Glidden Officials in Premier

This image appeared in the July 12, 1909 Indianapolis News. It shows several officials of the 1909 Glidden Tour in an official vehicle for the event from Premier Motor Car Manufacturing Company. The men were identified as: Ray McNamara (at the wheel) with Frank B. Hower beside him. McNamara was a highly regarded driver of tours of this nature. Hower was the chairman of the American Automobile Association (AAA) contest board. In the tonneau (back seat) are Charles Glidden, H.O. Smith (Chairman of the American Motor Car Manufacturers Association) and Webb Jay, Premier's Western representative, who was based in Chicago. Smith was also the president of Premier. A similar photo appeared in the July 13 Indianapolis Star.
 
The caption that appeared with this image read as follows:
 
"Chairman Hower's Premier, with the Hotel Ponchartrain in the background, prior to start of Glidden Tour at Detroit - Ray McNamara is at the wheel, with F.B. Hower, chairman AAA contest board, in the front seat. Charles J. Glidden, donor of the Glidden Trophy; H.O. Smith and Webb Jay are in the tonneau. This car, with Hower and Glidden as passengers, was the first to have Detroit at the start of the Glidden Tour this morning."