Retracing the 1952 Mobilgas Economy Run in a VW Jetta TDI
 

Relishing the Thrill of a 60-Year-Old Hunt

Benson Kong - MOTORTREND - May 4, 2012

"Thank you for contacting ExxonMobil. The company archives have been closed and the material has since been dispersed. Some of it has been donated to..." So the e-mail reply read. Rats! As if my research hadn't hit enough speed bumps already, the past title sponsor of the event I was planning to retrace couldn't help.

The story before you is part road trip, part fuel economy experiment, and part sating a personal curiosity. Some background: The Mobilgas Economy Run (nee Gilmore Economy Run) was once our nation's preeminent car efficiency shootout, where drivers were challenged to extract maximum mpgs on predetermined routes. The Gilmore Oil Company initially backed economy drives from 1929 to 1931, but the big show officially started in 1936 and terminated with its 1968 finale, and was held every year save for 1942 through 1949. Try searching Google for more comprehensive information (I did) and you'll find there isn't much out there.
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Re: Retracing the 1952 Mobilgas Economy Run in a VW Jetta TDI
 

Hi Al:

Fantastic story!

And our take from the way back machine: How to save gas - Hypermiling_50 years ago!

Wayne