The San Francisco call., 1909-04-21
REGISTRATION OF
AUTOS INCREASES
Secretary of State Curry's Re-
port Shows March to Be
a Banner Month
More Motor Cars Are Trans
ferred Than in Any Pre-
yious Thirty Days
By K. z. PHOmmedfeu

Secretary of State Curry has issued the
report for motor vehicles registered in
California for the month of March.
From the number of motor cars regis
tered and the transfers it is seen that
last month was the banner 80 days in
the history of the automobile in CALI
fornia. Seven hundred and fifty owners
of motor vehicles took out registra-
tions, while the registrations of 104
were transferred. Not since 1905 has
there been such a heavy registration.
The nearest approach to this registra-
tion was in May Of last year, when 637
motor cars were registered, while the
year previous, in the month of May
there We're 613- The records for all
other months were below these figures
In March. 1908, 500 motor cars were
registered; in 1907, 429, and in 1906 293.
In 1908, 81 registrations were trans
ferred; in 1907, 81. and in 1906, S3. The
nearest approach to the record number
of transfers of last month was in De-
cember, 1908 when there were SO
transfers. In April of the same year
80 transfers were recorded.
The year is starting out as If 1t were
going to be the greatest in the history
L
first three months of the year the rec
ords show that 1,740 motor cars were
registered. This means at a conserva-
tive value of $4,000 each that Califor-
mans have spent for motor cars alone
in 80 days, $5,4S2,000 During the same
period 238 motor cars have changed
registration. From the reports among
the dealers it would not be surprising
If the month Of April overshadowed the
record for March.
The registration of chauffeurs is also
interesting, inasmuch as during March
it reached the high water mark. The
records show that 314 licenses were
taken out. Only once before has this
number been reached. in September,
1908 The nearest approach to this
number was in August. 1907, when 2S7
licenses were recorded.
Montague Roberts, the racing driver
who has handled entries in nearly all
the important races
Roberts Tries Years los tue has ' BEEN ee1
Herreshoh Car appointed m to the
engineering board
of the Herreshoff motor company of
Detroit. Roberts in his work at De-
through stiff PAGES He drove one of
Detroit to Pontiac over frozen roads,
averaging speed of more than 80
miles an hour He drove the car last
week over the so miles in less than
an hour. with the roads in good shape
and showed 54 miles over measured
course. He took the first Herreshoff
runa bout to New York and showed
measured mile in it in 81 seconds, a
trife better than SO miles an hour.
For a car geared low and not built for
speed it is pretty good travelling.
D. E. Whitman. local agent for the
Regal cars, has received word from
the home office
of Regal mest successful
of the season was
the Snowfall Limited run of a Regal
80 horsepower stock car from Detroit
to- Syracuse The test was the result
of the assertion that there was not a
moderate priced car that could make
the run of roads that were considered
almost impossible. The Regal took
up the glove, and the start was made
The little car bucked against the most
tying conditions and roads over which
it was hardly possible to travel on ac-
count of the effects of the snow, ice,
sleet. mud and rain, but not a repair
from the time it left Detroit until it
arrived in Syracuse, and the trip was
made on schedule time.
Frederick Osgood made the trip
around the bay Sunday in his six
---------... cylinder Thomas
rhomas Car for the occasion
.. 11 were Mr.. and Mrs.
Arthur H. Hertz
and Colonel Lyttle. During the whole
trip the motor was only stopped while
the car was on the ferry boat and while
the party was at lunch in San Jose
yet only six and a half gallons of
gasoline were consumed. Osgood re-
ports the roads good on the Alameda
side of the bay and fair on this side.