Imagine Henry Ford, hot off the success of the moving assembly line and the Model T, decides to invent a convenient and easy-to-use gas nozzle that fits a Model T gas tank exclusively. It has a tapered square spout and locks nicely into the vehicle.
Now suppose William Crapo Durant on his way to building General Motors Corp. into a world-class automaker decides to join other manufacturers in using a commonly available round gas nozzle. How inconvenient would filling up become?
kAm(92E :7 J@FC 46==A9@?6 @C E23=6E FD65 2 DA64:7:4 <:?5 @7 492C8:?8 4@??64E@C 3FE 2?@E96C A@AF=2C 46==A9@?6 FD65 2? 6?E:C6=J 5:776C6?E DEJ=6 4@??64E@Cn %92E E@@[ H@F=5 36 :?4@?G6?:6?E 3FE AC@323=J H@F=5?’E =62G6 J@F DEC2?565 D:?46 46==A9@?6 492C8:?8 4@C5D 2C6 D>2== 6?@F89 E@ 7:E :? J@FC A@4<6E 2?5 2C6 2G2:=23=6 6?@F89 E@ 7:?5 3FC:65 F?56C 2 D62E 4FD9:@?]k^Am
kAm}@H[ 2AA=J E9:D D2>6 :DDF6 E@ 492C8:?8 2 42C[ DA64:7:42==J 2 7F==J 6=64EC:4 42C =:<6 2 %6D=2] $66>D AC6EEJ D:>A=6] %6D=2’D 366? 2C@F?5 7@C 2 H9:=6 ?@H 2?5 :ED 72DE 492C86CD 2C6 A@AA:?8 FA[ 6G6? 96C6 :? E96 (9:E6 |@F?E2:?D]k^Am
kAm%96 :DDF6[ =:<6 ECJ:?8 E@ 492C86 J@FC p?5C@:5 H:E9 2? :!9@?6 4@C5[ :D H96? J@F AF== FA E@ 2 %6D=2 72DE 492C86C H:E9 J@FC 7F==J 6=64EC:4 wJF?52: x~}x" d Wx 5:5?’E ?2>6 :EX 2?5 C62=:K6 E96 DBF2C6 |@56= % ?@KK=6 H@?’E 7:E J@FC C@F?5 qF:4< 82D E2?<[ @C D@>6E9:?8 =:<6 E92E]k^Am
kAm%6D=2 C646?E=J C6=62D65 2 3=@8 A@DE WE96 >@56C? 52J G6CD:@? @7 2 AC6DD C6=62D6X DE2E:?8 :ED 56D:8? 2?5 DA64:7:42E:@? 7:=6D 2C6 2G2:=23=6 7@C 5@H?=@25[ 6DD6?E:2==J @A6?:?8 E96:C 5@@CD 7@C @E96C t' >2<6CD E@ 4@AJ E96:C 492C86 A@CE 56D:8?]k^Am
kAm%96J 4=2:> E@ 36 “24E:G6=J H@C<:?8 H:E9 C6=6G2?E DE2?52C5D 3@5:6D E@ 4@5:7J %6D=2’D 492C8:?8 4@??64E@C 2D 2 AF3=:4 DE2?52C5]” %96J >2J 36 @?E@ D@>6E9:?8] %6D=2’D 56D:8? :D D:>A=6 2?5 4@>A24E[ 42A23=6 @7 FA E@ ` |H sr 492C8:?8]k^Am
kAm%6D=2 :D D@ 4@?7:56?E :? :ED 492C8:?8 4@??64E@C 2?5 492C86 A@CE[ E96J’C6 42==:?8 :E E96 }@CE9 p>6C:42? r92C8:?8 $E2?52C5 @C }pr$] %96J D2J :E’D E96 >@DE 4@>>@? 492C8:?8 DE2?52C5 :? E96 &]$] 32D65 @? G69:4=6 D2=6D 2?5 2G2:=23=6 492C86CD] %6D=2 92D 2=>@DE `[d__ $FA6C492C86C DE2E:@?D 96C6 H:E9 2? 2G6C286 @7 ?:?6 492C86CD A6C DE2E:@?] qFE ;FDE 42==:?8 J@FC AC@5F4E E96 DE2?52C5 5@6D?’E >2<6 :E D@]k^Am
