Frank Duryea Wins First Auto Race: America Drives Forward
Frank Duryea won the first American automobile race on November 28, 1895, driving his motor wagon 54 miles from Chicago's Jackson Park to Evanston and back through a snowstorm. Six vehicles started; only two finished. Duryea's average speed was 7.3 miles per hour. The entire journey took about ten hours, including stops for repairs. The race was sponsored by the Chicago Times-Herald, which offered a $5,000 prize (later reduced to $2,000). Duryea's vehicle was a modified horse buggy powered by a two-cylinder gasoline engine. His brother Charles had built the original design. The race proved automobiles could function in harsh conditions, attracting investors and public attention. The Duryea brothers established the first American automobile manufacturing company the following year. Within a decade, Henry Ford would make cars affordable to the middle class.
November 28, 1895
131 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Chicago
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Jackson Park (Chicago)
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Evanston, Illinois
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Frank Duryea
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first American automobile race
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Chicago Times-Herald race
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Jackson Park (Chicago)
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Evanston, Illinois
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J. Frank Duryea
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Motorsportjahr 1895
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Illinois
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Chicago
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