Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-02-18
AMERICAN CARS
NOW In DEMAND
FRENCH LEAD is BEING CUT
DOWN
Parisians View With Alarm Enter
prise of Foreign Manufacturers.
Campaign to Be Waaed Call .
ing for State Associations

To follow the leaders of the process
sion is not the accustomed role of the
American manufacturer, and the Sec
ondary place occupied by the automo-
bile construction industry in this coun-
try in comparison with France has
been a matter of some surprise to those
familiar with the circumstances. Motor
car experts and devotees among the
| French have themselves expressed no
| little wonder at the failure of the car
makers of this country to be at least
even with the foremost in the produce
| ton of the most speedy and elegant
machines. For some years the Yankee
manufacturer has felt and recognized
the reproach, which has had it's whole
SOME effect. A steady advance has
been recorded until machines are now
being turned out which in every re-
spect rival the best produced in the
leading foreign factories. In testimony
of this is the frank admission of a
prominent Paris automobile expert,
who declares that the American man
ufacturers have made wonderful pro-
gress in the past few years in the con-
struction of high-grade automobiles.
| He goes even farther and predicts that
it will not be many years before Amer
lean machines are found taking first
place on the great highways of Europe.
Runabouts Are Famous
1t is recognized that the American
| factories have been producing as fine
| light weight automobiles as were made
anywhere else in the world. The fame
of the American "runabout' has spread
far and wide. Its capacity for speed
and its durability have won for it a.
remarkable popularity. 1t was in the
production of the larger and more
elaborate cars that the manufacturers
in this country were behind their for
| eign competitors.
There are good reasons to be offered
| in explanation of the former deficiency
In the first place. the foreign makers
| got the start on their American
brethren, and in the second place,
automobiling has received more en-
couragement in many foreign countries
than it has here. This is especially
true of France. From one end to the
other that country is literally covered
with magnificent roads, where it is
a pleasure and often profit to speed
| the big machines. So it is natural in
France to have great road races, which
have done much in the way of educat-
ing designers as to what materials are
best suited for hard wear and what
| types of machine are best fitted for
great and sustained trials of speed. In
this respect they enjoy a natural adj
vantage over the American designers
| and makers.
The demand for earlier automobile
shows is now making itself felt in
Paris. The big Olympia show in Lon
| don last November was viewed by the
French motor car manufacturers with
some alarm, as hitherto Paris has al
ways held the first big show in De-
cember. Now some of the leading
French autoists are agitating the sub
! ject of holding their show in October,
which would still bring them in first
place and a month ahead of the Eng
! fish exhibit.
| A vigorous campaign is to be waged
by the American Automobile associa-
| ton this spring to organize the clubs
| in different states into state associ-
atoms. The organization has been
| growing steadily, not only in individual
memberships, but by the addition of
new clubs.
with the T. B. Jeffrey company for
twenty years. Mr.. Bennett is the
Rambler sales agent.
Commodore Frederick G.. Bourne of
the New York Yacht club is as fond
OF motoring as he is of yachting. He
owns several cars, including a Gle
ment-Bayard.
John D. Spreckels of the Spreckels
Sugar company and the Oceanic
Steamship company is vice-president
of the Automobile club of California.
Mime. Nordica, the famous actress
travels everywhere in her motor car.
She is not very fond of closed vehicles,
preferring the open kind
Mrs. Peter Cooper Hewitt owns a
fine Renault, in which she and her
husband are often out a motoring.
+. Amos Pinchot owns one OF the Pan
ihards which will be seen at Albany
this month.
Lewis Cass Ledyard is the owner of
numerous motor cars, one Of which is
Panhard of late design.
Mr.. Charles G.. Gates, son of John
W., is proud of a 60-horse power F. l.
A. L. which he recently purchased.
Payne Whitney has recently added a
Columbia electric to his stable.
G. K. G.. Billings. the gas magnate
has over a dozen gasoline motor cars
and one electric.
Mr.. and Mrs George ]. Gould spend
a great part of their time touring here
and abroad
/ Mr.. Cornelius Vanderbilt owns sew
eral motor cars and rarely spends q
day without taking a trip in one OF
them. Mrs. Vanderbilt Is also ex-
tremely fond Of the sport.
Mr.. Barclay Warburton Of Philadel-
phia has built a motor house at his
country place.
Col. lie Grande b. Cannon, who built
the Union Pacific railroad, Is 30 years
old. but is able to attend to his extern
sive business interests. He and
James j. Hill are frequently seen a
motoring.
Walter l.. Suydam of Long Island
has one Of the most unique garages IA
the country There is not a particle
of wood in its construction, and the
doors open automatically as car
passes In on out. The walls. door and