The Seattle Star Newspaper, December 15, 1923, Page 13

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1928, FACE Seiad THE SBATTLE STAR AUTOMOTIVE NEWS - | Seattle Saw Its First, Gasoline Automobile in 1903 % Es ih Right Miles Up Hill, F our Miles Down, Was Speed Limit Donce BrotHers MOTOR CAR Value so pronounced that you are justified in looking upon the purchase of a Dodge Brothers Motor Car as the soundest possible investment in transportation. Not a dollar is added to the purchase price to support a free service policy; nor to cover the costliness of numerous body or chassis types; nor to pay interest on bor- rowed money; nor to maintain a multiple organization of middlemen. Dodge Brothers finance themselves. They sell directly through a single organization of dealers to you. They do not believe in charging in advance for service you may never need. They have developed re- markable economies, and a time-seasoned product, by concentrating on standard types. H. P. Grant (at the right) steps into his ear smiling at the recollections of his early- day auto sales pioneering in Seattle when he couldn't afford a “demonstrating car’ and} had. to use customers’ vehicles. Today he has a large agency as a result of his ven- ture—the first in the city. All decked out in motoring caps, veils, goggles and big gloves, Dr. F. A. Bryant, Seat- tle dentist, whizzed thru the Seattle country at the dizzy rate of 20 miles an hour in the first gasoline car in this city. That was back in 1903. Dr. Bryant is at the wheel of “The| Red Devil,” his four-cylinder Thomas. Beside him sits H. P. Grant, Seattle’s first auto| dealer. Mrs. Bryant sits behind the doctor with a sister of Mr. Grant at her side. (Note| the radiator, low slung, and the fake hood, which housed the tools, and a five-gallon can of gasoline. The motor was located farther to the rear.) se 8 ee iar eee BY LELAND HANNUM [time secretary of the Arctic club, money to buy a car and I had to ride rT a far ery from pioneer auto| brought the firat automobile to Be-|them all over this section of the smanship, in which you used | at That was in 1902 or 1903," | state and teach most of them to drive latest customer's automobile as|Grant explained. “It was an electric|the car before they we nead of a|runabout he purchased in Chicago Sverybody was skeptical of the| with a score of work-|and shipped 1 903 I started |automobile. It's a fact that it was! men, a numerous sales and clerical/the first Sea mobile agency, | not a mechanically perfect vehicle~| force and a group of specially trained | re: lin and Thom-|the manufacturers and the owner to carry on a business |as c nk A. Bryunt,/and the dealers had a lot to learn} nually mounts higher. It's) Seattle my first | about me transportation and mo-| a tong and arduous experience from|car. It ine auto struggling bicycle dealer and first Se-| in Seattle and w @ sensation. attle automobile salesman to the|I belleve it cost him $1,260. These facts are reflected, not only in the price of the Car, but in the quality of workmanship and materials that enter into its construction. WL.£aton East Pine at Sununit EFA st-0313 buy one.| yone of my friends and 4 lot of unsolicited acquaintances had | a lot to say, “There were too many| hills in and about Seattle—no one| could or would buy one of thone| hing because they couldn't bo | © was too much | oping the ng. There! ‘ of the owners | Was too h upkeep cost. And it| own und drive your own automobile | dare to drive out into the) Was too hard to learn to drive) back in the early days—but, for me,|country uniess I, as dealer, repair | them.’ | it was a much bigger adventure to|man and general adviser,’ trailed | BRE. ‘Ss MARRED e the solid, substantial bicycle ng in case of need. § ' ness and take up this ‘new fan-| here were no ‘purchasing pros- | utomobile sales business. And| pects’ such as we deniers know now. | ‘prospect’ gave him a ride about th plenty of advice against it. had. to create a demand and I had|city, tried tho hills here “and tt Henry P. Grant, now of the Seattle Hopkins, now dead, one-!to seo everyone who had enough |took him for a Sunday afternoon was the first automobile dealer in this city ———_—— icine ainsi ————— | picnic up to Snoqualmie fails or} in 1903, some place like that. And," Grant Dr. Frank A. Bryant Jamiled, ‘more often comfort propelled car in the cit ft was an embaransing ride from Grant in 1903 and for a wh the salesman. Just as every vehicle in Seattle. aked fine, the Grant's first automobile cost more than his entire bi stop with a br and equipment a in his customers’ jo re rmen and approach to a garage r The Seattle i was much “pew-fangled” motor touring automobiles” could be counted in one hour on a § h and Union. On a dry pavement, if a sudden] There are 38,000 d unusual must be made, | dealers in the United amount | throw out »ply foot brake |000 who sell motor trucks. e a mile| with full tc ssist with hand | tion, the service stations and 2 a halt| brake. c uld never get| shops number 63,000 and publia gms | ed and lose his head. (rages 48,000. 3 it _ ee io I went out, approached my THEM DAYS IS GONE FOREVER omobile Sales company, He started In business dentist, owned the fin jarred loose, jusual thin, | blowouts | of a half to one hour | stopped talking |to work to pi he dealer nd went his ‘demon. | strator. | “There wasn't an auto repatrman |!n the nation then. 1 had bicycle |repairmen and machinists to do the | work. But the owner did most of his own work In those day nen you had a breakdown in| rm an immediate many a time the spectat minutes later) 4 thinned so that} ors and returned 15 when the crowd |1 could put a patch on a tire or| what o' 88 speed with which ‘ u the od provisions of the clty ord and four press dispatches to The 8 sham to expl er parts to order so for | Stimson, some loose burrs or cotter! many jetalls—he out various mpare them Then it aivivit THINKING OF BUYING A NEW CHEVROLET? HAVE YOU AN OLD CAR TO TRADE? IF YOU HAVE— WE WANT IT! GIVE OUR USED CAR DEPARTMENT A CHANCE TO APPRAISE YOUR CAR EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD OFFERS GIVEN TO THE FIRST 100 BE ONE OF THE FIRST HUNDRED TO TRADE WITH US INVESTIGATE OUR TERMS! SHOP DOWNTOWN, WHERE IT’S HANDY WESTLAKE CHEVROLET COMPANY BEATTLIS BIG DOWNTOWN DEALER PHONE EL to OL 118 WESTLAKE AVENUF NORTH JUDGE DONWORTH HESITATED v4 OYiYiYiYiN sald took thre lessons before VIN IVIM IRIN A VV, A GYAN v VIS, (AYIViVAYD AAATATAYA NN VY Grant and a fo 4 fer Franklin. Bry Thomas was painted wn in th ted Devil!’ It had ) miles an ININININILINS. TiYaYiVi Ya Yay YiviviYa) Wa, A AZ Yammer Oviviviviiva 11s VA AAA AAA AYA HRU TOWN” UE RATE si TIRE ee Detroit, Vice Ch Hooking Rides Dangerous BY MISS HARRIET E, man, W UNDREDS of childre th ar Both sents edjust for ward and back for tall-end shore people. - Three Cars in One! A wonderful business car for dad—big loading space for samples, grips, tools, anthing—by re- moving rear seat and upholstery! A wonder- ful closed car for the whole family—both seats adjustable forward and backward to accommo- date everybody, tall and short! A wonderful vacation car for next summer—seats and upholstery make up into full-sized bed! More service at less cost! Come and enjoy a free demonstration. 695 NEW. CHAMPION Willys-Overland Pacific Co. Twelfth and E. Pine EA st-0660 University Motor Co. Western Motors 231 University Way 404 East Pine St. C. F, Hamilton Anderson Motor Sales 59083 Rainier Ave. 6801 Greenwood Ave. Milnes and Gallagher 511 Olive St.