Racing into the Auto Age

January 18, 2016  •  Leave a Comment

In 1903, most Americans hadn't yet seen a car, much less driven one. Roads, such as they were, accommodated horse traffic, and few of those roads were paved. But that year two men, acting on a $50 bet, set off to be the first to drive across the North American continent. The lack of pavement was not the only obstacle. There were no gas stations, and few people with the know-how to fix the inevitable breakdowns of the horseless carriages. The bet specified they do it in three months. They rolled into New York after 63 days, 12 hours and 30 minutes.

In 1903 the second car race held in Europe started near Paris with 224 cars and finished in Madrid with only half of the autos having made it.

 


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