Marmon Speedometer Bracket

This image artifact is derived from a photograph originally published in the January 18, 1910, Indianapolis News. This is more about the state of the automobile at the time than racing. It is a reminder of how basic early cars were in that they did not come equipped with speedometers. Apparently, when owners and their mechanics attempted to "customize" their cars by adding a speedometer, the results were frequently disappointing.
 
The speedometer measured the revolutions of one of the wheels and for some reason, many of the brackets did not have enough clearance when the driver turned the wheel to a certain angle. That gouged the wood spokes and destroyed gears and shafts associated with the speedometer. 
 
What this news item is about is that Nordyke & Marmon had devised a speedometer bracket that came as standard equipment with their 1910 models. This was designed for easy installation of speedometers and to position the assembly with plenty of clearance from the turning wheel. Anyway, that is what I can glean from the following description. Regardless, the main message is to help people today to understand how basic automobiles were in this era.
 
The caption that ran with the original photo read as follows below.
 
"A majority of motorists who have had speedometers attached to their cars will testify to trying experiences with broken shafts and gears and mutilated wheel spokes because of insecure fastening of the speedometer brackets. It is the usual custom to attach fittings to the steering arm, the incumbrance being unsightly and in some cases dangerous. Steering arms are of various shapes and sizes, and while the fittings supplied with speedometers are designed with a view to universal fitting, it is rare that a good job can be secured with them. It is not uncommon to see the spokes of the right front wheel badly mutilated by the speedometer fittings which have become loose and not unfrequently do accidents occur from this same source. To obviate this liability of damage and to mount the speedometer fittingss in a workmanlike manner, the Nordyke & Marmon company has recently bought out a new attachment for which patent has been applied for. It consists of a hexagon nut having a round extension, the nut being fitted to the steering arm forward of the steering knuckle, replacing the usual hexagon nut used at this point. The company has also designed specially strong clamp brackets to suit the various makes of speedometers. These brackets are clamped securely to the extension nut as illustrated. This method avoids incumbrance of the steering arm as will be noted."