The First Horseless Carriage Race (David Schmidt)

BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show

The 1895 Horseless Carriage Contest sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald (aka "first" auto-race in America) - a peek into the WHAT, WHY. WHEN. WHERE, WHO beyond the auto history lore of a Duryea victory on a cold and snowy, Thanksgiving Day in Chicago.

David Schmidt is a Director at the Society of Automotive Historians (SAH) as well as Panel Chair for the SAH Bradley Award. He is also a member of the Porsche Club of America and Fuelfed, a private club for enthusiasts of European cars. Born in Detroit, his father and grandfather both worked for GM at Fisher Body. Being a product of a certain generation he experienced the muscle car era first hand cruising the famed Woodward Avenue in the late 1960's. David received a BA from Michigan State University, MA and PhD from Indiana University and after a career in financial services retired from TIAA. As an auto enthusiast, he can be seen driving about town in a 1967 Volvo Amazon or 1989 Porsche Carrera.

The importance of this event is perhaps best captured that same year by Peter Studebaker of the eponymous wagon maker who, with prescience, commended the sponsoring newspaper “... for transferring the manufacture of the motocycle (a term applied to the horseless carriage after a naming contest) concentrating the inventive faculties of the nation on this [horseless carriage] new departure.”

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00:00 Introduction and Sponsors

00:16 The 1895 Horseless Carriage Contest Overview

00:37 Presenter Background: David Schmidt

01:21 Significance of the 1895 Race

02:53 Race Day Preparations and Challenges

07:10 The Thanksgiving Day Race

08:44 Post-Race Analysis and Awards

10:07 Impact and Legacy of the 1895 Race

10:43 Why the 1895 Race Was Held

11:29 The Role of the Chicago Times Herald

14:56 Rescheduling and Final Preparations

16:08 The Birth of American Auto Racing

16:28 Why Chicago?

18:18 The Bicycle Craze and Its Influence

19:44 Chicago: The Transportation Hub

20:30 Unsung Heroes of the Horseless Carriage

21:18 The Tragic Tale of Hieronymus Muller

22:06 Charles B. King: A Prodigious Inventor

23:36 The Electrobat: An Electric Pioneer

24:56 The Battle of Electric vs. Gasoline

26:23 Steinway's Automotive Adventure

27:34 Conclusion and Acknowledgements

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This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family - and was recorded in front of a live studio audience.