The history of the improvement of every mechanical invention or device is the history of its simplification. From crude beginnings with many parts they have been brought to common things that every one can understand with little difficulty. The growth of and improvement of the automobile is not an exception.

It was therefore with the sole object of simplifying matters that the late Byron J. Carter set to the task of inventing a more simple transmission for use in automobiles. To overcome an annoying feature the quickest way is to eliminate it. He, therefore, determined to avoid clutch and geared transmission troubles by applying the principles of friction as then used in some factories for transmitting power. His device was a complete success from the beginning. Exhaustive tests proved the correctness of the idea. The Motorcar Company, which was organized to build them, proceeded at once to market the product. That was four years ago. When the Cartercar was exhibited at the show that year it was the first friction driven car ever shown. Many were the jokes sprung at its expense. To-day there are over thirty different makes of friction-driven cars on the market.

At first it was stated by the competition that the car would never be a success. The public took the matter differently. The simplicity of the whole appealed to them. That has been the keynote of the Carter car's friction drive from that day to this— “its simpleness.”

By this form of construction we are able to do away entirely with any clutch—change speed gears, universal joints, grease packings or gear boxes, &c. This overcomes the difficulty of the transmission getting out of alignment and dragging, an evil all manufacturers of that type would give considerable to avoid.

Perhaps one of the features which commends the friction drive of the Cartercar to the greatest number is its unapproachable flexibility. Without the motor racing the car can be easily driven behind a loaded truck on a crowded city street, or it can be speeded up to forty miles an hour. It has a thousand speeds, ranging from zero up. Because of this feature the friction-driven car is very easy to control. The single-speed lever can be set at any position desired to meet any road condition, and the car will continue running as smoothly as can be. It reduces the risk of accidents to a minimum. In fact, it seldom becomes necessary to remove the hands from the steering wheel.

In combination with the friction drive a chain housing is now used which permits the chain to run in a bath of heavy oil, and protects it from all dust and dirt. This makes it run as smoothly as can be, and in combination with the friction drive actually makes the car run as quietly as an electric.