Right hand to left hand drive change date
 

With a 36 pickup, a 41 and 42 COE, I normally hang out on the early V8 forum.

But I also volunteer in the photo archives of my county museum.

What I'd like to know is the date range when the U.S. changed over exclusively to left hand steering.

I figure the people here would have a better idea of the time frame of the changeover. I think it was in the teens, but I don't know if it was gradual or all happened in a one or two year period.

That would help in dating old photos that have early cars.


Thanks,

Tom

Re: Right hand to left hand drive change date
 

From old photos, it appears that most US auto companies had gone to LHD from about 1910. A few carried on RHD, Pierce Arrow was one, probably to be 'exclusive' from cheaper cars. A couple of Canadian provinces stayed RHD until the '40's. I would be interested to know whether some US States legistated the change to driving on the right side of the road or if the auto companies decided to standardise assembly for LHD.

Re: Right hand to left hand drive change date
 

In our collection we have photos of a 1911 Franklin with the steering wheel on the right. And a 1915 Franklin at http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/f...tml#item=83212 has the steering wheel on the left.

I think people drove on the right in the early days regardless of which side had the steering wheel. In old photos of cars as well as horse drawn vehicles, people drove on the right here in Oregon.

Tom

Re: Right hand to left hand drive change date
 

I believe it was 1922 that Stutz changed over from right hand drive to left. Locomobile did so about the same time. They were the last holdouts. Most manufacturers had changed by 1915, but most cars were already left hand drive as Henry Ford had started production of the Model T Ford in 1909 as a LHD car. Ford was producing about half the cars made in the USA at the time.

Re: Right hand to left hand drive change date
 

Ah, with Henry flooding the market with left hand drive Model T cars that would have set the standard. Just a matter of time after that for the right hand drive models to follow that lead.

Thanks,

Tom