The Horseless Age mostly concentrated on technical issues from motors to vehicle suspension; all through the automotive field. These 1900 issues deal with the first Gordon Bennett Cup race; the magazine would gradually adress more and more pages on motor racing.
With permission of hathitrust hathitrust.org == Text and fotos compiled by motorracinghistory motorracinghistory.com
THE HORSELESS AGE — Volume 6, No. 11, June 13 + No. 12, June 20, 1900
The Gordon-Bennett Cup Race.
The Gordon-Bennett Cup Race.
The date of the Gordon-Bennett race (June 14) is announced as definitely settled, and unless something wholly unforeseen occurs it will have been run off before this issue of The Horseless Age reaches most of its readers. The course is about 350 miles, being as follows: Paris, Etampes, Pithiviers, Montargis, Nevers, Moulins, La Palisse, Roanne, Villefranche and Lyons. It is probable that the start will take place from Versailles, and excellent roads will be encountered throughout the route, although the level nature of the course gives way to a hilly, if not mountainous, route after Roanne is passed.
May the best machine win!
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The Result of the Race.
The result of the race for the Gordon Bennett Cup will not come as a surprise to those who have followed the development and performances of the French racing machines. A long and strenuous rivalry between builders of world-wide renown, with chauffeurs who fear absolutely nothing, has evolved a breed of men and machines the like of which, we suppose, cannot be matched outside of France. American builders, confronted by the much more practical problem of negotiating American bad roads, have given little attention to the subject of extreme speed on a level track. Probably Mr. Winton himself did not expect to win.
Nevertheless, the time made by the American champion before his machine was disabled was unexpectedly good; and when such a giant of the course as René de Knyff withdraws on account of a breakdown it is no shame to be in his company. The next race will come in due time, and America will be ready for it when it comes.
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France Secures the Cup.
The first race for the Gordon Bennett International Cup was run on June 14 according to arrangement. It was won by Ferdinand Charron, of the Automobile Club de France, with M. Girardot second. M. Charron covered the distance – 351 miles – in 9 h. 9 m., or at an average speed of 38.4 miles per hour. The rules of the race required that the speed of contestants should be reduced to 12 kilom. per hour when passing through towns and villages, any time gained by a higher speed being deducted from the total at the end of the run.
The three Belgian competitors had given notice of withdrawal, ostensibly owing to the short time allowed for preparation and because their request for a postponement had been refused. It was reported, however, that they wished to make alterations in their machines. Nevertheless, at the last moment one of them, M. Jenatzy, entered the race with another machine, while Herr Engen, the German competitor, withdrew, as the tires of his machine were not ready. The contestants actually starting were as follows:
René de Knyff, France.
M. Jenatzy, Belgium.
Alexander Winton, United States.
M. Charron, France.
M. Girardot, France.
Comte de Chasseloup-Laubat acted as starter.
The start was made at 3:14 in the morning from the entrance to the Parc de Saint Cloud, on the Versailles road. M. Girardot led at first, and in the next few miles the second place was held successively by René de Knyff, Jenatzy and Charron, with Winton last, but following closely.
At Limours, a distance of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles), the times were:
Girardot, 3 h. 49 m. 15 s.
Charron, 3 h. 52 m.
René de Knyff, 3 h. 53 m. 30 s.
Winton, 3 h. 59 m.
Jenatzy, h. 29 m.
At Chateaudun, 125 kilometers (77.6 miles), the times were:
Charron, 5 h. 40 m. 55 s.
Girardot, 5 h. 14 m. 44 s.
Jenatzy, 5 h. 51 m. 56 s.
Winton, 6 h. 28 m. 50 s.
Mr. Winton went by with a bent front wheel and a rear tire badly split. M. de Knyff’s time was not reported at the above point, but at Les Ormes the times were:
Girardot, 5 h. 49 m.
Charron, 5 h. 55 m.
René de Knyff, 6 h. 41 m.
Jenatzy, 6 h. 46 m.
Mr. Winton abandoned the race at this point, coming into Orleans at 8:30, two hours and a half after Girardot and Charron, and announcing his intention to get a new tire there and return to Paris. René de Knyff arrived at Orleans shortly before 7 o’clock, at a walking pace. His fourth speed had broken shortly after leaving Chartres and he continued the race only to Glen (146.5 miles), which he reached at 11:35, and there abandoned the race.
M. Charron bent his rear axle near Orleans in crossing a gutter, but he still held his course. Girardot broke a rear wheel against the curbstone shortly after while trying to avoid a frightened horse. The damage was hastily repaired at a neighboring blacksmiths, but it cost over an hour’s delay, and Charron, who till then had been over a quarter of an hour behind, thus gained first place.
Nevers (200 miles) was reached by Charron at 8:42, and he stopped there for supplies.
At La Palisse (265 miles) Charron passed at 10:09, and Girardot at 11:04. At Roanne (286.5 miles) Charron passed at 11:03 and Girardot at 11:41. Jenatzy had burst his two front tires at Chevreuse and was out of the running.
The finish of the race was at the Restaurant des Delices de la Demi Lune, a hostelry some six miles out of Lyons. Thither proceeded a perfect swarm of chauffeurs to welcome the victor, among them being M. Brun, vice-president, and MM. Burdet, Santoux and Bernard d’Anjerville, of the Automobile Bicycle Club; M. Stead, Paul Meyan, of La France Automobile; M. Rigoullat, Capt. Barrison, chief of the auto- mobile section of the Fourteenth Army Corps; M. Colin, president of the Motor Club; Clarence Gray Dinsmore, the American delegate, and many others.
M. Charron arrived shortly after noon very much exhausted. Another accident, this time to his pump, had occurred 7 miles before the finish. At 2 o’clock M. Girardot arrived, and the official times at Lyons are as follows:
1. Charron, 9 h. 9 m. 49 s.
2. Girardot, 10 h. 30 m. 28 s.
In the evening the Automobile Bicycle Club of Lyons entertained the two successful chauffeurs.