Racing fueled sales. A victory on Saturday meant strong sales on Monday. Adversely, a poor finish often meant slow sales. During the early evolution of automobiles, the roads were very poor, unsuitable, and unsafe for 'high speeds.' Horse-racing tracks guaranteed a greater degree of safety for the drivers and better visibility and facilities for the spectators.

The very first automobile producer in Cleveland was Alexander Winton; he was a visionary and a competitor. As early as 1900 he took one of his cars to France where he competed in the Gordon Bennett Race. Unfortunately, his car - the first American car to race in Europe - suffered a broken wheel and was sent his automobile into a ditch. He returned to America and fixed the car. A year later it set a world track speed record averaging 38 miles per hour at the Washington Park Track in Chicago. It took only one hour and seventeen minutes to travel fifty miles which was a great accomplishment of that era. The Winton automobile continued to be raced through 1901 and by the close of the season had earned the title 'National Track Champion' of America. At Grosse Pointe racetrack, during that same year, he raced against an automobile created by an unknown individual named Henry Ford. At the drop of the checkered flag, the Winton automobile was trailing the Ford. This defeat inspired Alexander Winton to improve his automobile. A few weeks later, the Winton Bullet No. 1 set another world speed record at 53 mph.

Alexander's quest for competition led him to create an automobile specifically prepared for racing, which he dubbed the 'Winton Bullet.' It was powered by a 492 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine that produced 57 horsepower. The vehicle immediately proved its potential by claiming numerous unofficial world records. On the newly paved Clifton Boulevard, the 'Bullet' achieved 70 miles per hour. Another unofficial timed-speed trial at the oval racetrack at Glenville had the Bullet averaging 55.38 mph.

The Bullet and its owner were now prepared for anything the competition could produce, or so they thought. The defeat was again experienced in 1902 at the hands of Henry Ford's 'Old 999' which was carefully navigated by racing legend Barney Oldfield. The Winton was unable to complete the race as it broke down after only four laps. Winton went back to the drawing board and later emerged with a new, more powerful creation which he called the 'Bullet No. 2.'

The single-seater Bullet No. 1 had its engine mounted in the front and powering the rear wheel. The 12-spoke wooden wheels were held in place by a single bolt. Steering was operated by a steering wheel.

by Dan Vaughan