Indy Leads Race Car Production

This first attachment below contains an article that originally appeared in the January 26, 1910, Indianapolis Star. As the automobile industry and all associated parties looked ahead to the 1910 racing season Indianapolis ranked number one in entries in motorsport. This article reports that no less than 24 entries were expected from the Hoosier capital despite the fact that Detroit was the largest manufacturer of automobiles and Cleveland was at least as prolific as Indianapolis or even greater.
 
Mentioned first in the article is the National Motor Vehicle Company which reportedly was preparing six cars for the various classes allowed by the 1910 American Automobile Association (AAA) rules. Johnny Aitken is cited as the star driver of the team with younger drivers Charlie Merz and Thomas Kincaid named as part of the supporting cast.
 
Called equally formidable was the Marmon contingent with Ray Harroun listed as the team's number one with Harry Stillman his teammate. They expected to name another driver which would prove to be Joe Dawson. Note that Harroun is reported to be supervising the design of a new "special racer" that I believe was the Marmon Wasp.
 
The Marion Motor Car Company is mentioned next. Harry Stutz had been designing the cars and his cousin Charlie Stutz was recognized as a talented driver. Adolph Monson is also listed as a driver. These cars represented Indianapolis well in the previous year's Indiana Trophy.
 
The American Motor Car Company is noted for their work at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Vanderbilt Cup the previous year. Cole Motor Car Company was new to racing and had debuted in motorsport at the frigid December 1909 time trials at the newly paved Brickyard. Bill Endicott was their star driver and brought his experience to the new operation. Also, a recent arrival was the Empire Motor Car Company which was founded by Speedway President Carl Fisher among others. Newell Motsinger was their driver.
 
The Parry Company had indicated they planned to enter the competition as well. In addition to these Indianapolis-based companies another Hoosier firm, Kokomo's Apperson Company was widely respected with the revered Harris Henshue among their drivers.
 
The Indianapolis News article in attachment AutoNews022210  was published about a month later and offers more insight into the goings-on at car companies and plans for the 1910 racing season. The big news was the announcement of plans to construct a "modern automobile building." S.E. Rauh, president of the Indianapolis Stockyards Company, said that the location would be North Alabama Street, on the west side of the road between Fifteenth and Sixteenth Streets in Indianapolis. The occupant was to be O.G. Thomas and the business was a service garage and the estimated cost of the structure was $10,000. Plans called for a May 15 opening.
 
The 170-foot long structure would take up 50 feet facing Alabama Street. The report said it would be of iron construction and be two stories. Plans called for the extravagance of a ladies restroom as well as a private restroom, a chauffeurs' room, as well as the repair shop, and storeroom for automobile sundries. Thomas said his primary market was automobile owners on the north side of the city.
 
You'll soon discover that this article is a digest as it mixes auto industry news with motorsports. Case in point, we learn that Indianapolis Motor Speedway Contest Director Ernie Moross was attempting to purchase the famous "Giant Fiat" driven to records by Lewis Strang. The acclaimed importer, E.C. Arnold of New York, owned the car at the time. The story goes that the car had been driven to 123 mph on Brooklands. The asking price was $10,000.
 
The next item concerns the Henderson Motor Sales Company, distributors of Cole. They were holding an open house at their new salesrooms the day of the article's publication. The company was located at 25 East Ohio Street, opposite from the Federal building. Souvenirs and American Beauty roses for women were distributed. The featured car was the Cole "30," the model name/number designating the engine horsepower. J.J. Cole designed the car. A model of the car had been driven by "Farmer" Bill Endicott during the December time trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
 
There's a quick note that Will H. Brown, vice-president of Overland was holding a social event for all employees and guests at the Commercial Club. Dinner and dancing were featured.
 
American announced that Herb Lytle would be joining the company for 1910. He not only was to hold a job at the factory but also serve as the star driver of their race team. Lytle had raced for Apperson the previous year. Part of Lytle's duties was to test the company's cars at the Brickyard.
 
The next item reports that Frederick B. Hart of Chicago delivered a technical address on motorcycle motors to 150 students the previous evening at the Y.M.C.A. motor school. He used visual aids and discussed maintenance and repair. F.I. Willis, the president of the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), introduced Hart.
 
The Glide Automobile Company had located their business at 419 Massachusetts Avenue. They were formerly at West Maryland Street. Glide planned to expand throughout the building as Maxwell-Briscoe Automobile Company was located there but were moving to a new building on North Illinois Street.
 
The Indianapolis News was back again with another digest of auto and racing news the following day. That article is in attachment AutoNews022310. The first topic is of tremendous interest to true Brickyard aficionados as it tells of IMS Founder Carl Fisher planned to address the Passenger Association Agents at Chicago. He was coming with an "ask" for various railroad officials to provide a special excursion rate during race weekends at his track. There was a precedent for such discounts as they were provided during the New York and Chicago auto shows.
 
Fisher also planned a trip to New York on March 2 to confer with officials of the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) with respect to an open-air automobile show planned at the Speedway September 1-3. There was competition for the dates from interests in mighty Detroit. A representative of that group was expected to attend the meeting as well. Hoosiers prayed that the grandeur of the Speedway would win the day and the event would take place there.
 
Next up, we have a follow-up on the success of the Cole Motor Car Company's open house the previous day. The reports says the Cole models were in "top exhibition" form and showed well on the salesroom's hardwood floors. The Cole "30" Torpedo Flyer was the standout model. A number of "bona fide" sales were reportedly made. C.T. Henderson, president of Henderson Motor Sales Company, Cole's sales agency, was pleased.
 
Finally, in this article, we get an update on the then-new Parry Auto Company, based in Indianapolis and founded by D.M. Parry. Parry had previously served as president of the National Association of Manufacturers. This group opposed the Selden Patent embraced by the ALAM.
 
Parry shared in the article that he believed Indianapolis would soon surpass Detroit as America's primary center of automobile production. Parry had big plans. His company was preparing 1911 models and was working with architects to enlarge the factory.
 
They also looked to erect a four-story building, 700 feet long, to support the company's commercial cars. This was part of their aspiration to produce new "motor truck" and "delivery wagons." 
 
Interestingly, the company was apparently considering the construction of a test track. Apparently, one of the complaints of Indianapolis city officials and citizens is that the public roads were being used by factory test drivers. I can only speculate that these firms used public roads instead of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because the track was five miles out of town. Another factor may have been that they wanted to test touring cars on streets where they would be used by customers.