The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-03
FIRST WINNER OF VANDERBILT CUP
 STILL RUNNING
Loco" Built In 1906 Is Still Doing
 Duty

0ne of the most interestin cases of durability in automobiles is the rec ord of old Number 16'' the first win ner of the Vanderbilt cup. This car, built in 1906 for the fastest kind of work, and very light so as to come under the weight limit of 2204 pounds, is now running every day right here in Connecticut.
 In 1908 it won the Cup and for the first time gave to the world notice that from now on America would have to be reckoned with in the race for su- premacy. Before this year no Yankee built car had done more than make a good showing, but in 1908 the Bridge port Car reeled off lap after lap at a higher rate of speed than had ever been made before, and won hands down.
 MT. Andrew Ril1er designed the car throughout and it had four huge cyl finders ' 1-4 inches in diameter, the stroke being but 6 inches. The pis- tons looked as large as a silk hat. When the crank shaft came into the factory machine shop for finishing it weighed nearly 800 pounds, but when ready for assembling it only weighed 75 pounds. MT. Herreshoff told MT. Riker at that time that the pistons and crank shaft were in themselves real engineering achievement. The wheel base was only about 10S inches in order to facilitate the easy turn ing of sharp corners during the race. The gearing was interesting as the counter shaft revolved at the same speed as the crank shaft and a motor speed of 1900 revolutions corresponded to a speed of 120 miles an hour. The average speed of the car during 1908 race was not far from seventy miles an hour and a sister car now dismant- led finished second officially.
 Looks Like New.
 The question may be asked: What has become of this old veteran? How does it happen that such very light high powered racer should be ap- propriate for private driving and able to hold together after so many long seasons during which the modern car has been developed? MT. Joseph Ses- sions of The Sessions Foundry Com pany of Bristol, Connecticut, will tell you that/he has been driving the old racer for years and with the greatest pleasure and satisfaction. He has had all the metal parts nickel plated and the car looks like new, and indeed is in good style as it was originally very low built. Only the short wheel base makes the car look a trif1e short MT. Sessions is @ very slight and mild hammered person, but remarks that no one has ever attempted to pass him on the road. I am an old friend of MT. Sessions and asked him once how fast he had ever gone. He re- piled that once he had the speedome-
 
 that he found that he had to watch 1 the road. George Robertson, the old driver, used to say that it was a nice little car but not very fast. Of course, MT. Sessions may be considered a very i good person to have such a car as he { is one of the first autom obile owners in Connecticut.
 It was the policy of the company to never sell the car; but as the in 1 terest in the Vanderbilt races waned and as MT. Sessions was very impor- | tunate, the company finally consented l to part with the relic. It could not 1 have found a more appreciative and | better owner and instead of rusting in 1 some obscure corner, it is a continual reminder as one sees it on the road, l that nearly 5 years ego an American 1 engineer was able to design a car that | would not only win an international contest but prove itself a practical road car half a generation later, de- ] spite the fact that when it was de- signed the weight was limited to 2204 pounds, by a rule of the Vanderbilt. l This makes it's record all the more | impressive. The car never fails to at 1 tract attention wherever it goes, as 1 the Old Number 16 is still carried, and 1 this being the case MT. Sessions has | l-i t0 oShj tn6 at the Automobile Show.