14 replies to this topic

[sramoa]

I find a little France car the name is:S.P.O.
This car race in U.S. from 1908 to 1911 and I think "lived" same times.
The entry list think:Made by Société Francaise de Petit Outillage of Clinchy,France.The machine is a 16 HP car,The american branch manager is:S. Kjeldsen who raced in England.
The driver name(who interesting for me):the Hungarian John Juhasz-who raced from 1908 to 1911 this car!

Somebody have more info this car?
And who was John Juhasz(Juhász János)?

Thanks all info

[Jean L]

Are you sure it is Clinchy or it is Clichy ?

[David McKinney]

It's not listed by either Doyle or Georgano so presumably not a production model

[Darren Galpin]

An SPO was raced by Lewis Strang at the Atlanta Motordrome on the 5th May 1910, finishing second in a 200 mile race, albeit 20 laps behind......

Also, an SPO was raced in the Brighton Beach 24 hour race 11th-12th September 1908, driven by both Kjeldsen and John Juhasz. It finished 9th.

Two were entered in the International Light Car Race of the AAA at Savannah on the 25th November 1908. H.Connors finished 10th in one (last of the runners), and John Juhasz DNS the other due to a practice accident.

30th July 1909, Brighton Beach - Frank Lescault finished 2nd in a 100 mile race.

27th-28th August 1909, Brighton Beach - "Jahasa" (probably Juhasz) finished 2nd in a 6 hour race for low priced cars. Adams was disqualified from the same race for repeatedly baulking Woltman, and was suspended for 30 days. He had been leading when black flagged, and completed 240 miles.

6th May 1910, Atlanta Motordrome - Strang finished 3rd in a 10 mile race. Woodside won a special handicap for amateur drivers in an SPO.

23rd July 1910, Brighton Beach - S.E.Wishart and John Juhasz finished 2nd & 3rd in a 10 mile race. Juhasz then finished 5th in a 1 hour race at the same meet.

30th July 1910, Atlanta Motordrome. John Toole competed in several events, winning the 12 mile 301-450ci race.

3rd-5th September 1910, Brighton Beach. M.P.Betts finished 2nd in a 10 mile race for two cars.

17th September 1910, New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Juhasz won a 5 mile race for 300ci cars and under.

5th July 1912, Old Orchard Beach - Howard Plimpton finished 3rd in a 50 mile race.

[sramoa]

Are you sure it is Clinchy or it is Clichy ?

My list think:Clinchy,Seine,France-I don't know where is it...

Interesting for me:John Juhasz-possible he was the first hungarian who raced in U.S.(and Szisz)Oh the first Ford T engineer was József Galamb-he was hungarian-but this is an other story

1910 Brighton Beach race:S.P.O. owner was Henry S. Lake

21 Nov 1908 Savannah practice:Juhasz's riding mechanic M. DeRosa died in accident(big black dog ran in road)

[sramoa]

An SPO was raced by Lewis Strang at the Atlanta Motordrome on the 5th May 1910, finishing second in a 200 mile race, albeit 20 laps behind......

Also, an SPO was raced in the Brighton Beach 24 hour race 11th-12th September 1908, driven by both Kjeldsen and John Juhasz. It finished 9th.

Two were entered in the International Light Car Race of the AAA at Savannah on the 25th November 1908. H.Connors finished 10th in one (last of the runners), and John Juhasz DNS the other due to a practice accident.

30th July 1909, Brighton Beach - Frank Lescault finished 2nd in a 100 mile race.

27th-28th August 1909, Brighton Beach - "Jahasa" (probably Juhasz) finished 2nd in a 6 hour race for low priced cars. Adams was disqualified from the same race for repeatedly baulking Woltman, and was suspended for 30 days. He had been leading when black flagged, and completed 240 miles.

6th May 1910, Atlanta Motordrome - Strang finished 3rd in a 10 mile race. Woodside won a special handicap for amateur drivers in an SPO.

23rd July 1910, Brighton Beach - S.E.Wishart and John Juhasz finished 2nd & 3rd in a 10 mile race. Juhasz then finished 5th in a 1 hour race at the same meet.

30th July 1910, Atlanta Motordrome. John Toole competed in several events, winning the 12 mile 301-450ci race.

