Mobil Economy Run was an annual event that took place from 1936 to 1968, except duringWorld War II. It was designed to provide realfuel efficiency numbers during a coast-to-coast test on public roads and with regular traffic and weather conditions. TheMobil Oil Corporation sponsored it and theUnited States Auto Club (USAC) sanctioned and operated the run.
The Mobil Economy Run determined thefuel economy or gas mileage potentials of passenger cars under typical driving conditions encountered by average motorists. This was rather different from the current method of computing fuel consumption by theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by running cars on chassisdynamometer in a climate-controlled environment. To prevent special preparation or modifications to the participating automobiles for the run, the United States Auto Club purchased the cars atdealerships, checked them and, if certified as "stock", theirhoods andchassis were sealed. The factory gas tank was disconnected so fuel use could be accurately measured by using a special tank mounted in the trunk. Because of the many types of automobiles, the Mobil Economy Run had eight classes based on wheelbase, engine and body size, as well as price. The leadingautomakers provided drivers and in each car was a USAC observer to prevent any deviations and penalize for traffic or speed limit violations. Women were permitted to participate in the Mobil-gas contest only from 1957.[1]
The event was amarketing contest between the automakers. The objective was the coveted title as the Mobilgas Economy Run winner in each class. However, starting in 1959, entries were judged on an actual miles-per-gallon basis, instead of the ton-mileage formula used previously which favored bigger, heavier cars.[2] As a result,compact cars became the top mileage champs. In the 47-car field for 1959, aRambler American was first - averaging 25.2878 miles per US gallon (9.3015 L/100 km; 30.3694 mpg‑imp) - while aRambler Six was second - with an average of 22.9572 miles per US gallon (10.2458 L/100 km; 27.5704 mpg‑imp) - for the five-day, 1,898-mile (3,055 km) trip fromLos Angeles, California toKansas City, Missouri.[2]
The efficiency of models asAMC's more compactRamblers caused them to be all but banned from the event. As a result, Ramblers andStudebakers were put in a separate class. This was because the 'Big Three' auto makers (General Motors,Ford, andChrysler) did not have competitive cars at the time and were trounced in the fuel efficiency rankings until they introduced smaller platforms (GM X platform,Ford Falcon,Chrysler A platform).
Automakers tried to "prepare" their cars to achieve better results.[3] An example was to use lightweight motor oil during the allowable 1,500-mile (2,400 km) "break-in" period "to promote faster wear and loosen the engines up quickly."[4] Moreover, the factory-supplied drivers were highly trained and experienced to drive in a manner that conserved fuel. An average driver in the same car and over the same course would be lucky to achieve the Run's results. The tests only show the "ultimate" economy potential of the cars tested and their relative efficiency of fuel use.[4]
The event received criticism in the form of literary fiction, from the bookBalloons are Available by Jordan Crittenden. In the novel, a fictional character is hit by an automobile during the event. An excerpt from the novel reads "'It was terrible,' she says. 'The driver couldn't stop because he was competing in a Mobilgas Economy Run.'"[5]
Over the years, the Mobil Oil Corporation sponsored many Mobil Economy Run events across the country for various car classes and automobile associations for short distances.[6] In 1963, a "day-day" test between Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon eventually evolved into a "six-day" endurance test between Los Angeles and New York by the U.S. Auto Club. The last run started in Anaheim CA on April 2, 1968, but was cancelled in Indianapolis on April 5 due to civil unrest across the country because of the death of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4.[7] In December 1968, it was announced by Richard F Tucker, vice president of marketing for Mobil in North America, the event will be cancelled in the United States citing "changing advertising patterns and changing emphasis in automotive performance as major factors influencing the decision."[8]
Mobil entered theUnited Kingdomservice station market in 1952, as Mobilgas. It copied the annual Economy Run from the US. However, in the 1970s, the Economy Run was taken over in the UK byTotal S.A., but the event was discontinued in the UK after just a few years.[9]
InAustralia the Mobilgas Economy Run was staged in various years including 1955,[10] 1956,[11] 1958,[12] 1959,[13] 1960 (the fifth running),[14] 1961,[15] and, as the Mobil Economy Run in 1962,[16] 1963,[17] 1964,[18] and 1966 (the tenth running).[19]
InItaly the competition started in 1959, and it lasted until at least 1985. Since 1969, it was organised by Mobil withFIAT, which provided the cars. From 1969 to 1984 it was also calledMobil Fiat Economy Run, while in 1985 the name was changed inLancia Mobil Economy Run.[20][21][22][23]
The competition was also present inFrance at the end of the 1970s.[24]
The Mobil Economy Run is used to explain the claims made for United States Patent # 3937202 - an "Economy driving aid":[25]
*Knoll, Bob (24 December 2006)."Coast to Coast in the Pursuit of Economy".The New York Times. Retrieved12 January 2018.
