notice the above taxi had a meter on the far side of the vehicle, and the below has one on the near side
A taximeter is a mechanical or electronic device installed in taxicabs and auto rickshaws that calculates passenger fares based on a combination of distance travelled and waiting time. It is the shortened form of this word that gives the "taxi" its name.The modern taximeter was invented by German Wilhelm Bruhn in 1891, and the Daimler Victoria—the world's first meter-equipped (and gasoline-powered) taxicab—was built by Gottlieb Daimler in 1897.
found among hundreds of great old car catalogs at http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/dgkeysearchresult.cfm?word=title_id_list:454055&slabel=Automobiles%253A%2520Manufacturers%2520catalogues%252E&sScope=images&sLevel=1
