Vintage Auto Rental Trivia Quiz

Answer: Duesenberg

The Duesenberg Automobile and Motor Company was founded in Indianapolis in 1919. Automotive experts have said that the Duesenberg has been "the most luxurious truly fast car ever built". It won the French Grand Prix at Le Mans the very first time it was entered in 1921.

Answer: Genevieve

Genevieve is a 1904 Darracq, owned by Alan and Wendy McKim. They make a bet, and race in the popular London to Brighton run, against their friend Ambrose Claverhouse, who owns a 1904 Spyker.

Answer: Duryea Motor Wagon Company

Founded in 1895 by Charles and Frank Duryea, the Duryea Motor Wagon Company was the first American company to build and sell gasoline powered vehicles. They built their first one cylinder car, with a three-speed transmission, in 1893, which was successfully tried in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts.

By the end of 1896, they had sold thirteen cars, which were the very first cars sold in the United States.

Answer: Hispano Suiza

Founded in 1904, the Hispano Suiza company was established in Barcelona, Spain. The car got its name in honor of King Alfonso VIII. The car built in 1911 was originally going to be named 15T, but the company decided to change its name to honor the king. Alfonso VIII was a great collector of Hispano Suiza cars, owning more than 30 of them.

Answer: Itala

The first Peking to Paris race took place in 1907. More than just a race, it was probably the most gruelling motor adventure to be ever undertaken then and now. The distance covered was 9,317 miles or 14,994 km. As such, the race had no rules, or any assistance along the way, the winner being the first car to arrive in Paris. The grand prize was a magnum bottle of Mumm champagne. The winner was the Itala, with a seven liter engine, driven by the by Italian Prince Scipione Borghese of the Borghese family, accompanied by the journalist Luigi Barzini.

Answer: Jaguar

The Jaguar "E-Type" was powered by Jaguar's most famous 3.8 litre twin cam engine. Several different versions were produced from 1961 till 1975. Its sleek and elegant shape has made this car one of the most desired among collectors.

Answer: Great Arrow

The first car to receive this trophy was a Great Arrow, manufactured by the George N. Pierce Co., which later became the the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company. The Glidden Trophy consisted of an endurance run from New York City to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, with a distance of 1100 miles.

The Arrow cars continued winning the trophy for the next four years. Due to their luxury and prestige, Pierce Arrow cars have had notable and influential owners since their early days. These include the first two cars ordered by the White House for President Taft, a 1930 parade car built for the Shah of Persia, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Orville Wright and Charlie Chaplin are just a few among a long list of wealthy people of the time who owned Pierce Arrows.

Answer: 1905

The first run took place in 1896, leaving from the Metropole Hotel in London to reach the Metropole Hotel in Brighton. 33 cars took part in the event, but only 14 of them made the whole journey and arrived at the Brighton hotel. The event was not done again till 1927, but since then it has run annually, with the exception of the war years and 1947.

It is considered to be the oldest annual motor running event in the world. The event is not run like a race, as no one is allowed to exceed 20 mph or 32km/h.

The cars start off at 7.00 am, and any car that reaches the finish line before 4.30 pm is awarded a medal.

Answer: Bugatti

The first Monaco Grand Prix took place on the 14th of April 1929. It was won by William Grover-Williams driving a Bugatti model 35B. Sixteen cars participated in this invitation-only race, to win a prize of 100,000 French francs. Out of the sixteen cars participating, eight were other Bugattis, all model 35s. The Bugattis came in 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th positions.

Answer: Thomas Flyer

Six teams, representing France, Germany, Italy and the United States, took part in this incredible race in 1908. Only three teams arrived after the 22,000 mile race, which took 169 days to complete. The winner, the Thomas Flyer, was built by the Thomas Motor Company in Buffalo, New York. Throughout the journey the Flyer was driven by several men, but its final leg was driven by its main mechanic George Schuster. In October of 2010 Schuster was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.