Hand Crank A Car To Start It
| Field | Automotive |
| Went Obsolete | 1960s |
| Made Obsolete By | Electric starter |
| Knowledge Assumed | Minimal |
| When useful | When electric starter has died or no starter present |
Cars manufactured in the early part of last century included a hand crank which can be or must be used to turn over the engine and start the combustion cycle. This is analogous to the lawn mower which requires a cord-pull to start. Subsequent inclusion of a standard electric starter and more reliable batteries made this operation obsolete. Old timers will remember not to wrap your thumb around the crank in case it kicks back.
However, some cars (Isuzu Bellett, Triumph TR/Spitfire, MG 'Midget', various Fiat and Mercedes) came with crank handles as well as starter motors until as late as the mid 1970s and as these cars are still going strong there are a few people with fond memories of having to crank them by hand.
Being a poor University student myself not too long ago I remember having to crank a Bellett to get it started after the starter motor packed it in and I couldn't afford to fix it. Fun times.