The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-18
.HOWDY WILCOX IS
 A COLE ENGINEER
Winner of Last Speedway Event Joins Aero-Eight
 Research Man

Official announcement has just been
 made by the management of the Cole
 Motor Car Company of Indianapolis of the appointment of Howard (Howdy) Wilcox, the famous automobile racing expert, as research engineer of the Cole company.
 | MT. Wilcox brings with him to his new position an experience in the automobile industry extending over a long period of years, having secured his first con nection in 1904.
 Though MT. Wilcox is known to the American motoring public best, perhaps, for his achievements on the automobile race tracks of this country, his work in other departments of motor car activity has been most significant. WAS WITH NATIONAL From 1904, until 1909, MT. Wilcox was employed in various capacities by the National Motor Vehicle Company, and during that period was associated with almost every branch of work conducted l in that plant He has the distinction of being one of the men directly responsi- ble for the development of the first na- tional racing cars, and was member of the first national racing team, wlrsAe signal victories long will be remembered In 1912, MT. Wilcox entered the taxi cab business and through his experience IHCI6 secured an 1nllfndLc knOWloQRe OI the needs of stock cars in active service that would be difficult to gain otherwise. At the same time, however, he kept up his active interest in racing and par. | ticipated in many events on the speed ways of this country.
 During this period MT. Wilcox helped engineer and drove a special racing car which was entered under the name of the | Gray Fox,' winning honors with it in ,, 1913.
 ON STUFF TEAM | In 1915 MT Wilcox was a member of the famous Stutz racing team, and in 1916 and 1919 drove the noted French Peu- geote, winning the 5O0-mile race at the ln- dianapolis Motor Speedway with one of these mounts last year, as 8 member of the speedway racing team. During this connection, MT. Wilcox was associated with the Allison Experimental Company at Indianapolis, specializing on tool and jig work. The Allison experi- mental laboratory fas government re- search station, and it was there that the first Liberty motor was built as well as the first United States tractor motor. Also, the first successful reduction genr to reduce the ratio of aeroplane pro- pellers from the ar-whipping stage to that of maximum efficiency was developed there. Mir. Wilcox was associated active ly with this work.
 This year Mr Wilcox has been retained to represent the Peugeot factory in the 50-mile race at Indianapolis, having as team mates Jules Goux and Andre Boil lot, the two leading French drivers. MT. Wilcoxs experience not only has gained for him the distinction of having recorded more racing victories than any other American driver, but has enabled him to study at first hand practically every well-known make of American as well as foreign car.
 Likewise, his work along experimental lines has given him an insight into auto motive engineering that few can boast AN IMPORTANT STEP The appointment of Mir Wilcox as head of the research department of the Cole factory is regarded as an impor- tant step and will be followed immedi- ately by marked expansion in this highly specialized line of activity at the Cole plant.
 Work is going forward rapidly at the Cole factory to enlarge the present site. One of the spacious new structures will be ready for occupancy within very short time, and work on the second adT- tional building will be begun immediately thereafter, anticipating it's completion about July i.
 Production has been increased appre- ciably, an average of about forty-five
 cars a day being shipped at the present
 time with further enlargements assured
 that will give the company total out put for the year that is destined to ex- ceed IS ,OO0o Aero-Eight motor cars. The appointment of Howard Wilcox is
 the first of several which, it is said. are
 to be expected from the Cole plant, as
 with the enlarged factory facilities and
 increased activities, considerable expan-
 sion of the factory organization is