Saturday 29th February 1908

A standardisation test on three random Cadillac cars began under the watchful eye of the Royal Automobile Club at the Brooklands track, Surrey, England. The cars were driven around the track for 50 miles and then taken to a garage and locked up before being dismantled. The frames were stacked up and the 721 parts from each car was piled on the floor. The parts were then mixed up so that it was impossible to identify the parts that had come from a particular vehicle. A few days later mechanics began assembling the cars. No filing or reshaping of parts was allowed. The first car, ready after two days was filled with oil, petrol, and water as required and started first time. The other two cars were finished on March 10th and they also started first time. All three cars were then driven on a 500 mile ride at full throttle. This test was the first step towards a heightened reputation for American cars overall as well as proving the concept of interchangeable parts to be a valid one.