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![[Northern Manufacturing Company touring car, three-quarter view]](https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzE5MDAvMDEvMDEvbm9ydGhlcm4tbWFudWZhY3R1cmluZy1jb21wYW55LXRvdXJpbmctY2FyLXRocmVlLXF1YXJ0ZXItdmlldy02NDAuanBn/40/31/webp "[Northern Manufacturing Company touring car, three-quarter view]")
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1914 Tacoma Speedway Glover Ruckstell in Mercer Marvin D Boland Collection G521004
Summary
Grover Ruckstell and his mechanic Quicksell pose in Ruckstell's Mercer at the July 1914 races at the Tacoma Speedway. On July 4th, in front of a crowd of 35,000 screaming fans, Ruckstell would fight his way to a second place finish behind Earl Cooper in the Montamarathon. Ruckstell's time for the 250 mile race was 3:23:33. It was the largest crowd in Tacoma's racing history and they were not disappointed with the heavily fought race. Teddy Tetzloff was in the lead until he dropped out in lap 113 with wheel problems, and limped to the pits with his mechanic laying across the hood holding the wheel. Ruckstell fought Bert Dingley for second place until Dingley spun off the course in lap 123, sustaining life threatening injuries. The crowd was in a frenzy as Ruckstell passed the checkered flag. TPL-103 Speedway-067 (T. Tribune 7/5/1914, pg. 1)
The automobile was first invented and perfected in Germany and France in the late 1890s. Americans quickly came to dominate the automotive industry after WWI. Throughout this initial era, the development of automotive technology was rapid. Hundreds of small manufacturers competing to gain the world's attention. Key developments included the electric ignition system, independent suspension, and four-wheel brakes. Transmissions and throttle controls were widely adopted and safety glass also made its debut. Henry Ford perfected mass-production techniques, and Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler emerged as the “Big Three” auto companies by the 1920s. Car manufacturers received enormous orders from the military during World War II, and afterward automobile production in the United States, Europe, and Japan soared.
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