The Klaxon horn was invented by Miller Reese Hutchinson in 1908. However it become more commonly known as the ‘Ahooga’ horn from the sound it generates. Inside the cylinder housing is spring steel diaphragm, when the top is pressed down, engaging the teeth that are engraved in the metal they rotate through a cog wheel an ahoo sound is made, the gha is made as the wheel slows down.
The Stewart-Warner Speedometer Corporation based in Chicago, Illinois produced these horns that become synonymous with the Ford Model T . Prices ranged from $4.50- $7 through the 1910’s. The Stewart Corp produced a wide range of car accessories, most notably speedometers and a vacuum gasoline system that was featured in many different early cars. By the 1930’s these types of horns were replaced by electric horns that have remained mostly unchanged through today.
This ‘Ahooga’ Horn has been donated to the Sachse museum from a local private collection.
