Despite what you may have heard, the Amish aren?t against technology. Communities adopt new gadgets such as fax machines and business-use cellphones all the time?as long as the local church approves each one ahead of time, determining that it won?t drastically change their way of life.
So it is with the Amish horse-drawn buggy. You might have thought the technology inside this 1800s method of transportation stopped progressing right around then. Instead, buggy tech keeps advancing, and buggy makers have become electricians and metalworkers to build in all the new tech you can’t see under the traditional black paint.
One builder in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, was rather busy when we spoke. In a half-hour, four people called in to discuss orders. Amish people often shy away from using their names and businesses in publication, but one of the shop’s builders was happy to talk about all the new systems being developed for this old technology. Brakes
Buggy brakes are automotive-style, non-powered drum or disc brakes mounted to two wheels. When a driver wants to stop, he or she halts the horse using the reins and halts the buggy by stepping on the brake pedal so that it doesn’t run into the horse. Our builder estimates 90 percent of buggy buyers stick with drums, in part because of the old-fashioned aesthetics?braking systems on buggies are very visible?and partly because all drum components can be made in Amish communities.

?Back in the ?60s, a local Amis...