Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-12
DO AUTOMOBILE
CONTESTS HELP?
MANUFACTURERS AND USERS
ARE benefited
Results Attained Stimulate and For-
ward Industrial Progress, and
Great Expense Justified by
Good Results

Long drawn out and methodical au-
tomobile tours, high speed road con-
tests, exciting track races, dangerous
hill and mountain climbs-what do they
accomplish? Are they worth while?
Why do manufacturers indorse them2
Do such contests benefit the man on
the street, the conservative Individual
who seldom wants to go fast or far,
but is content with a comfortable fam
lily car? The answer is found in q
|. slightly different Interpretation than
was originally intended in the old
phrase, Competition is the Life of
Trade" For in the automobile busi-
ness there are competitions of two
kinds-the old but ever present dollars
and cents competition, where price is
paramount, and competitions of quali-
ty as BELTS a luxury providing indus
try, wherein first cost is secondary
and rivalry is keen among makers to
prove the superior design, construction
and finish of their cars, and that they
possess greatest possible speed and en-
durance.
The Glidden tourists travelled 2640
miles and took three weeks to do it. At
the recent Brighton Beach, New York
contest, a number of cars covered half
that distance In "a hours on a short
and poorly prepared track. 4
What did each contest prove? Was
the easy and long drawn out jaunt of
the "Gliddenites' the, best test of en-
gine and magnetic and transmission and
tires, or was the 24-hour grind at
Brighton of greater value to the aver
age man is deciding which car to buy?
Then, again, what is proved by heart
breaking mountain climb like the his
toric Giants Despair at Wilkesbarre,
with it's dangerous turns and fearfuliy
steep incline, or the ascent of the two
hills at Algonquin, ILL.,, where the Chi
cago Automobile club had eighty-five
cars in competition recently?
Do the results of long distance road
races like the Denver Motor clubs 290-
mile contest on July 5, or the Crown
Point, Ind, road races of June 18 and
10 for the Indiana and Cobe trophies,
respectively, convey any valuable in
formation to the average man who sim
ply wants the best car he can buy for
himself and family?
To all of these questions the answer
must be in the affirmative. Automo-
bile contests of all kinds are of the
greatest value possible, If the results
are properly interpreted, covering such
important subjects as durability, econ
omy and safety. Stock car competi-
tions are of far greater value than are
special events for racing machines. and
are much more popular this season
than ever before. If a certain make
Of automobile wins frequently in con-
tests of various kinds, which impose
conditions that are well calculated to
test it's components severely, it is
safe assumption that 1t is better car
than another making less favorable
showing.
Long distance tours are good tests
of general reliability, but the rules are
usually so strict and minute that many
good cars are penalized out of leading
positions by minor difficulties that
would mean nothing detrimental in
every day service. One set of rules to
govern a number of cars each operat-
ing under entirely different conditions,
and each subjected to unforeseen diff
culties that may not be presented to