This has probably been asked before, but was it that easy to steal cars back in the 1930s? It seemed as if Bonnie and Clyde and their gang simply switched from one car to the next without having to hot-wire or do anything to get the car started? Didn't cars have ignition locks back then?
I think Clyde opened the hood of the first car he stole and did something to start it but after that the gang just jumped from one car to the next.
Many cars just had starter buttons back then.
shareReally? I would think that auto theft would be rampant.
shareThey didn't JUST have a starter button (or pedal), they also had keys....however, in many old cars, you could turn the switch to OFF and remove the key, and the switch could be turned back to ON without a key. It had to be turned to LOCK in order to keep others from starting it without a key. Even so, all you would need to hot wire it would be to run a piece of wire from the positive battery post to the + terminal on the ignition coil, and then press the starter button/pedal.
shareI think Clyde opened the hood of the first car he stole and did something to start it but after that the gang just jumped from one car to the next.The fact of the matter is that Clyde stole cars all his life according to his criminal record, so yeah, he likely found it very easy and Penn probably didn't want to keep repeating himself.🐭 share