Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-01-15

CHANGES JOBS
war Ace Joins Cadillac
Staff AS LaSalle
~Salesmanseer

"
Announcement is made by H. NJ.
~ p1ens, general sales manager Of
49, cadillac Motor Car OF
appointment Of Capt. e. ". Rick
s-..ae1er as assistant salesmanager
ssssiaiizing on the LaSalle.
nr. h~ickenbacker, who burst into
4sme as Americas ace Of aces during
s1e world War and who later be-
s1ne vlce-president and director of
saies OF the Rickenbacker Motor
sompany, has been closely allied
WIN the development of internal
engines since the begin
ing OF the automobile industry. His
eeslVlties have covered automobile
engineering laboratory research.
speed tests and aviation.
An lsOZ, as a protege of Lee Fray
80 president and general manager
~ Frayer-Miller Motor Car com
pAny' Columbus, Ohio, ne joined the
tengineering department Of that COM
Eany, one Of the original manufac-
Iufers OF air-cooled ears. Four
later he went with Mr.. Prayer
! . Columbus Buggy company and
kuirected the development work up
49, what became known as the Fire
stone Columbus automobile.
Introduced Auto
IN 1903, after the car was we'll into
PRODUCTION, he covered the entire
fniteo states, as q specialist, in
fsstueting distributors and dealers in
tne lntricacies of an entirely new
necnanism. 1t was a gasoline-driy-
On cal, and their experience had been
only with electric vehicIes. A year
later ne entered the sales division of
the company, becoming district rep
Aresentative for Texas, Louisiana and
Esew Mexico. Later he was placed
4in charge of the company's branch
covering Iowa, Nebraska and part of
south Dakota. with headquarters at
i Omaha.
!, During all Of this period he had
been active in automobile racing as
Q means of testing new engineering
Developments. In 1906 he drove the
Vanderbilt race for the Frayer-Miller
company and later carried on the
#raeing for the Columbus Buggy COM
pany at the Indianapolis and others
POI the larger speedway events.
he entered automobile racing Is
la professional in 1918 because of
%the opportunity it offered for the
development of mechanical and other
engineering knowledge, racing with
most Of the stars of that time--Old-
Eiieid, Burman, Milford, DePalma and
4others. During this yeas he had
charge of the Deusenberg team and
Hdrove the a i. He was in charge o.
tthe Mercer team tor STA months and
NJ the Maxwell specials team. He
bslso took over the French Peugeot
sand the German Mercedes for two
events.
y Goes 10 War
In the fall of 1916, he contracted
with English Sunbeam Motor Works,
tMolverhampton, England, to build
fheir fleet of racing ears during the
winter Of 19l6-17, and 10 drive and
manage the team in this country
fduring the 1917 season. While this
Ework was progressing, diplomatic re-
cations were severed between United
States and Germany anu he inme-
ria.ely returned to this country, en-
listing in May, 1917, as sergeant and
,Ealng to France as General PERISH
'ing's driver.
Within three weeks Of his arrival
9cserseas, he was transferred to the
{syiation corps where ne received
Ris training, learned to fly and was
put in charge Of the American ayia-
ion field, Issodon, France. lie then
sent TO the front with tie first COM
pat forces to the Western front, and
Became commander of the outfit
Fhich was Americas leading unit
there.
\ Both as commander Of this SQUAD
ron and by his individual exploits,
his name became closely linked with
Fhe most spectacular phases Of the
Far.
He returned in 1919 and the follow
hg year started development of the
4 v~ickenbacker car, at the same time
Z lking over distribution of the Sheri-
4 fan car for the state of California.
The R~ickenbscker Motor company
4 Fas incorporated in August, 1921.
During his connection with the COM
\ Iany, Mr.. Rickenbaeker as. director
the sales spent so per cent Of
i SIS time in the field aiding dis
fibutors and dealers on ~Rickenbacker
kles, continuing with the organiza-
IN pm until his resignation in Septem-
IL lr, 1925. Since then 4s has pur-
lased n controlling interest in the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, known
wv the motor car industry's outdoor
q tboratory, and Is now president Of
bat institution. and also chairman
Pf the Contest Board Of the Ameri-
&an Automobile Association for the
4 period Of 1929.
Mr.. Rickenbacker purchased one
| Of the first LaSalles produced, and
hin addition TO thousands of miles
(which he has driven 1t as a pri-
Ivate owner, HIS particular attention
Twas drawn TO the a due to its per-
Iformance as uace-maker at the 1927