The Coconino sun., 1924-04-18
ESSEX SIX MAKES A
WONDERFUL RECORD ON
ROADS OF THREE STATES

from Los Angeles TO SeaCJle, almost
twice the distance between Chicago
and New York, and four times the
distance from New York to Portland,
Maine, an Essex Six touring car last
week battled snow, rain, mud, sand
and boulders while it demonstrated
its feasibility for carrying United
States mails.
The route expressly avoided good
roads insofar as it was possible, pick
ing out the long stretch down the
Colorado river from Needles, Cali
fornia, to Yuma, and the intermin-
ably long jaunt from Yuma to Tue
son by way of Gila Bend.
The run not only demonstrated the
Essex fitness as a mode of rapid
transport for mail, but it incidentally
showed a surprising economy and
stamina.
Laying out course that lay over
some of the worst roads in Arizona
and California, Chas. Goldtrap and Al
Lowenthaul, driving an Essex Six
touring car last week covered a dis
tance Of 1914 miles in slightly more
than So. hours. The trip, while not
designed to hang up any speed rec
ords, nevertheless showed that the
new Essex can give the dust to many
another car along the road. However,
the journey was for the purpose of
observing the behavior of the car as
to riding quality, economy and en-
durance, and to work out some expert
ment for the carrying of u. S. mail.
The route taken by Goldtrap start
ed at Phoenix and nassed through
Wickenburg, Prescott, Ashfork, Sc
ligman, Kingman, Needles, California;
Parker, Ehrenburg, Blythe, Yuma,
Gila Bend, Tucson, Nogales, Tomb
stone, Douglas, Rodeo and L0rdsburg,
New Mexico; Clifton, Stafford, Globe
and Roosevelt, thence back to Phoenix
over the Apache Trail.
Leaving Phoenix the Essex pulled
out of the postoffice with several
sacks of mail consigned to various
towns along the northern route, while
mail was picked up several hours
before reaching Phoenix and deliv-
cred at the postoffice. The follow
ing day a report was made to the
by George Fl. Moriarity,
manager of the Arizona branch of
Harold L. Arnold, under whose aus
pices the run was staged. The report
is found in the advertisement of Lo-
bit & Stromberg in this issue of The
Sun.
The total elapsed time for the run
was So hours and Is minutes, this
giving an average of rs miles per
hour for the entire trip, or an aver
age of 29.8 miles per hour actual
running time.
Through mud, rain, sleet and snow
the Essex-Six Endurance car kept on
until the 1914 miles had been trav-
eled over some of the worst roads In
Arizona, California and New Mexico. |
Chas. L. Goldtrap and AL Lowenthaul, |
the drivers, soon realized that the I
endurance test seemed more of test +
on them than on the car, for the Es- |
sex Six just seemed to thrive on
the abuse that it was put to. Mr.. |
drove the first 21 hours |
without leaving the drivers seat 9TH |
er than twice for gasoline and a |
sandwich. "It is the easiest driving
car | have ever had an opportunity
Of handling" states Goldtrap, "and
am most sure that at the good rate
of speed we were travelling, / would
have been tired long before the 21 |
hours should | have been driving any
other car"
C. H. Moriarity, manager of Harold |
L. Arnold's Hudson and Essex inter- |
ests in Arizona, Nevada and Mexico,
who planned the trip, states that the
farthest thing from his mind when I
50 doing was the question of speed.
1T was test of extraordinary en-
durance we wanted" states Moriarity. |
"A real 'he-man trip, one where the
people could not say we picked out all
the good roads. We wanted to prove
without doubt to the public the fact |
that the Essex Six was made out of |
the same material as the famous
Hudson super six and the old Essex
Four. Not only this, but the fact
we also wanted the public to know
that Essex had given to the motorist I
large car performance in light |
weight, economical motor car. Our
trip was a success and therefore we
are very happy for we now feel that
the motoring public will be convinced
that the Essex Six is indeed real
herman automobile"
One of the most remarkable
achievements Of the trip was the
economy of the little car, for only
73 gallons of gasoline and two quarts
Of lubricating oil were used on the
entire 1914 miles, giving gasoline
mileage of about % miles to the gal
lon under all conditions and at a very |
good average driving speed, which |
was around 40 to As miles per hour
where the roads were good enough.
The oil mileage was over 800 miles
TO the gallon, which is indeed very
showing, especially so un-
der the driving conditions.
I'VE never touched a wrench to |
the car at any time," stadted Goldtrap
and Lewenthaul, 'other than to
change a tire and tighten the exhaust
cut-out pipe" "Why, / feel that the
car could have gone over the same
trip again without a stap," states
"for never in my entire
career have | seen motor car per-
form so nicely-.just like purring
kitten, with the kick of a wild car
when you step on it, sums up the Es-