The New York herald., 1921-09-04
CARS RECORD RUN
ATTRACTSATTENTION
Detroit-New York Drive of
G. III. Wills Interests
Motorists.

So far as Is known no automobile has
ever equalled the record of the Wills
Sainte Claire car in covering the distance
between Detroit and New York in twenty
hours and twenty-six minutes, feat ac-
complished on August IL.
This remarkable exhibition of speed.
stamina and roadability has naturally
attracted country wide attention to the
new car manufactured at Marysyille.
Mich, and which Is the realization OF the
long cherished ideal of its designer and
maker. c. Harold Wills. But while the
performance of the car has stirred mo-
tcrdom, its Detroit-New York run has
also served to turn the spotlight on Mr..
Wills, for it was he who drove the car.
Mr.. Wills. although intimately identl-
ned with the motor car industry since
Its early beginnings, ia not and never
has been professional driver or stunt
performer. He Is a distinguished auto
motive engineer, metallurgist, inventor
and industrial innovator of international
reputation. The role ne played August
II. when he drove the car he created in
record breaking cross country flight
over Indifferent roads and a route he
had never before covered, Is one with
which he had not previously been identi-
fled and is one also he LIS not likely to
play frequently.
Mr.. Wills began his career as an ex-
pert machinist, tool designer and
draughtsman. When the automobile was
about ready to be born he was occupy
ing an important position in a great add
ing machine concern. He was induced
to join forces with small organization
which was about to manufacture one OF
the earliest practical and successful all-
tomobiles Long before he left this COM
pany to form his own it had become the
largest In the world and Mr.. Wills him.
self had become. next to the founder. the
greatest factor in Its success and growth.
There are five major achievements
credited to G. Harold Wills. any one Of
which would be sufficient glory for one
man. He is credited with doing more
than any other in the development and
application of volume production to mod
ern industry. His accomplishments In
the invention and development of pre-
cision economies and labor-saving de-
vices have been most noteworthy and
made possible the huge daily production
and sale of the cars with which he was
for so long identified.
A pioneer in the application of the
science Of metallurgy to the motor car
he developed vanadium steel to meet the
vibration and withstand the terrific
shocks and strains to which an automo-
bile Is subjected Vanadium steel made
possible the modern motor car.
His fourth great accomplishment was
another achievement in metallurgy. To
meet the demands of his own engineer
ing ideals, which were later to be real
lied in the Wills Sainte Claire car. a
still greater advance was necessary in
the science of steel alloys and Mr.. Wills
finally developed mo-lyb-de-num. a new
super-steel which combines strength and
resistance to vibration to degree hith-
erto unapproached. All the parts in the
Wills Sainte Claire car that suffer stress
and strain are made of mo-lyb-de-num
steel.
Mr.. Willss fifth and greatest achieve
ment is the Wills Sainte Claire car built
in Marysville, the model industrial city
which he created as an important feat
ure of the ideal he sought to express.
The car Mr.. Wills drove, an ordinary
stock model out of the showroom. Is
now being used as a demonstration, for 1t
reached New York in perfect condition
and was pressed into service the day It
arrived.