Historic Car Journeys
Historic Car Journeys
1. First journey around the world in a car’ 1927
In 1927, 26 year old Clarenore Stinnes, her husband and 2 technicians left Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to embark on the first journey around the world in a car. In her Adler Standard 6, she covered a total distance of 46.758 kilometres in two years and one month.
Frankfurt am Main -Tehran -Moscow -Beijing – Buenos Aires- Vancouver – New York City – Paris – Berlin
2. The Perkin-Paris Race 1907
In 1907, 5 teams set out to the different route of the Perking-Paris-Race. Following a telegraph route, the race span two continents and featured a distance of fifteen thousand kilometres. Prince Scipione Borghese and Ettore Guizzardi fished the race first in their car model ‘Italia’
Peking – Ulaan Baatar – Saint Petersberg – Berlin – Paris
3. First Circumnavigation of Australia by car 1925
In August 1925, Nevill Westwood, a Seventh Day Adventist missionary commenced the journey that would make him the first person to continously circumnavigate Australia by motor car. By riding his Citron 5CV over a distance of 10,000 kilometres from Perth to Darwin and back, the 22 year old made Australia motoring history when he returned to Perth on 30th December 1925.
Perth – Darwin – Albury – Melbourne – Adelaide – Perth
4. The New York-Paris race 1908
Six cars from four different countries took off for a round-the-world auto contest in February 1908. As many roads on the route were unpaved, participants even used railway tracks on balloon tires for hundreds of miles to advance the race. Winning driver George Schuster crossed the finish line about 5 months later, on 30th July.
New York City – Seattle -Yokohama – Vladivostok – Paris
5. A four -year journey around the world 1973-1977
Ted Simon, globetrotter and successful book author, spent a good portion of the 70s travelling around the world on his Triumph motorcycle. Travelling 78,000 miles through 45 countries, he became an inspiration for thousands of travelers around the world.
Africa – South America – Brazil – Argentina – Chile – Panama – California – Australia – Singapore – India – Afghanistan – Iran – Turkey – Europe
Speed Demons
- 1904 Lois Rigolly
The very first car to travel faster than 100 miles per hour was a Gobron-Brillie steam car, driven by Belgium Louis Rigolly - !964 Donald Campbell
In his Bluebird CN7, British Sir Donald Campbell set a land speed record of 403 miles per hour in Australia’s dried salt Lake Eyre in 1964. His first attempt in 1963 was routed by rain – the first rain in 20 years, which flooded the lake
Australia Stories
1. 1909 Bathurst – Melbourne
Early long-distance ride in one of Australia first steam driven cars
Designed and built by Herbert Thomson and Edward Holmes, the 5 horsepower single cylinder Phaeton steam carriage was one of Australia’s first steam driven cars. It was able to carry two people 493 miles from Bathurst to Melbourne at an average speed of 8.7 miles per hour.
2. 1912 Freemantle – Sydney
First West to East crossing of Australian in a motor car
In their 10-horsepower Brush car., Francis Birtles, S.R “Syd” Fergusson and terrier Rex undertook the first West to East crossing of Australia in a motor car in 1992. The trio was the first one to cross the across the Australian Nullabar at the same time.
3. 1925
First woman to circumnavigate Australia by motor car
On 14th October 1925, Marion Bell departed Perth in her Oldsmobile. Accompanied by her eleven year old daughter, she became the first woman to circumnavigate Australia by motor car, covering a distance of 12,000 miles.
4. 1928
First winner of the Australian Grand Prix
Arthur Waite won Australian’s 100 miles Road Race on Philip Island in his Austin 7 in 1928 – a famous historic race which officially was first called “Australian Grand Prix in 1929
