Mors of 60 b.h.-p., in the splendid time of 6 h. 10 m. 44 s., an average of 53 miles an hour. Maurice Farman, on a Panhard, was second in 6 h. 41 m. 15 s.; and Voigt third in 7 h. 15 m. 11 s.
A still greater event was the Paris-Berlin race, which attracted the attention of the entire Continent. Kournier repeated his previous success, winning in the net time of 16 h. 5 m., Girardot being second in 17 h. 7 m., de Knyff third in 17 h. 11 m., and Brasier fourth in 17 h. 42 m. The distance, excluding controls, was 749 miles, Fournier thus averaging 4612 miles an hour over the three days' course.
Of a very different character from these magnificent displays of physical endurance and mechanical speed, but interesting, nevertheless, from many points of view, have been the various trials conducted by the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Of necessity they have been tests of efficiency, pure and simple; the Club has never held a road-race of any description, and its only speed tests on the flat have been on a private road in Weibeck Park. Sundry hill-climbing competitions have been held on the public highway, but in cases where a powerful car has been able to exceed the legal limit of speed, such excess has not been officially recorded. The Club has also held petroleum spirit trials, brake trials, and non-stop runs of 100 miles, in addition to the Thousand Miles Trial of 1900 and the 'Glasgow Week' in 1901.
The first important trials of the Club were in connection with the Richmond Show in 1899, when a number of cars competed in the ascent of Petersham Hill, the maximum gradient of which is 1 in 9·43. Few of the cars of that date could do much better than five miles an hour, but the 8-h.-p. Panhard driven by the Hon. C. S. Rolls ascended at 834 miles per hour. It also made a non-stop run of fifty miles on the Oxford Road. Other non-stop journeys were made by a 512-h.-p. Daimler, two Benz cars, a Lanchester phaeton, a Delahaye, a Motor Manufacturing, and a Hercules car respectively.
The great Thousand Miles Trial of 1900 extended from April 23 to May 12. No fewer than sixty-five vehicles started, the majority of which completed the course. The following maintained a speed of not less than the legal limit throughout:—Section I. (Manufacturers):—Gladiator, de Dion and Wolseley voiturettes, Motor Manufacturing Iveagh, 6-h.-p. Daimler, Ariel quadricycle, and Ariel tricycle with trailer. Section II. (Private Owners):—
