5. 1906 GP de l'ACF-26-27 June-Le Mans. HOTCHKISS- Hubert LeBlon 7.1908 GP de l'ACF- 7th July Dieppe Gustave Caillois & {mech} Vivet. 15th. Equipe Renault Ferenc Szisz, Gustave Caillois, Sergey Dimitri Grand prix de l'A. C. F. 1908, Dieppe le 7 juillet Plenty of SN pics here Onelung http://gallica.bnf.fr/
Two cars that were entered in the Fairmount Park race in Philadelphia in 1908. Both are early six cylinder cars, the first a Palmer-Singer and the second an Acme.
What a great looking car the Palmer-Singer is. www.earlyamericanautomobiles.com/autos9.htm Unfortunately William Wallace didn't fair too well in the 1908 race bowing out with only a few laps remaining with tire problems. He did however lead for 3 or 4 laps in a race dominated by George Robertson. Cyrus Patschke finished 2nd in the Acme. Patschke also raced an ACME in the Vanderbilt Cup on the 24th October that same year but was out after 2 laps with a broken crank. Another racer that didn't do too well in the Fairmount Park Races was Len Zengle in a Pennsylvania, also suffering tire problems as did most of the other non finishers. Two months later he would also be in an ACME in the Grand Prize at Savannah retiring after 6 laps. I have always wondered whether the car raced by Patschke at Fairmount Park was a different car to the one entered in the Vanderbilt Cup in October as some time after the September Philadelphia race there was speculation by the media {NYtimes} that ACME would enter a car for the Vanderbilt Cup as well as the Grand Prize but this was denied by the President of the company, later admitting that a car was being built up to conform to both rules although there were no plans at that stage to enter any of the races mentioned. The following small snippet from a NYTimes article is dated August 23 1908, one month before the Fairmount Park races where it gives some interesting information. This to me is a complete contradiction of what the media said only a month later. Another great piece of journalism describing the weight of the car can be seen in the article below. Following are the specifications for the ACME racer, which has been entered by Cordner & Finn in the Vanderbilt Cup race: Engine-six cylinder water cooled, 4.95 bore and stroke, two separate ignition systems - magneto and battery - valves mechanically operated on opposite sides of the cylinder, cone clutch, three speed forward selective type transmission, with reverse, double sided-chain drive, I- beam front and rear axles of hand forged nickel steel, contracting brakes on trans- mission shafts, expanding bronze steel brakes on rear wheels, 109-inch wheel base, 56-inch tread, 40=gallon gasoline tank, 10-gallon oil tank, steering, nut, and worm; wheels, 36x4 inches all around, weight; without gasoline and water, about 2,800 pounds; with gasoline and water, about 2,650 pounds; estimated speed in racing conditions; 90 miles per hour. So there you have it fellas. The next time you fill the tank be advised that your car will lose at least 150 pounds. Photos below are Len Zengle in an ACME. American Grand Prize-Savannah.
Another typical Brooklands meeting as described by Vitesse. Totally opposite to the photos of the Australian race on the previous page and the early American race posted by Twin6. Another fine day in England. No info on this racer but it looks to be powered by a FIAT engine.
Another Palmer-Singer, and unfortunately, I have no information on it. While it's not a race car, it appears to have been involved with promotion of a race or other event. NY plate c 1910-12.
Almost certainly the Easter Monday meeting, April 20th 1908. If your identification of a FIAT is correct, then it would be Sir George Abercromby's 58.1hp, which retired from the Naval and Military Cup with a broken igniter tappet. The race was run in heavy snow, the cars being "barely distinguishable as they passed" according to The Times.
Thanks for the ID's on the pics I asked about Kurtis (and BTW, I still don't know the make of the race car Earl Kiser is in on page 1...). Someone must! And the Maroubra track (pg 145) is not South Australia - rather, Sydney
Kurtis thanks again for your fine photos as always and the two from Brooklands today which are wonderful. I do know at least what make of engine is in this car and I believe also the whole car. It is a Gobron-Brille probably from around 1908-12. They are the very unusual French car with two sets of pistons, both overhead and conventional pistons and rods. Look at the cutaway drawings which show how they work and compare the modern photo with the engine in the car at Brooklands. You posted an earlier Gobron-Brille with a tubular frame some time ago, but the later ones are a more conventional car like this car is. Interestingly there are two of them here in the US which is why I picked up on the engine because I have seen both of them and they are so unusual. Note the heavy thick radiator on the 1909 car in the last photo that is in the Nethercutt collection which is identical to the racer.
Onelung & T-Head, Yes, you are correct about the Brooklands racer. Hopefully Vitesse can set the record straight about it's history. Sorry. Two photos below are Louis Rigolly @ the 1906 Gp de l'ACF - Le Mans.
Didn't they also make a car with a boat shape front to it which also went over 100 MPH at about this time? Best, T-H
Louis Rigolly, gobbling billy from page 100... There's some interesting opposed piston stuff on this site dedicated to designer Nemorin Causan http://pagesperso-orange.fr/nemorin.causan/
I did wonder about the Fiat ID, but I don't really do Edwardian engines! However, Gobron-Brillie still fits - the Naval and Military Cup was won by S Gower Browne on Captain SC Holland's 47.6hp Gobron.
Vin Fiz was a grape drink, there is an Areoplane in the Smithsonian that they sponsored. http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/Vin_Fiz/EX6.htm
I was thinking of the 1903 record of 84.73MPH set by Arthur Duray at Dourdan. Great link BTW. Thanks. Go here for Gobron-Brillie history: www.gazoline.net/article.pcgi?id_article=448 Once again, thankyou Vitesse. Great stuff. I have some more pics from Brooklands that i've pulled from the web which seem to be captioned incorrectly. Hopefully you can rectify these mistakes if i post the photos.
Just read the link I originally posted, note the rear door has C.P.Rodgers on it. He was the pilot of the Vin Fiz, first plane to fly New York to California.
Ehdubya, any other pics of the weird engine? Is it really a 48 cylinder like it appears? Pistons build compression against each other with no head? I'm thinking two cycle? It's giving me a headache trying to figure that one out.
Perhaps this view will help It's the 1939 Junkers Jumo 223 48 piston 24 cylinder 2 stroke diesel. It's supposed to have made over 2000hp and a bigger one (224) was built but never run during WW2. They're said to have been snatched by the Russians who continued opposed piston development. This looks like De Palma's Mercedes in 1914 trim...
I bought the same photo off eBay, could be the Spencer Wisehart Mercedes that places 4th in the first INDY 500.
Another photo of "Dr. Hahn" in this racer which appears to have a fabric body. Go to the link below and read it, this man was a very unusual person I found out. http://www.thgparanormal.org/hahnmansion.htm
A nice photo that just surfaced that I think might possibly be one of the Vanderbilt Cup Renaults with fenders added for road going and a different seat. According to Howard Kroplicks site, were the photo of Vanderbilt in one of them came, from there were 10-15 of them made. Today there are five known to have survived
"Another photo of "Dr. Hahn" in this racer which appears to have a fabric body." They really went to town with the lightening holes on that baby. That, and a cloth body.
More photos from the track in Spokane where "Dr. Hahn" was shown at in one of the first photos of him and Jack Dempsey. The only car I can identify is a National on the right hand side in the 1st photo. The white car on the left also looks familiar. The other two photos show a very well constructed Model T based car with the the frame extended in the front.
A good friend gave me this wonderful photo yesterday of what looks to be a pre race gathering of some sort. The two dark colored cars are both T-Head Mercers. Can anyone identifiy this event? The only other clues are the car numbers which are also on signs on the trees by each car.
The Jalopy Journal
