forced to the left after it was invaded by Japan in the 1930s and then moved back to the right in 1946. Conversely Paris in 1911 nearly switched to the left because the lack of visibility when overtaking with a right hand drive car from the right to left hand side of the road.
Oddly, maritime law is that ships pass on the right, which sort-of makes them lhd...
Many French cars retained right hand drive, despite driving on the right, until the 1950s. This seems to have been partly due to snobbishness – it implied that one always or sometimes had a chauffeur who found it more convenient to step out directly onto the pavement to open the rear door for his passengers.
Up to the 1920s many American, Italian and German cars came only with right hand drive and American fire engines favoured this layout up to the early 1930s. In general it was cheaper cars for owner-drivers that had left hand drive in their homelands, examples being the first Chevrolets, Citroens and Opels. Hence why all pre-war Bugattis are rhd...??
The safety aspect is aother as said- Italiann trucks up to the 50s were rhd
Italy was odd, as above: towns with 25000+ inhabitants could choose. Milan and Turing drove on the left. Genoa hsd no real rule and visitirs were advused to stop and ask before entering!
In 1926, the following drove on the left: Austria, Hungary, Portugal, Sweden, Croatia, Slovenia and parts of Switzerland closest to Italy. Not surprisingly the British Empire followed Britain’s lead as did bordering countries and several that adjoined the main route to the East via the Suez Canal.
At the start of 1946 China switched to the right but Japan and Hong Kong stayed on the left. Korea had driven on the right, but was forced to the left after it was invaded by Japan in the 1930s and then moved back to the right in 1946. Conversely Paris in 1911 nearly switched to the left because the lack of visibility when overtaking with a right hand drive car from the right to left hand side of the road.
Oddly, maritime law is that ships pass on the right, which sort-of makes them lhd...
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