TOUR DE FRANCE

Hokitika Guardian, 23 August 1930, Page 7

TOUR DE FRANCE

HUDSON-bSSEX AWARDED HIGHEST HONOURS. The Hudson Motor Car Company has been .notified by cable that a Hudson Great; Eight Roadster and a New Essex Challenger Roadster were awarded highest honours at the completion of the -nine day Tour de France, most celebrated and gruelling of the annual automobile tests staged on the Continent. •

The Hudson Roadster won the gold medal and the coveted Ansaldo Trophy, giving the Hudson Motor Car Company

possession for the second year in succession. Iu addition to tliese first prizes,- the Hudson and Essex also won the Dunlop and Spido Cups offered the two leading cars manufactured by the same company.

In each case, the Hudson and Essex survived the tests without a single penalisation, the second successive year they -have done this in the tour. The Tour de France consists of a nine day run. of .approximately 310 miles per day, with intermediate days in the various French provinces devoted to speed contests, 1.. hi1l climbs, starts with cold motors, brake tests, acceleration tests and other events designed to bring out the full qualities of the cars. The Gold Medal is awarded the oar finishing all of these tests with the fewest penal* izations.

The Ansaldo Trophy, declared to be one of the most beautiful trophies offered the / automotive industry, is awarded to the'winning car in the starting from cold motor, braking and hill climbing tests.

This year 87 cars from every country started the long grind, the largest number of entries in the long history of the race. Thousands of spectators were assembled at every control point to cheer the contestants, according to the cable.

Conditions were more severe than in any previous year and most of the run was staged through heavy rains and fog. : Andre Morel drove the Hudson to victory, with Colas, a Hudson-Essex dealer from Lyons, piloting the Essex Challenger. / .