La Porte Carriage Co. (1895)
La Porte, Indiana
 |
| This is a La Porte maker's name tag (c1895) mjs Size: 72mm wide 17mm high |
The Chicago Times-Herald newspaper sponsored the first automobile race in America in November 1895, only two years after the first automobile was produced in America by the Duryea brothers.
Eighty-three contestants originally planned to enter the race but most dropped out before the race, which was postponed several times to encourage participation in the race. In the event, only six contestants actually took part in the race. Frank Duryea was the first to cross the finish line in his Motorized Wagon but failed to win the gold cup, as he did not keep to the course.
In 1895, the La Porte Carriage Company announced it would enter the Chicago Times-Herald Contest with a vehicle of its own design. It is believed that the car was built but was not completed in time for the event. The La Porte did not go into production.
Emblem
The La Porte maker's name tag shown above was attached to the rear of La Porte carriages and a similar tag may well have been attached to the La Porte car built for the Chicago Times-Herald race.
No comments:
Post a Comment