American Motors' economy claims got a boost last week in an open trial—the 1959 Mobilgas Economy Run. At the end of the five-day, 1.898-mile trip from Los Angeles to Kansas City, Mo. the honors went to a Rambler American Deluxe driven by Woody Bell, 44. The Rambler topped the 47-car field with an average 25.2878 miles per gallon; a Rambler Deluxe was second, with a 22.9572-m.p.g. average. Third place was won by a Studebaker Lark Deluxe, with 22.4422. For the first time entries were judged this year on an actual miles-per-gallon basis instead of the ton-mileage formula used previously, which favored bigger, heavier cars.
Women drivers copped first place in two of the six classifications. Stunt Driver Patricia Jones drove her Dodge Coronet to victory in the Low Medium-Price Class; Hollywood Secretary Mary Hauser zipped her Chevrolet Biscayne into top honors in the Low-Price, 6-Cylinder Class. Only a broken tie rod and penalty for lost time while she repaired it kept Restaurant Owner Mary Davis of Hollywood, in a Plymouth Belvedere, from winning first place in a third class. (She placed second.) In 13 individual races, in which men and women raced against each other and drove identical makes and models, the men proved better drivers; they won in eight. Winners in the six general classes:
Compact Car: Rambler American Deluxe, 25.2878 m.p.g.; Rambler Deluxe, 22.9572 m.p.g.; Studebaker Lark Deluxe, 22.4422 m.p.g.
Low-Price, 6-Cylindef: Chevrolet Biscayne, 22.3788 m.p.g.; Chevrolet Biscayne, 21.9439 m.p.g.; Ford Custom 300, 20.3288 m.p.g.
Low-Price, 8-Cylinder: Plymouth Belvedere, 21.1544 m-p-g-; Plymouth Belvedere, 20.9880 m.p.g.; Ford Custom 300, 19.6698 m.p.g.
Low Medium-Price: Dodge Coronet, 21.7454 m-p-g-; Dodge Coronet, 21.0164 m.p.g.; Chrysler Windsor, 19.6454 m.p.g.
Upper Medium-Price: Ford Thunderbird, 19.1301 m.p.g.; Chrysler Saratoga, 19.0701 m.p.g.; De Soto Firedome, 19.-0632 m.p.g.
High-Price: Cadillac 62, 19.0352 m.p.g.; Chrysler Imperial Custom,18.2027 m.p.g.; Lincoln, 17.2739 m.p.g.