The Washington times., 1911-09-11
AUTOMOBILE TRADE
GREATLY ADVANCED
BY STOCK CHASSIS
Manufacturers Tell of Prog
ress of Industry in Past
Twelve Months.
By HARRY WARD.

| Nothing can supplant stock chassis as
an index to the progress made In the
automobile industry. is the opinion ex-
pressed by the leading makers.
The advances made In the last twelve
| months were plainly demonstrated In
the stock chassis road races at Elgin
! two weeks ago. For instance, the big
EIgin event at 1858 miles was won last
] year In hours, 81 minutes, and 29S5
seconds, an average Of SIS miles per
hour. This year Zengel won the race In
275 minutes and SO seconds, an average
Of 66.4 miles per hour. This means many
rehnements and new ideas incorporated
In the car since the previous race. This
Is further demonstrated by the fact that
Zengel made no stops for tires, even
though he went at terrific speed, show
Is correct ...
While there is a limit to the high
speed that Is possible to attain in road
racing, each years progress from now
on Will be shown by greater consistency
/ In winning cars and In minimizing Of
J tire wear and mechanical trouble. In
short, stock car road racing has come
| to be a demonstration of attributes the
purchaser may expect in his car.
Coincident with the retirement of the
Alec makers from the racing field comes
| the announcement that Harry Grant,
the famous driver who won the Wander
bile Cup race twice in succession in an
Alco. had also decided to quit the game.
Grant has been one or the most lumi-
! nous stars in the ranks OF the speed
, merchants" and he Will lie missed at
the big events this fan. He has a host
! OF friends among the racing fans, who
| wish for him as much success In any
| new field Of endeavor ne may enter
as he achieved as a racing driver.
4
The waverIey Company, of Indianap-
| oils, has brought out something new in
\ the automobile world-an electric limou-
| sine seating FIVE persons and giving
| the driving occupant wholly unob-
structed view through the front window
/ of the machine. The difficulty that has
! always presented itself when an electric
| of this type has been proposed Is the
| unusual dimensions OF the car. Not
until the present year mas 1t been prac-
| ticable to build an electric with a wheel
base of 104 inches, body sill Of 129
inches, and a length over all of IA
teries, tires, and gears are all necessary
| to give such a car the requisite speed
and mileage.
Claude Miller. of Miller Bros. Ford
| agents in this city, win leave some time
J this week for Detroit. where ne will in
I spect the new Ford plant and arrange
for a larger allotment OF cars.
Acting as official agent of the office
Of public roads, Department of rAgricul-
ture Thomas Wilby Is now making a
transcontinental trip from New York to
San Francisco in the Ohio "Mudnen-"
The tour is being promoted by the
signed to map out routes in the Middle
West, a Pacific slope route from San
Francisco to the Mexican border, and
Southern return route from Los An
L - To
Kansas City, st. Louis, and Washing
| ton. D. C. He will practically make a
| trip around the United States. Mr..
Wiiby is accompanied by his wife, while
| Fred c. Clark Is driving the car.
A special feature of the'trip Is that
| neither camping equipment nor the
usual heavy impedimenta Of transcon-,
tinentalists, such as block and tackle,
vinced." said Mr.: wilby, that the
| need for such equipment has passed.
and that careful driving and a good
strong car with plenty Of horsepower
will pull the transeontinentansss = m tss
public the finest sightseeing rouPd
! trip In the United States, which can be
made by a man and his wife without
hardship. Seeing America is general
maximum amount Of discomfort, but
! we are going to get the maximum
amount Of pleasure out OF 1t. ~
| JTpon the recommendation Of the.
Manufacturers Contest Association, the
| proposed amendment to the reliab8tty
| contest rules to permit Of the running
| of sanctioned tours for other than
registered stock cars which was 70 go
| into effect on January 1, 1912. has been
made Immediately effective and put In
| to force from this date.
A grade " reliability contest, where
arrival on time at controls Is the only
competitive element, may now be run
and participated In by any car with.
out necessity of registration. This
action is the result of the insistant de-
mands on the part of private owners
all over the country who desire to take
part in noa-technical pleasure tours
while still retaining the one competitive
feature Of regularity in arrival at the
end Of each days run. In accordance
with this action, the 1911 Gfidden Tour,
as originally planned, will be run as Q
grade W contest, without technical ex-
animation or registration requirements.
In the event of a tied team score for
the Glidden Trophy, the winner viii be
decided by lot.
An announcement of interest to the
motor car industry is that the Hupp
Corporation Is about to enter the gaso-
lene car field. Heretofore the corpora
ton has confined its producing efforts
to the Hupp-Yeats electric. Now Il Is
ready to begin the manufacture Of
gasolene car to be known as the r. c.
H., being named for r. c. Hupp, presi-
dent Of the Hupp Corporation. In many
cars Of its type and its advent is being
awaited with interest. ~.