Automobiles: ‘The instrument of death’
Book traces early history of automobiles on P.E.I.
Rudy Croken took to automobile at an early age.
His fascination never steered away from this celebrated mode of transportation.
“I think mainly the style and the lines and the colour,’’ Croken said in trying to pin down the strong personal appeal of the automobile.
“The cars in the 50s and 60s were great colours and design. They are the cars I probably relate to more than any others.’’
President of the P.E.I. Antique Car Club, Croken, 69, enjoys taking his 1952 Pontiac and his 1971 Buick LeSabre for a drive.
“A lot of heads turn and a lot of people today relate to those cars,’’ he said.
Awhile back, Croken started researching the history of the automobile on Prince Edward Island. He became fascinated with the prolonged – and very heated - debate over banning the motor vehicle in P.E.I.
“It just seemed crazy that people would not want such a great invention,’’ he said.
However, after his research, he understood what all the fuss was about. The Island had a strong connection to horses, rather than automobile’s horsepower.
“It was a horse culture,’’ said Croken, a retired school teacher who lives in Kensington with his wife Ruth.
“I think it was a way of life… I think it was a real threat to many peoples’ lifestyle.’’
“It’s a fascinating story,’’ he added.
So Croken decided to write a book about it.
The result is called Ban the Automobile: Instrument of Death, a 220-page book which traces in chronological order the early history of the automobile on Prince Edward Island.
Highlights include detailing the arrival of a steam-driven automobile in 1902, four gasoline-powered autos in 1905, a campaign to ban the seven automobiles on the Island in 1908, and a 12-year struggle for it to be granted “Freedom of the roads” in 1919.
The book will be launched Saturday, May 6th at the Confederation Centre Library at 2 pm.
Books will be available in Charlottetown at Don MacFarlane Books and Crafts, Charlottetown Farmers’ Market; and Phillips Auto Centre on the Sherwood Road, at Murphy’s Pharmacy in Kensington, at the Cardigan Garage and at Stew- art and Beck’s Home Hardware in Montague.