Auto polo was an early 20th-century sport that replaced horses with stripped-down Model Ts. Each car carried a driver and a malletman, who leaned from the side to strike a ball while the vehicles swerved, collided and frequently overturned. Popularized in 1911 by Ford dealer Ralph “Pappy” Hankinson as a sales stunt, it became an attraction at fairs across America and Europe. It was invented to demonstrate the Model T’s durability; the resulting repair bills eventually helped end it.
Auto polo
