Early car trip to Dundee was greater than a royal visit

With a tip of their hats and a cheery wave, four men launched Dundee into the motoring era. They were Mr JS Buchan, Mr William Nicoll, directors of Dundee and District Tramway Company, an unnamed reporter from The Courier and driver Mr J Deas. It was 1898 and they made a two-hour train journey to Stirling to collect the first car to be used for public transport in the city.

The purchase had been debated by the tramway for about two years. Some directors were in favour of a steam bus but it was considered too dirty and unwieldy, so a two-cylinder Daimler was bought.

The car was waiting for the four men when they arrived in Stirling and so was a heaving crowd. They were cheered as they inspected the vehicle and the throng went into rapture as they pulled away at 10.25am.

Within 10 minutes they were in Bridge of Allan and, travelling at up to 12mph, they were in Dunblane before they knew it.

“Surely no royal pageant was the subject of more talk than this motor car,” wrote The Courier reporter.

“Old men and old women crept from thatched cottages to catch a glimpse of the latest novelty.”

But it was only a glimpse, the reporter noted because the vehicle was travelling so fast it was out of sight before villagers could compose themselves.

Ploughmen dropped their tools in terror as this “pneumatic horse” thundered by and grazing beasts fled. “Blacksmiths were unable to express their thoughts in words and stood shaking their heads,” our man reported. There was no word of their passage through Auchterarder but it was noted the hoary headed auld chiels of Aberuthven were mystified.

At 3pm, four-and-a-half hours after leaving Stirling, the party entered Perth in triumph.

Cars were not entirely a novelty there and some residents were blasé. Others, however, shuddered with apocalyptic fear.

The Daimler raced into Dundee at 5pm, threaded its way through streets clogged with whinnying horses and completed the 50-mile journey in just short of six hours.

Blacksmiths stood shaking their heads