By Pete Vack
There is no doubt that all of us have some connection to the distant automotive past through friends, relatives or experiences. But consider 91-year-old Frank Shaffer, whose great uncle Doctor Carlos Booth had a car constructed to his design at the dawn of the automobile in the 19th century; 125 years later, Frank drives a Smart Car and is witnessing the demise of what we have traditionally known as the automobile. What’s more, in a remarkable set of coincidences, we found that Frank’s great uncle Booth and his remarkable machine was documented by car collector and VeloceToday contributor Paul Wilson.
This incredible story began when I met Frank at a local auto parts store in 2006. He was younger then, zooming around Williamsburg, Virginia, in his three-wheeled motorcycle, having recently and regretfully sold his pontoon Mercedes 190 sedan. [Read more…] about From Horses to Smart Cars