MTFCA Forum

Hello,
I have noticed many brass era cars have trolley or I think they are called Bermuda Bells. I heard people used them because horses were comfortable with the bells on the trolleys, but were scared by car horns. Is there any documentation about this?? I like the sound of the bells and I was thinking about putting one on my 1914 touring if it is something people would have done back in 1914.
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Does anyone know much about this??
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They were around in the late 1800s through the late teens and 20s . Still very popular on all varieties of cars and reproduced still today. Yes it’s appropriate to put one on your 1914. I have one on mine.

Don't think horses had anything to do with them. Think advertising was more towards them giving pedestrians a pleasant warning that you were about to run them over if they did not move!

I have one on my '14. The grandkids love it and it's a lot easier to listen to than a Klaxon when the kids insist on using it all the time!

I have a 6v electric one on my '23 touring. Kids love it.

bells seem appropriate for a brass era car. If you have room under the floorboard, why not.

Horses can be easily spooked, one day two ladies were leading two horses along the side of the road as I was approaching in my vehicle they were most jumpy and therefore I stopped, still as they approached my vehicle they became more uncomfortable because the wipers were operating I turned them off and it helped a bit but still very jumpy, I then turned the engine off and they settled some what just enough to pass beside me, I sat there in silence and let the troop pass. I waited until they were about 100 feet past and I restarted my vehicle looking in the mirror both horses jumped about 3 feet in the air and turned sideways then resettled and continued on their way and me also. Still today the Motor Vehicle Regulation state that animals have the right-of-way and you must yield.