Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-03-09 | Page 28 | Reo Speed Wagon Setting the Pace

RED SPEED WAGON ' SETTINGTHE PAGE L i distributer Tells of Exhaustive Test by Factory. Explains Great Utility of Pneumatic Equipment Over Solid Tires. "Contrary to the general supposition, it in niuru dunrous to bo in advance o than bc'himl the procession in the mutter of introducing improvements in a motor car," bays Manager Grady of the Grady Motor Car company. "I am reminded of this by the fact that just at this timo all manufacturers arc either equipping motor trucks with rheumatic tires or making it optional -with the buyor. "Dear me! what a fight wa had on our hands threo years ago when we brought out the first Keo speedy wagon and equipped it with pneumatics! ' "We were so certain then that wG were right that wo did not even give au option ou solids, nor havo W0( ever done so up to this day. "After the most exiiaubtive comparative compara-tive tests with several trucks of the same model, some oquipped with pneumatics pneu-matics and others with solid tires, our engineers found that, from every standpoint, stand-point, tlio pneumatic tired truck was infinitely superior. "First, it was moro efficient for the reason that it would travel at nearly twice the speed and thereby make twice as many trips in a given time. "In fact, tho one-ton truck on pnou-matics pnou-matics would carry moro tonnage, day in and day out, than a three-ton truck mounted on solid3, and therefore limited lim-ited in speed. "Second, tho upkeep cost was almost unbelievably less, duo to the fact that not only did wo obtain moro mileage on a set of pneumatics than on solids, but that tho air cushion effects a wonderful won-derful saving on tho chassis. "Tho term 'solid' tire is correct when there is a load resting on the rubber, rub-ber, the-section between' the felloe of the wheel and tho ground is practically solid. "Not only that, but after two or thrco thousand miles the resiliency in tho rubber has been exhausted, or, as tho motorists say, the rubber 'tires' (not a pun, but meaning fatigue), and acquires moro tho consistency of wood than of gutta-percha. Fuel Consumption Lessened. "Also our engineers found that the fuel consumption was los, for the well known reasou that any pneumatic tired vehicle requires less power. "Another factor that was much in j favor of tho pneumatics was the ab-senco ab-senco of iujury to loads of fragile ma-i ma-i trrials. Perishable goods suffer less in a pneumatic tired truck than they do in a solid tired vehicle, even though the latter go at half the speed. ' ' This experience of ours was not unique in , the industry, however, as any old-timer M-ill recall if he just thinks hnfV a moment. ''The four-cylinder motor had a hard time making ita way against popular prejudice. "We expected and were prepared for a battle when we 'decided that the right thine; for a light, high-speed truck was pneumatic tires, but we have always b'elicved it was our duty to give the buyer the beat our experience dictated, and so we went through with il". "Today we are the recipients of 'the sin eerest form of flattery3 io that this feature, in which the Keo was tho pioneer, is now beiug generally imitated. imi-tated. , , "Everyone now admits" the pneumatic tired truck is inevitable, because it is the solution of most of the trucking problems, so we fee well repaid for our missionary work."