The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-12
A FOREIGN TOUR.
Four Men Contribute Towards
a$3,OOO Competition Cup.
Only Americans VIII Be Allow
ed to Take Part.
TO BE ANNUAL EVENT.
s@-
Proposed Route Will Include
France and Germany.
AIsO.Austria, Italy and Through
the British Isles.
TO BE ANNUAL EVENT:
SUNDAY.

New York. Jan. 12.-With the great
annual Al A. NJ automobile show
in Madison Square garden close, and
the statistics showing thatethe ratio of
cars imported into the United States
to the American-made machines con-
stantly is decreasing, some of the best
known motorists of the American Au-
tomobile association have selected this
time to make known details of an au-
dacious plan to show Europe what
American-built automobiles may do.
William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.. Jeffer-
son D. Thompson, E. r. Thomas and
NJ. J. Rothschild announce that they
have contributed toward a $4,000 gold
cup for a touring competition abroad
and exclusively for American cars. A
preliminary meeting of the motorists
Interested in the novelty-the foreign
Glfdden tour as some critic called it
today-wiH be held in this city on jan
uary Is, when rules governing the
competition will be drafted, a club Sc
lected under which the first years run
may be held and a touring committee
will be agreed. upon. ...-.4
Entrance Fee Set at $1,000.
1.-THE entrance fee for this tour will
be $1,000 for each person said one
OF the promoters 1.-The competition,
and will be held in June and July
through France, Spain, Italy. Austria,
Germany, Belgium and the British
Isles. There are a sufficient number
annually
invade Europe to tour in their Amer
ican-made cars to fill up the official
list of the foreign Glidden tour and
open the eyes of the Europeans to the
merits of the American touring cars
Joseph Tracy, expert in automobile
and maker of the first road test of al
cohol, as a motor fuel, for 1907, to-
day issued the following:
,''It IS not complicated process
the changing of an engine so as to
make it most favorable for the en-
pioyment of alcohol, but it certainly is
too expensive, as regards time as well
as money, to be undertaken by the
average man who owns a gas car and
is satisfied with the service it gives
him. All that is necessary is a raising
OF the compression and a lengthening
OF the connecting rod. but it involves
the taking to pieces Of all the machin-
cry"
For an Automobile Test Track.
The Connecticut legislature will be
asked at this session to issue a charter
to company composed of Hartford
automobile men for the right to built
and maintain a highway to be used ex-
clusively for the fast driving and test
ing of cars manufactured in and
around Hartford. These include Co.
1umbfa, Pope-Hartford, Corbin, Com
pound, Knox and Steyens-Duryea ma
chimes. The highway is to be of ma
cadam and will cost IS, 900 a mile.
The exhibit Of the Electric Vehicle
company at the Coliseum show in Chi
cago in February will be duplicate
of the one shown in this weeks Madi-
son Square Garden show. The west
ern exhibit will comprise touring cars
and hnousines of the twenty-four-
twenty-eight and forty-forty-five horse
power cars, the Mark sixty-six com
bination gasoline and Electric. chassis
of both gasoline cars, the new electric
Victoria phaeton and electric broug-
ham and striking electric hanson,
painted red.
Mabley Talks of the Outlook.
In speaking of American automo-
oiles- and the outlook for 1907, c. R.
Mabley says:
1.-THE coming season should be the
most successful in the history of auto
MODELLING in America. In the last two
or three years, or it might be more
accurate to say in the last year, Amer
lean builders have found trade condi-
tfons such that they were obliged to
improve their products in design, ma
terfaI and workmanship. The cheap
cars produced in this country in the
early days of the industry simply
served as lesson on which to base a
desire for something better
Even now the American cars have
not reached the European standard.