The four-cylinder Chalmers Thirty was well-proven in period contests, most prominently in the 1910 Glidden Tour, a grueling 2,851-mile event, which it won; it was the first car priced under $4,000 (a small fortune at the time) to conquer the Glidden. The following year, the model was updated with a redesigned dashboard, running boards, and radiator emblem, as well as the inclusion of rear doors on all body styles and modern torque-tube drive, replacing the earlier open driveline with U-joints.