PROOF OF PERFORMANCE

[Music] you're sitting behind the wheel of a new car and it's a grand and glorious feeling the make and model it doesn't matter they're all good big and small from the least to the most expensive each has its own loyal following among the millions of American motorists behind every forward step than their design and construction is the driving force of competition the unique American tradition of never being satisfied as a result all modern cars are capable of outstanding performance and mileage economy the same high degree of performance and mileage economy is built into modern gasoline's their quality and potential performance are checked regularly under carefully controlled laboratory conditions but the performance predicted in the laboratory isn't taken for granted it's proved by a continual program of road testing under actual everyday driving conditions in specially equipped test cars in the course of company employees and in hundreds of privately owned cars enjoy it outdoor proving grounds the automobile industry also tests its products regularly but here as in a laboratory a car is driven under carefully controlled conditions such testing doesn't compare a car with competitive makes and models all running at the same time under the same conditions on the same brand of gasoline and in the hands of regular non-professional drivers that was the idea behind the 1950 Mobil gas Grand Canyon run to provide one great common proving ground for all American cars to enable motorists to get more of the performance built into their cars for the automobile industry here was the one competitive opportunity to prove the exceptional performance and mileage economy of today's cars when equally matched over the same Road and under the same conditions using the same improved gasoline it was hoped that the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run would point the way to better performance and economy from every car no matter what it's make or model its age or mileage no matter where how much or how little it was driven the city of Los Angeles made an ideal starting point for the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run with an average of about one car for every two people almost double the national figure Los Angeles has become the motoring capital of the West if not the entire country it's sea-level location warm year-round temperatures heavy volume of traffic these and other factors provided a variety of driving conditions for the beginning of the run the finishing point 751 and three tenths miles away at the Grand Canyon offered a sharp contrast its high elevation over 7,000 feet above sea level it's much lower temperatures and differences in humidity and atmospheric pressure imposed an extreme change on cars and gasoline between these two points Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon there is practically every variation of Geographic weather and driving conditions to be found in the United States in selecting the route the American Automobile Association which approved and supervised the entire event planned for a test of car power as well as economy for example within the first 300 miles alone the road climbs approximately 5,000 feet above sea level three times then dives to 178 feet below sea level in Death Valley weather conditions vary as widely according to the records of the United States weather bureau average temperatures along the route during February range from 89 above to 10 below zero a spread of nearly 100 degrees for one thing that's a tough test of a gasoline's volatility which plays an important part in both performance and economy the route included 61 miles of city driving 335 miles of mountain roads and 355 miles of fairly level highway a total of seven hundred fifty one and three tenths miles in which has found all types of safety regulations traffic laws and speed limits all of which had to be strictly obeyed during the run nevertheless in order to prevent loafing to stretch miles per gallon all cars in the event had to finish within a time limit of eighteen and a half hours here was a run that packed into only two days practically every condition encountered in a full year's driving as soon as the mobil gas Grand Canyon run was announced applications began pouring in Cataline Chevrolet Chrysler DeSoto Dodge for Frazer Hudson Kaiser Lincoln Mercury Nadi Oldsmobile Packard Plymouth Studebaker Willy's to make sure of fair competition ten different classes were set up according to price ranges a total of seventeen makes and thirty-one models representing practically every American make up car competed in the event a first second and third prize was established for each division as well as a special award for the overall or sweepstakes winner all cars entered had to be delivered to a specified area in Los Angeles where they were impounded placed completely in the custody of 3a officials every entry had to be strictly a stop model car to make absolutely sure of that the cars were literally torn completely apart and examined by 3ei officials before being qualified for the run checking the engine began with a block itself measuring the cylinder bore then followed inspections and measurements on valves valve openings and valve timing on Pistons and piston rings connecting rod and main bearings carburetor floats and Jets spark plug settings distributors even fan blades a car's lubrication as well as its design and construction had to be strictly stock status - only regular stock mobile products were permitted and the authority for the proper weights and grades of lubricants for every part of the car was the mobile lubrication disk charge all gear cases then was serviced with the specified grade of mobile Lube gear oil all chassis fittings were lubricated with the specified type of mobile grease to minimize gas wasting friction all cooling systems were protected with mobile chromosome against the danger of freeze ups threatened by high altitudes during the run and stock mobile oil was used in all engines to ensure full power and complete lubrication protection over the extreme range of temperatures that could be expected after lubrication each car was run on a dynamometer and a motor analyzer was used to check the speedometer gear ratio and transmission as well as the