AUSTRALIAN "OLDS" DUPLICATES FEAT OF CANNON-BALL TRIP

The Pittsburgh Press
September 21, 1924

On the other side of the world an Oldsmobile has duplicated the record made just about a year ago in this country when one of the first of the present six cylinder models traveled from New York to Los Angeles in high gear. The most recent feat was a similar transcontinental run made in Australia.

In both cases the first, second and reverse gears were removed and the transmission sealed with only high gear in it. The Australia record was made under the direction of Boyd Edkins, Ltd., Oldsmobile dealers in Sydney, Australia, a strictly stock car being used. It traveled 2,000 miles in its coast-to-coast run. The Boyd Edkins Co. cabled the Olds Motor works, Lansing, Mich., as follows:

"We have every reason to believe that our run was harder and a more severe test than the one you held in the United States last fall. We encountered mountainous roads in bad muddy condition for 75 per cent of the distance. During the trip we climbed mountains in high gear that no other car had ever crossed in this manner. The successful run has excited wide interest here and is sure to rebound to the advantage of the entire automobile business in Australia."

The record-breaking run in this country was made last fall in an Oldsmobile driven by Cannon-Ball Baker. Some of the worst mountain roads in this country were successfully negotiated during the 3,674-mile trip. The average fuel consumption was 28.7 miles to the gallon of gasoline. Only one and one-half pints of oil were used. Upon its arrival in Los Angeles, this same Oldsmobile made a record speed trial of 68 miles an hour on the Beverly Hills speedway, and then made the run of 481 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 10 hours and 49 minutes.

Since then the car has been touring the country under the supervision of Oldsmobile distributors, and now, at the conclusion of its first year of service, more than 30,000 miles—equal to sir years average driving—have been recorded on its speedometer.