SOLVED: WTH # 161 - 1904 Wolseley Beetle 90HP

[sixtee5cuda]

Clearing out some pre-war puzzles.

For one point, specify the year, make, and model of this race car

[FrontMan]

Wolseley, Gordon Bennett, 1904?

[sixtee5cuda]

It is a 1904 Wolseley.  Gordon Bennett is not the model name I have for this car.

Congratulations to FrontMan for becoming an expert!  Is there another Rookie who wants to take on this puzzle?

[sixtee5cuda]

Up!

Experts should make quick work of this one.

[Ecnelis]

Wasn't it "Beetle" or something like that?

[sixtee5cuda]

It was in fact called a Beetle.  Point to Ecnelis.

[D-type]

The Wolseley "Beetle" did compete in the Gordon Bennett races but I can't say if the puzzle car is one of the Gordon Bennett ones.  It is certainly very similar to the 1904 team cars

[RayTheRat]

Here are a couple of photos of the 1904 Wolseley 'Beetle' that competed in that year's Gordon Bennett race.  I've just finished a book about that series of races by Lord Montagu of Beauleiu.  It was pretty interesting and showed that not much has changed in motor racing, especially if one's also been following the Dakar Rally.  (What a mess Stage 8 was!)

Oops.  I screwed up the file names.  These cars are 96 hp, the larger of the 2 models fielded by Wolseley in 1904.  The center car in the 2nd photo is the 72 hp version.  The two 96 hp cars, driven by Jarrot and Girling were pretty much back-markers.  The fact that they used "Automatic Intake Valves" didn't help 'em a whole lot.  But they DID finish the race.