engine speed in revolutions per minute the engine vacuum and other factors it took seven long sheets to fill in the information required on each car all in all a total of 274 inspections before a car received its sticker signifying stock car status next each car had to be weighed accurately this was important since performance was to be rated on a ton miles per gallon formula that is the weight of every car and its crew was multiplied by the miles covered and the total divided by the number of gallons of gasoline consumed this gave true relative performance results regardless of the size and weight of any car the total weight of each cars crew had to equal at least 750 pounds since it was figured that this is the normal load carried by the average motorist on a trip if it didn't lead weights were placed in the trunk compartment to bring the cars load up to the required total the method used to check gasoline consumption was accurate to within a hundredth of a gallon first the car was jacked up until it was absolutely leveled next the standard length rule was placed alongside the fender below the opening for the gas tank then a level mark was painted on the car at this point [Music] only mobile gas and Mobil gas special we use the same gasolines that can be obtained at neighborhood service stations each entrant had the choice of regular or premium the grade selected being shown by a sticker from the time the cars entered the los angeles impound area until they left they were under the complete control of the three aides from the impound area the cars were driven to the general petroleum garage to await the start of the run here to the cars remained under the constant control of 3a officials who also supervise - all final preparations all tires were checked and pressures adjusted using one type of standard bottled air crankcase oil was checked once again to be sure it was completely up to level then the hood was carefully resealed each car was leveled up using the Mach previously determined at the impound area the gas tank was topped off the gas level was checked with a hand gage [Music] the slightest amount of overage was withdrawn with a bulb syringe [Music] the gas level was checked again [Music] and finally the gas tank was resealed once more [Music] shortly before 3:00 a.m. on the first day of the mobil gas grand canyon run the cars were pushed from the garage to the starting line according to the rules once the gasoline tanks had been filled and sealed engines could not be started until the cars were about to get underway all drivers and relief drivers were non-professional and had to be approved by the contest board of the AAA each car carried an official observer also approved by the three aides if connected with an automobile company or car dealer he was assigned to a competitive make of car this provided a positive check to be sure that all rules and regulations would be strictly obeyed since no official observer wrote in a car in which he had the slightest interest despite the extremely early hour a crowd of interested spectators was on hand as well as members of the press many of the most prominent automobile men in the United States came from all over the country to witness the colorful event officials and drivers checked last-minute details as excitement began to mount other more pleasant details were taken care of - good luck wishes for instance here was the endpoint of weeks even months of long careful intensive preparation the last few minutes of wandering worrying hurrying hoping the second seemed to drag by as the starting time drew near the start was set for three o'clock and on the dot the green flag dropped for the first car to get underway the cars were flagged off at one-minute intervals with no chance to warm up the chilled long idle engines slow easy starting was the order of the day with these drivers who are out for maximum gasoline economy for the same reason the cause was shifted as quickly as possible into gas saving high gear through the darkened city the cavalcade headed north toward Pasadena and the Mojave Desert Fiat by the time the first faint rays of dawn appeared good mileage already had been covered early morning brought the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains into view the official observers saw to it that there was no trick driving such as coasting downhill to save gas the cars had to be in gear at all times although the drivers paid little attention to it their route took them through some of the most scenic country in America here's what they'd been looking for the first official stopping place long pipe just two miles further on the high school band headed a rousing welcome by what seemed to be in the entire population of Lone Pine the Gateway to the High Sierra at the lone pine refueling station which was a compulsory stop officials of the run shivered with cold while waiting for the cars to arrive even though this was not a speed event the drivers had their minds on the eighteen and a half hour limit so no time was lost in servicing the cars however as at every other point a triple-a official was on hand to see that all rules were obeying the driver could order as much gasoline as he wanted stock gasoline of the same grade with which he started out but if he asked for more than he needed the car was charged with what he ordered not with what it took to fill the tank a wrong guess could be a serious handicap with tanks refilled the cars headed from Long Pine toward the southeast starting another steep climb even at this early hour one group of young spectators was up to watch the cars go by like everybody else they probably had their favorites too - Keillor California the cars were checked by an unseen observer the California Highway Patrol patrol cars spotted along the route reported progress of the mobil gas grand canyon run by radio from five thousand 160 feet at the top of the Argos Range the road dropped sharply into the Panamint Valley this part of the run covered extremely steep grades provided a severe practical check of hill climbing ability of gasoline of transmissions and gear ratios from the bottom of the Panamint valley the cars climbed up two towns pass elevation 4900 56 feet the roller coaster ride continued as the cars dropped down into Death Valley with another