In the 1870's, there came into existence something that I would have to call a fundamental automotive invention. And this is fascinating, because it pre-dated the discovery of the automobile by a couple of decades.

You might think the automobile was invented, but it was really discovered. The light bulb was invented. The radial arm saw was invented, but not the automobile.

This device was not developed for the automobile, but it wasn't long before every single automobile manufacturer began using it. In fact, every car driven everywhere in the world today uses this device-- and not just one of them, but several.

Here's the interesting part: In over 100 years of use, the basic design has not changed. Even more interesting, in the 1890's or 1900's, when the thing began to be used widely, it cost a dime. In 2006, it costs a dime.



There are plenty of hints here, and hardly any obfuscation, but I'll give you one more hint: Most cars today use 6 or 7 of these.

What is it?

I do not know the answer, But would like to know it.

 

THE WHEEL???

most cars have 4 wheels, 1 spare, 1 steering wheel so thats 6???

just a guess

 

I've never seen a wheel for a dime? I was thinking a fuse?

 

most cars have way more than 6 fuses thou, also bulbs, cars have way more.

 

Dustcaps ?

 

Pullys ?

 

The Porcelain Insulator.................as used on spark plugs?

 

Lightbulb (Edison, 1879)

 

Is that the correct answer or a guess?

 

I reckon it's the answer, but is a guess...

 

what is a dime? ten cents? i reckon a bulb costs more than that

and there are more than 6 or 7

2 x sidelight
4 x headlight
6 x indicator
1 x foglight
2 x reversing light
1 (+) interior lights & dashboard lights

 

it is one of them

 

The rubber blade on the windscreen wiper?

 

Would there be 6 or 7 tho?

 

have you got 6 or 7 wiper blades mike? don't tell me, you got them 70's special double width wipers all round haven't you?

 

Can't believe you put this up and don't know the answer....git!!!

 

I know, That was really fucking stupid of me.

 

bothered

 

Relay???

 

Your final answer, Mike?

 

gears?

 

fooker been thinking for the last 15mins
Best I could come up with was glass but that's not actually cheap

 

Would be my bet as well, as it says they started to be used commercially around 1900 which was when electricity was starting to get widespread and we understood how to generate and harness it.

 

Dry cell batteries were invented in the 1870s, I believe, but not sure they're going to be a dime each either...

 

The Schrader Valve

What do I win?

Neil.

 

that does sound like a possibility!
but the very early cars started with woden wheels didnt they?

 

Not much I recon as the question says 1870's...

I'm stumped

 

PMSL @ suggestions like windscreen wipers, i take it you havent seen many 1870s cars lately mike?


wheel to take a pnumatic tyre seems like a possibility, as im sure ford dont spend any more than about a dime to make a steel wheel cause they press them out in their millions.

 

It says they are on every car, and diesels don have those.

 

maybe chip, but you've only got 5 of those type of wheels and i reckon in steel alone there must be more than a dime's worth

this is pissing me off, because we can't be sure that there is an answer or what it is. where did you get it from Benni cos it's only mentioned in one place on the net as far as i can find, and it's without the solution

 

lol at you trying to cheat, i did the same

that website does q's and a's every week by the looks of things - anwer on monday!

 

The lead wheel weights?
Bearing's?

 

Just to clarify:

[/several(a): (used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many; "several letters came in the mail"; "several people were injured in the accident

Several does not mean 6 or 7 only.


Oh, and I though it was the wiper blade too.

 

Apart from the fact that it was stupid of me to suggest this on the number count, it clearly states that it WASN'T originally designed for cars (as there weren't any in the 1870s (which it also clearly states) .

However, I "thought" that wiper blades had been used elsewhere (ship glass in heavy seas) before they became universally used in the automotive world . It least it was a considered answer .

 

glass windows?! just a guess!

 

I'd have said the incandescant bulb since it's cheap and was invented in the 1970's, plus I think modern cars probably only use around 6 or 7 these days.

But it already mentions the light bulb.

I thought another possibility would be something to do with gears since most cars use 6-7 gears but I can't think of a cheap device used here.

It must be something really fundemental to apply to all cars everywhere.

 

http://www.cartalk.com/content/puzzl...617/index.html Is where it came from

 

Mirrors

 

I don't think it's the schrader valve (six or seven used)

Looked up obfuscation...

Obfuscation refers to the concept of concealing the meaning of communication by making it more confusing and harder to interpret.

Obfuscation may be used for other purposes. Doctors have been accused of using jargon to conceal unpleasant facts from a patient. Author and doctor Michael Crichton has claimed that medical writing is a "highly skilled, calculated attempt to confuse the reader". [1]. Similarly text-based language, like gyaru-moji and some forms of leet are obfuscated to make them incomprehensible to outsiders

The writer says "There are plenty of hints here, and hardly any obfuscation"

Plenty of hints = mentioned the light bulb

Hardly any obfuscation = there is some

I rest my case

 

I think the real clue is in the first few words:

"In the 1870's, there came into existence"

WTF i.e. not an invention as such ??????????????