3rd-5th September 1910, Brighton Beach. M.P.Betts finished 2nd in a 10 mile race for two cars.

17th September 1910, New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse. Juhasz won a 5 mile race for 300ci cars and under.

5th July 1912, Old Orchard Beach - Howard Plimpton finished 3rd in a 50 mile race.

In NY Times think before the first Brighton Beach race entered:Motorparkway(?) race-this race was in early September or latest August.

14(or 13) August 1910, Brighton Beach 10 miles Juhasz won(only light car category)owner:Henry S. Lake

1 October 1910 Long Island AAA National Championship race #49 Juhasz Start:8th, Finish:5th, Ret in 4th laps Magneto

4 July 1911, Brighton Beach race Juhasz 3rd in non stock car 231-300 cu.i. category

[Darren Galpin]

Also, Wildwood (NJ), 4th July 1908, Lescault withdrew his S.P.O. from the Gasoline $2001-$3000 class race. Lescault protested competitors who did not have fenders. The protest was disallowed, and Lescault withdrew.

[Vitesse2]

Juhasz' crash at Savannah:

http://query.nytimes...9679D946997D6CF

De Rosa's funeral:

http://query.nytimes...9649D946997D6CF

According to this, there was only one one car at Savannah: it was repaired and Connors installed as substitute:

http://query.nytimes...l...Juhasz&st=p

Port Jefferson hillclimb, 1910. Juhasz 5th in event 8A:

http://query.nytimes...l...Juhasz&st=p

References to SPO cars in the New York Times:

http://query.nytimes...w...&year2=1980

Edited by Vitesse2, 05 February 2010 - 15:35.

[robert dick]

The SPO offices were located at no. 71 Boulevard Victor Hugo, Clichy, Seine. The cars were assembled in a shop at Levallois-Perret.

In addition to the races mentioned above, Juhasz started in the Wheathley Hills Trophy on 1 October 1910. The Wheatley Hills was run on Long Island concurrently with the Vanderbilt, and was open for class B stock cars, division 3B, between 231 and 300 cubic inches, minimum weight 1600 pounds. The SPO, race no. 49, was out in lap 5 (of the 15-lap distance).
The SPO was powered by a 4,1-litre 4-cylinder, 100 x 130 mm, L-head. Transmission via cone clutch and 3-speed gearbox. Wheelbase 260 cm, tyres 32 x 4 all around. Price of the two-seater in New York $3250 - this was expensive - the 1910 Mercer raceabout was offered for $2250.

[sramoa]

I find this site(but Spanish):

http://www.pilotos-m...0/DeRosa M.html

Do you have info for John (or Jean) Juhasz?(Was he engineer,or was he moved to France or US?etc.)

[robert dick]

No details concerning Juhasz. In the magazine Horseless Age, he was described as "Hungarian racing driver", "under contract with the SPO Automobile Co., New York".

[pnegyesi]

Hmm, I have to admit I have never met this name before. Fascinating

Nick Georgano's encyclopedia says: S.P.O. (F) Sté Francaise de Petit Outillage, Courbevoie, Seine 1908-1911
This company made a wide variety of components for the motor industry before building a complete car themselves. Two models were offered, a 16hp taxicab and a 24hp twon car, both with L-head 4-cylinder engines. Several chassis were exported to America where they were fitted withroadster bodies. One of these survives today.

If anyone has access to Automobile Quarterly, Vol 26 No3, 3rd quarter 1988 had an article on S.p.o. the "racy parisienne". I'll try to check it out this weekend

Regards,
Pal

[pnegyesi]

It took a bit more weekends to get to the library where a complete run of AQ issues is located. There's barely nothing on Juhasz in the article, he is being referred to as Jurasz. Juhasz (shepheard) is a fairly common family name in Hungary.

Will be tricky to find anything on him...

[sramoa]

Possible is the driver licence?I think in 1908(or before)wasn't too much licence...Austro-Hungary Monarchy was a bureaucracion empire:D

Yes the Juhász name is very common family name(ex.:my wife too)

[hansfohr]

Jean (John) Juhasz = (in Hungarian name order >> familyname+given name) Juhász János.

Does that bring us any further?