sharp change in driving conditions at death valley monument headquarters 3a officials check the passage of each car and noted the time of day Death Valley presents to the visitor a wealth of color blended by nature into constantly changing tires the pastel colors of the barren rocks the browns and purples of the mountain range the white expanses of salt and alkali all blend to form a scenic Wonderland that stands out sharply in the dry desert air but while a treat to the eyes the valley subjected the cars on the run to an abrupt switch from cold to hot weather driving all variations and driving conditions were accurately recorded during the run by the crew of a specially equipped laboratory car which had also been approved by the AAA instruments within the car revealed exactly the cars operating conditions and how these conditions changed with variations and temperature altitude humidity and other factors in addition the crew also made and recorded observations on weather conditions along the route including the degree of wind velocity on across the valley of the road ran still going lower and lower until the cars now headed south past furnace creek ranch 178 feet below sea level lowest point on the run at any point where there could be doubt as to the correct route 3a officials were on hand to guide the drivers [Music] by now the cars traveling since 3 o'clock in the morning had covered over 300 miles but there were still plenty of mileage to go to make the distance that had been set for the first day's run a short distance north of Death Valley Junction a welcome sign post appears the Nevada State Line that left just about another hundred miles to Las Vegas the overnight stopping place Las Vegas was a welcome sight to the car crews but tired as they were there were still things to be done before calling it a day first the cars had to be gassed up again for an early start the next morning there were three refueling stations in Las Vegas and each car was assigned to one of the three after refilling the tanks checking the oil and any other needs the cars were driven on to the Las Vegas impound lot just outside the impound lot their arrival was timed to be sure they had finished this part of the run within the limit of 11 hours and 15 minutes set by the three-eighths then the cause was driven on into the impound lot where as at Los Angeles they were kept under complete control of 3a officials here the cars were lined up abreast five feet apart for the final checking and inspection of the day no troubles of any kind were reported either with the cars or the gasoline use top-notch performance had been delivered by both after finish of each cars inspection the keys were turned over to a 3a official and only then was the crew permitted to leave in order to save time particularly for the early start next morning all occupants of each car were assigned together at one of the four hotels the Flamingo the Thunderbird the last frontier and El Rancho Vegas with its many interesting reminders of days gone by the pioneer city of Las Vegas has become one of the nation's most popular vacation resorts a fascinating combination of the old and the new the city literally rose from the desert sands in a single day May 15 19 5 today Las Vegas has become famed as the muffy Carlo of the West early the next morning the crews gathered together again at the Las Vegas impound lot the time of departure was 7:30 a.m. and as at Los Angeles the cars would have stored at one-minute intervals officials were busy checking ballast and entering all other information required on their reports with nearly two-thirds of the run behind them the crews were eager to get underway for the finish line at the Grand Canyon but they want and so eager as to waste any of their precious gasoline on jackrabbit starts drivers also were alert on all safety regulations which had to be obeyed to the letter of the law if penalties or even disqualifications were to be avoided out on the open highway again the cars headed south maintaining the smooth steady pace that assures maximum mileage economy on the open road a short distance to the north Lake Mead came into view the largest lake by volume in the world then came notice of a public utility and sightseeing wonder hoover dam an attraction that draws more than a million and a half tourists yearly highest in the world the dam extends downwards 726 feet to its base in solid rock the lake behind the dam supplies irrigation and drinking water to California and Arizona provides industrial power and light for three states the car is headed across the top of the dam the other side of which brought them into the state of Arizona here the cars had to travel a series of switchbacks up steep grades that provided another stiff test of the gasoline smooth necklace hill climbing power beyond the dam and to the South was Kingman part of a great cattle raising area father on another interested audience of farmers and schoolchildren watch the cars go by up ahead was an Arizona agricultural inspection station where all cars normally are checked however the cars in the mobile gas Grand Canyon run we'll waved on through having been cleared with state authorities before leaving Las Vegas the town of Kingman brought a break in the monotony of highway driving with its brief stretch of town traffic here again observers kept sharp watch to be sure that all traffic regulations were obeyed then the cars were out on the open road again for another long stretch of country driving the ash for Arizona timing station was the next point of interest the time limit of five hours and 15 minutes had been set for the distance between Las Vegas and Ashbourne and 3a officials time the passage of every car under the watchful eye of his car's observer no driver attempted any illegal passing even where trailing a truck might mean staying in lower gears that used up more gasoline beyond - pork the road began to climb steadily again mountain scenery appeared as the elevation grew to nearly 7,000 feet an official refueling station had been set up in Williams Arizona however this was not a compulsory stop if a car had sufficient gasoline it continued on to the Grand Canyon if it didn't this was the last permissible stop before the finish of the run after a slight drop beyond Williams the road began