Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-22
WOULD MAKE
NEW RECORDS
AUTO DEALERS SEEK FAST TIME
HoNoRs
OTHER THINGS BESIDE TIME
ARE SMASHED
Ending Quick Run with Car in Good
Condition Is the Achievement
Most Beneficial to the
Trade
BY L. GEO. THOMPSON

Breaking automobile records is the
popular performance these days ana
several of the local dealers are after
the honors that go with fast time made
between cities of Southern California.
When the public reads of record
breaking runs it often is not furnished
with a record of other things broken,
such as springs, tires and wheels.
When a motorist makes a record and
al the same time brings his car through
so that it is in shape to use for demon
atrating he has done more for the
trade than all of the drivers VINO tear
across the country at breakneck ana
break-car speed. What a prospective
buyer of a motor car wants TO know
is what he can do with the car he may
buy without having to throw it on the
Junk pile after he has finished tour,
and for that reason the trips that have
been made by Paul Renton recently
are of great value to the motor trade.
First Renton drove to San Diego
and took a considerable slice from the
former time and used his car IN DEM
onstrating upon it's arrival there. With
no other work than filling the tanks
he drove back to Los Angeles, not try
ing to make a record, but came within
q half hour of the time OF his down
trip time. When the car was returned
to the garage in this city it needed
only washing to be ready for Its reg
ular demonstrating work.
Last week Renton decided to go to
the Fresno automobile show, and with
two other men in his Great Smith
forty horse power roadster he made
the trip to Fresno in sixteen hours and
fifteen minutes, which was nearly five
hours better than that established by
Mares some time ago.
As that took all of Renton's thunder
from him he started back the next
morning and made the trip down in
fourteen hours and fifteen minutes.
Forgetfulness of a bad ditch in the
road in Mint canyon cost him the loss
OF an hour. He hit the ditch after
making a sharp turn and the front
wheels came to an abrupt stop, while
the back of the car went high in the
air and swung around, so that to get
across the ditch it was only necessary
TO back up.
An examination of the car showed
that the front axle was bent at each
end and the steering column was also
injured. BY hammeFing the steering
column with a rock, with boulder
for an anvil, it was finally straight
ened enough to permit its use again.
The springs stood the shock perfectly
anc all other parts of the car We're
uniniured. With this one exception,
which should be blamed entirely to
4ir. Renton on account of his forget
fulness and not to the car, there was
no other trouble.
The tires that were used are a set
Of Goodrich smooth tread castings that
were in the San Diego trip, as well as
Iaving been run for some miles in a
demonstration, and yet they show lit
tie effect of usage.
The absence of tire trouble on the
four fast trips speaks well for the car,
as il must be especially easy on tires,
which, as every motorist knows, are
one of the main items of expense about
a car.
Shelter tried for the record to
Fresno also, but as he took the shorter
route through San Francisquit canyon
hlsi time is not worthy of consideration.
The time made by Harrison would
be more creditable had he not broken
the springs and used up all of his
supplementary tires even being forced
To put larger tire on the front than
the rim was fitted for.
The Great Smith was taken out just
as il came equipped from the factory
and no shock absorbers or straps were
used 10 minimize the bumps and jots.
Ii the car was strapped down and
shock absorbers added it would prob
aLly set pace that would stand for
a long time to come and there is little
ooubt but that Renton would bring
it through in such condition that it
-Culd be i'm shape for demonstration
ana be ready to sell with only the
slightest reduction from its list price,
which would be on account of tire
DEPRECIATION solely