Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-25
TOURIST FACTORY
OPEN TO PUBLIC
HUNDREDS OF GUESTS SHOWN
AUTO IN MAKING
Output from New Quarters Estimated
at Thirty Cars Week-Many
Machines Now In Use
on Coast

The immense new factory of the Auto
Vehicle company. manufacturers OF the
popular Tourist automobile, was thrown
open to public inspection yesterday.
Hundreds of guests were shown through
the many rooms of the factory where
the machines are being made. From the
basement where the machines were being
tested before being sent out, to the paint
ing and trimming rooms on the third
floor, everything was open for inspec-
ton. From the CRIME and heat of the
blacksmith shop to the light airy rooms
on the upper floor. where elegantly
painted machines with their polished
brass trimmings stood in martial array
the guests were conducted.
In one of the finishing rooms upstairs
tables were spread and light refresh
ments served to all corners. In the sales
room downstairs girls in dainty attire
distributed carnations to the visitors.
The object of the reception was to give
people an opportunity of seeing the en-
tire workings of the local factory. To
one who had never seen it the sight was
certainly a revelation. The immense
three-story building facing on Main,
Tenth and Los Angeles streets occupies
nearly half a block. The factory is the
largest of its kind west of Detroit.
Nearly every inch of the 100000 square
feet of floor space is occupied, and over
$50 busy employees swarm within its
walls.
Passing from the sales room the guests
were ushered into where forest of
buzzing machines were grinding out the
various parts that go to make up the
engine of the finished machine. Practt-
cally all of the Tourist automobile is
manufactured in Los Angeles. The cyl
inders are cast by local foundry and
are then ground into shape by specially
adapted machines.
Machines Put Together
Leaving this whirling mass of belts and
pulleys behind the assembling rooms were
next visited Here over thirty machines
were being put together and tested. On
the second floor were more assembling
rooms. Hundreds of car bodies were
stored away in large room on this
floor
Through room after room the visitors
were courteously escorted until they be-
came confused with the maze of passing
objects The trimming rooms, where the
seats are upholstered, the vanishing
rooms filled with the odor of fresh paint
the store room where extra parts are
kent in readiness to replace all broken
parts on a moments notice, the Dlack-
smith shop, the testing rooms In the
basement where twenty engines puffed
through the most rigorous tests before
being turned over to the purchaser, all
a stupendous and awesome sight to the
novice a round of continual delight TO
the mechanic who could grasp the Sig
nifcance of all he saw.
proud display of twenty-six mag
nifcent trophy cups won by the Tourist
cars against many different competitors
In all kinds of races during the past
year, was on exhibition in the sales
room and was continually surrounded
by an admiring throng.
The little two-cylinder Tourist car
holds the worlds record for the twenty
fiye-mile race. The time of this race
was minutes AZ 2-5 seconds. In this
race. which was run at San Bernardino
April 81 of this year, the Tourist car
averaged IL 2-5 minutes for every mile
covered.
The Tourist people boast of over 1900
cars in use in Los Angeles. Agencies
have been established in nearly every
large city along the coast and hundreds
of the Tourist machines are In use
throughout the west. The factory can
turn out thirty machines per week. Yes
terday there were nearly $50 cars In the
factory in various stages of completion.
The sales manager stated they had or
ders three weeks in advance.
The company expects to turn out 1000
machines this year. Well could the Of
ficers be proud as they told the visitors
of the humble beginning of the factory
in 1904 in a small room 20x30 feet square
with $500 capital as starter. Over half
a million dollars was represented in the
machinery and equipment around them