to climb again as the cars headed for Kaibab National Forest while the roads have been cleared there was plenty of snow and evidence a sharp contrast with the hot dry bed of Death Valley through which the cars had passed only the day before around the bend in the road the car swung and passed through the entrance to Grand Canyon National Park only a short distance remain now before the long-wearing grind on chorus and crews would be over but the excitement wasn't over it was just beginning the excitement that comes of clean hard competition and a farewell run contest down the homestretch the car is headed for the finish line and the conclusion of the 1950 Mobil gas Grand Canyon run the time of arrival of each car was carefully noted at the last official timing station one by one the cars were flagged to a halt at the end of seven hundred fifty one and three tenths miles of steady driving a whole year's driving conditions in only two days and always under the complete exacting supervision and control of impartial officials of the American Automobile Association for a driver it felt good to relax now that his part of the job was finished but for others there was still plenty of work to be done most important the exact quantity of gasoline used by each car had to be accurately determined to do this the gas tanks will refill too precisely the same level as at the start of the run and the amount needed in each case was reported then after final inspection and checking the cars moved on to the Grand Canyon impound area here they were lined up before the stand from which the results were to be announced next morning earlier in the day a special train had arrived carrying among others many of the top executives and engineers of the automobile and petroleum industries also on hand was a whole busload of members of the press attracted by the national interest in the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run meanwhile a staff of technicians worked far into the night checking observers reports recording the quantities of gasoline charged to each car compiling checking and rechecking results on the established ton miles per gallon formula ten o'clock the next morning found all the cars and their crews lined up before the reviewing stand waiting for the announcement of results and the awarding of trophies among those officiating at the ceremonies were CS biesemeyer executive vice president of the general petroleum corporation a flying red horse company AC Pillsbury regional director of the contest board of the American Automobile Association te Meyers better known as pop Meyers vice president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and governor Dan Garvey who acted as host for the state of Arizona having flown up to take part in the award who won in view of the amazing results turned in by all entries it is only fair to say that every car was a winner it must be remembered that some models were built with special emphasis on comfort ease of handling appearance automatic features and extra power even so 22 out of the 31 cars obtained better than 20 miles to the gallon the average for all 31 cars was over 50 ton miles per gallon better than 22 Road miles per gallon such surprising results for a revelation even to the automotive industry as designers and engineers opened up new lines of thought on trends and gear ratios transmissions higher compression ratios and other car features as proved by the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run just how much performance economy the average motorist can get out of his car depends on three things first the condition in which he keeps it second the kind of gasoline he uses and third the way he drives for example on the run every driver stayed within local speed limits and obeyed every safety regulation yet none of the drivers lost any time even so none of them used a heavy foot on the gas when starting off all went picking up speed take the driver who likes to get the jump on everybody else such quick starts can step up gasoline consumption from 50 to 60 percent very often the fast daughter has to hit the brakes hard at the next light wasting brake lining and tires as well as gasoline of course everybody knows that the faster you drive the more gas you use but did you know that you get twenty to thirty percent less mileage at sixty miles an hour then at forty these are major tips on driving that can affect gasoline economy start off smoothly shift until high as soon as possible don't ride the clutch use the engine as a brake drive at a steady rate of speed adjust speed and traffic according to that of other cars and according to the frequency of traffic light changes now how about the cars themselves the way they are maintained in service as for the cars in the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run of course we must remember that everyone was a new 1950 model in the pink of condition maybe you and I can't keep our cars that way for every 750 miles we cover but just like the cars in the run we can have ours tuned and adjusted right for the gasoline we're using whether it's regular or premium improper timing can rob a motorist of plenty of engine performance and economy and worn fouled or defective spark plugs can add 10 percent to our gasoline bills so it pays to keep the engine tuned up correctly once a car is properly adjusted keeping it in good condition is equally important for example the neglect of any service that results in increased friction can cause a serious waste of gasoline that's why gear oil should be replaced according to recommendations why the chassis should be lubricated regularly why crankcase oil should be changed at the proper time to heavy a crankcase oil alone can reduce mileage by 10% it takes an event like the Mobil gas Grand Canyon run to open the eyes of the motoring world to the great potential of performance and economy built into today's improved cars and improved gasolines by their makers it's up to the motorist to get as much as possible of that potential by having his car properly adjusted by keeping it in good condition through regular servicing by driving it properly and sensibly these are the things that can improve any car's performance and mileage per gallon that can make every run an economy run for its owner [Music]