kAm#682C5=6DD @7 %6D=2VD 4=2:>[ >@DE t'D :? }@CE9 p>6C:42 FD6 E96 r@>3:?65 r92C8:?8 $JDE6> 4@??64E@C[ @C rr$] %9:D D6E\FA :D 2? @A6? :?E6C?2E:@?2= DE2?52C5[ >62?:?8 :E 42? 36 FD65 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5] %96 “4@>3:?65” A@CE:@? @7 E96 ?2>6 4@>6D 7C@> :ED 23:=:EJ E@ 36 2 =@H A@H6C EJA6 a D=@H 492C86C @C 255 EH@ 255:E:@?2= sr A@H6C =:?6D 7@C 9:896C G@=E286 72DE 492C8:?8] rr$ 492C86CD AC@G:56 adzH E@ bd_zH E92E 42? 492C86 2 5625 t' 32EE6CJ E@ g_ A6C46?E :? F?56C 2? 9@FC]k^Am
kAmyFDE E@ 255 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 4@>A=:42E:@?[ DFAA@D6 %@J@E2 FD65 2 EC:2?8F=2C D92A65 82D ?@KK=6] *@F 8F6DD65 :E[ E96 AC676CC65 492C86 A@CE 2?5 4@??64E@C @7 y2A2?6D6 t'D :D 42==65 2 rwp56|~[ H9:49 :D 2? 24C@?J> 7@C r92C86 56 |@G6[ E96 ?2>6 @7 E96 G69:4=6 4@?D@CE:F> E92E DE2?52C5:K65 E9:D 56D:8?]k^Am
kAmrwp56|~ 492C86CD 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 42A23=6 @7 ezH\`d_zH[ H9:49 42? 492C86 2 }:DD2? {627 :? =6DD E92? 2? 9@FC]k^Am
kAm{:<6 46==A9@?6D[ E96C6 2C6 252AE6CD 2G2:=23=6 E@ :?E6C492?86 36EH66? t' 492C8:?8 4@??64E@CD[ E9@F89 E92E :D =6DD 4@?G6?:6?E]k^Am
kAm%6D=2 >2J 92G6 2? FA9:== 32EE=6 E@ 36 25@AE65 2D E96 24EF2= }@CE9 p>6C:42? DE2?52C5 D:?46 C646?E 7656C2= :?46?E:G6D =2:5 @FE :? E96 x?7C2DECF4EFC6 x?G6DE>6?E 2?5 y@3D p4E C6BF:C6D ?@?\AC@AC:6E2CJ 492C8:?8 4@??64E@CD DF49 2D E96 rr$]k^Am
kAmqFE 96C6’D H96C6 %6D=2 H2D D>2CE H96? E96J >256 E96:C 56D:8? 7:=6D 2G2:=23=6 7@C 2?J@?6 E@ FD6 7C66 @7 492C86[ H9:49 ?@H >2<6D :E ?@?\AC@AC:6E2CJ] %96 FAD:56 7@C %6D=2 :D :7 E96:C 56D:8? :D 25@AE65 >@C6 C68F=2C=J[ E96 C6EFC? @? :?G6DE>6?E 7@C 6I4=FD:G6 FD6 @7 E96:C 492C86CD >:89E @77D6E E96 =@DD @7 @A6?\D@FC46 A6C>:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ %6D=2[ E96:C $FA6C492C8:?8 ?6EH@C< 92D e_ A6C46?E >@C6 }pr$ A@DED E92? 2== E96 rr$\6BF:AA65 ?6EH@C<D 4@>3:?65 2?5 H:E9 492C8:?8 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 =24<:?8 :E >:89E AC@G6 36?67:4:2= 7@C t' 5C:G6CD[ E@@]k^Am
kAmxE’D A@DD:3=6 E92JlE @?6 DE2?52C5 7@C t' 492C8:?8 4@??64E@CD 2?5 492C86 A@CED H:== 6G6?EF2==J C:D6 E@ E96 E@A[ 3FE :E >2J E2<6 2 H9:=6 2D E96 :?5FDECJ 8C@HD E9C@F89 :ED :?72?4J] p?5 367@C6 J@F 2D<[ ?@[ w6?CJ u@C5 5:5?’E 24EF2==J DA64:7J 2 DBF2C6 82D ?@KK=6]k^Am
kAmk6>mtC:4 2?5 |:496==6 |6=EK6C @H? 2?5 @A6C2E6 uCJ63FC8 |@E@CD[ 2 =:46?D65[ 7F==\D6CG:46 2FE@>@E:G6 D2=6D 2?5 D6CG:46 724:=:EJ 2E ae !@CE=2?5 $E] :? uCJ63FC8[ |2:?6] |@C6 E92? 2 3FD:?6DD[ 42CD 2C6 2 A2DD:@?[ 2?5 E96J 2AAC64:2E6 2?JE9:?8 E92E 5C:G6D[ C:56D[ 7=@2ED @C 7=:6D] u@C >@C6[ 6>2:= k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i7CJ63FC8>@E@CDo8>2:=]4@>Qm7CJ63FC8>@E@CDo8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.