Felker steamed up Pikes Peak, inspired 1st car show

William B. Felker, he’s the feline who started it each – the attraction for car shows successful car-crazed Colorado.

Felker, successful his Locomobile successful August 1901, with a friend, Charles A. Yont, successful the spot beside him, operated and pushed and carried the steamer to the acme of Pikes Peak.

It had ne'er been done before. Never, that is, successful a horseless carriage. On their return, Felker’s woman said, “I’m definite nary 1 volition ever bash it again.”

“Coming down,” Felker said, “was precise dangerous. We couldn’t get out. Sometimes the instrumentality would rotation astir connected 2 wheels; sometimes we would lurch threateningly, but we ever righted ourselves.”

The information Pikes Peak had been conquered by a steamer was large quality for the authorities and its hundreds of aboriginal car enthusiasts. Those aboriginal vehicles were divided betwixt the steamers, electrics and internal-combustion power.

Felker, who was the section cause for Locomobiles, began clamoring for an car amusement successful Denver. With the assistance of George E. Hannan and Hervey Nichols Jr., 2 different dealers, the first-ever section car amusement was scheduled for May 12-17, 1902, astatine the aged Coliseum building.

A week before, successful an effort to beforehand the event, Felker made a daring thrust to Colorado Springs and backmost to Denver, 150 miles successful 8 hours, 7 minutes, including 57 minutes spent fixing punctured tires. Driving 30 miles per hour, Felker was swinging astir curves ne'er built for specified speed, reported the Denver Times.

Among galore brands astatine that archetypal amusement were Babcock Electric, Darling, Electric Vehicle, Elmore, Knox, Locomobile steamer, Oldsmobile, St. Louis, National electric, Mobile, Remington truck, Rambler, Toledo, Potter, Friedman, Waverly electric, Winton.

Auto shows began connected a regular yearly ground successful Denver successful 1905, erstwhile 15 dealers acceptable up displays astatine the Coliseum. Exide batteries were demonstrated by Oliver Fritchle of the Electric Garage. Moving pictures of nationalist races highlighted the 1906 event. A twelvemonth later, the Coliseum hallway was redecorated to springiness visitors the feeling they were successful an outdoor setting.

The 1908 Denver Auto Show was moved to the Mammoth Skating Rink astatine Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street, and the larger level abstraction was filled with 107 automobiles.

Forty car agencies were operating successful Denver successful 1908 and they sold 1,550 vehicles for a full of $3,250,000. The instauration of the Ford Model T was that year, which spurred sales. It was the best-selling car successful America until accumulation stopped successful 1927 for the much modern Model A.

Prices for caller cars by 2010 included $650 for a Brush Runabout, $750 for a Hupmobile Roadster, $850 for a Stanley Steamer, $1,025 for a Ford Model T, $1,400 for a Maxwell, $1,500 for a Regal, $2,250 for a Mitchell, arsenic precocious arsenic $3,000 for a Cadillac and $3,000 for a Winton Six.

The quality and editorial staffs of The Denver Post had nary relation successful this post’s preparation.