Mystery Foto #12 Solved: William Lutgen’s Mercedes at a Pit Stop During the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Mitch Hackett challenged you to solve this Vanderbilt Cup Race Mystery Foto.
Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify the race, the race car, driver and mechanician.
The photo was taken from the pressbox of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown). Driver William Luttgen and his mechanician Pfeiffer are filling the #5 Mercedes with gasoline.
- Who was the owner of this race car? What was the race car’s claim to fame?
The Mercedes was owned by William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. and was likely the same Mercedes that set a land speed record of 92 mph at Ormond Beach in 1904.
- Identify at least three race officials seen in the Mystery Foto.
Behind the race car is Willie K. (referee) speaking with Fred Wagner (the starter and clerk of the course). To the left of the Mercedes is Jefferson DeMont Thompson, chairman of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Commission.
- Who were the only people able to service the race car in this race?
Only the driver and the mechanician were allowed to service the race car during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The rules were modified in 1910 to allow two of the pit crew to replenish water, oil and fuel and to assist in replacing tires.
- In which international race were "pits" first used to service race cars?
Correction: Our race expert Ariejan Bos (see Comments) states that the the first use of pits was at the French Grand Prix in July 1908. The Vanderbilt Cup Race pits on the Motor Parkway were the first pits for a race held in the United
Comments (9)
Congrats to Robert Luttgen, Art Kleiner, Dick Gorman, Greg O., Tim Ivers, Steve Lucas and Frank Femenias fop identifying the #5 Mercedes during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
Kudos to Robert Luttgen for being the first person ever to correctly identify his grandfather in a Mystery Foto.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Close-Ups
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Commission
Fred Wagner
Jefferson DeMont Thompson speaking with Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt Jr. at the 1908 grandstand.
French Grand Prix July, 1908 .
Ariejan Bos: The first pits weren't used during the Targa Florio, but during the French Grand Prix in July 1908. I guess they would have had a hard job in Italy to dig pits in the bedrock over there, so the repairs were done there on the side of the grandstand. For the Grand Prix de l'ACF a trench had been dug just in front of the grandstand meant for the public to give a better view of what was happening. You can seen it in this photos from the archives of Gallica-BnF, showing Lancia with his Fiat during one of his stops.
Comments
Identify the race, the race car, driver and mechanician.
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Mercedes, William Luttgen, and mechanician Pfeiffer
Who was the owner of this race car? What was the race car’s claim to fame?
Willie K. owned this Mercedes which was said to have broken the one-mile land speed record in 1904.
Identify at least three race officials seen in the Mystery Foto.
How about Willie K., Jefferson De Mont and Fred Wagner.
Who were the only people able to service the race car in this race?
Only the driver and mechanician.
In which international race were “pits” first used to service race cars?
1908 GPd l’ARf. Some races also mentioned in previous posts where pits were first used in Europe were the 1907 Dieppe and the 1908 Targa Florio in Sicily.
Mystery Foto #12…The photo shows the 90 hp Mercedes as driven by William Luttgen with Pfeiffer as mechanician in the 1908 Vanderbilt cup race. William K. Vanderbilt, Jr was the owner of this car. This Mercedes reportedly broke the one-mile Land Speed Record in 1904. William K Vanderbilt, A.R. Pardington and Jefferson DeMont Thompson were among the race officials appearing in this photo. At the pit stops in this race only driver and mechanician were allowed to work on the car… AND the “Pits” were first used to service the race cars at this very event, The 1908 Vanderbilt cup.
-Identify the race, the race car, driver and mechanician.
1908 Cup Race- #5 Mercedes driven by William Luttgen. Mechanician: Pfeiffer Finished 4th.
-Who was the owner of this race car? What was the race car’s claim to fame?
Owned by William K.Vanderbilt, Jr.-Reportedly same Mercedes that broke the one-mile land speed record in 1904
-Identify at least three race officials seen in the Mystery Foto.
Willie K. possibly standing next to Frank Webb. Jefferson De Mont Thompson looking over the car maybe?
Who were the only people able to service the race car in this race?
The pit men in the pits.
In which international race were “pits” first used to service race cars?
If I recall correctly, the 1908 Cup race was the first use of pits.
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
No. 5 Mercedes
Driver - William Luttgen
Mechanician - I believe it was Pfeiffer, but the same picture on this site says that it was Marx. Unless I have it backwards, Pfeiffer was the mechanician on the #5 Mercedes in 1908, and Marx was the mechanician on the #7 Mercedes in 1906. Neither man is listed in the “Drivers” section of this website.
William K. Vanderbilt Jr. was the owner of the No. 5 Mercedes, “reportedly same Mercedes that broke the one-mile land speed record in 1904”.
William K. Vanderbilt Jr. was a referee, Col. Lowry (not sure of this position), announcer Pr__ty (cannot make out the spelling in my photo), and the starter Wagner.
Only the driver and the mechanician were allowed to service the car in the 1908 race.
There is lively debate on the use of the term “pits”. And of course Howard’s website has the most authoritative discussion on it that I have seen. If you read the excellent post on this blog dated Aug 11, 2010, you will see that the Targa Florio race on May 18, 1908 might have actually been the first.
Robert Luttgen
Looks like Tracy & Poole are refusing during the elimination race for the 1905 VCR. while their pit-crew just watch. Was that a requirement? If so, maybe that’s part of the reason that Locomobile appears to have used a larger tank the following year.
1908 vanderbilt cup. Driver William Luttgen; mechanician Marx
They were the only two allowed to service the car.
Official looking on: William K Vanderbilt
This race marked the first use of pits in the USA, and it took place at
the Hempstead Plains grandstand.
The car, a Mercedes, was owned by William K. Vanderbilt Jr.
This car broke the one mile land speed record in 1904.
This photo was taken during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race on October 24, 1908 and shows Willie K’s Mercedes being refueled. The driver was William Luttgen and the mechanician named Pfeiffer (although I’ve also seen him referred to as Marx). The car’s reported claim to fame was that it was the same car that Willie K. drove while breaking the one mile land speed record at Ormond Beach in 1904. Additionally. it’s the same car that’s embossed on the actual Vanderbilt Cup. Referee Willie K. is standing behind the car. Next to him could be Fred Wagner, the starter. Close to the right front wheel could be race chairman Jefferson DeMont Thompson. For this race, the only two people allowed to service the car were the driver and mechanician. The generally accepted first use of pits to service race cars was on May 18, 1908 at Targa Florio, Circuito Grande Modonie, Sicily.
It looks like Santa Monica RR, A Stutz driven by Charles Merz 1912.
Some of the answers….
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race by the Levittown grandstand and pits.
1903 #5 Mercedes (Germany), 90hp, this Mercedes was likely the one that broke the one-mile land speed record on the beach in 1904, owned by Willie K., finished 4th during last lap when the race was called. Driver was William Luttgen, Mechanician was Pfeiffer.
I see Willie K wearing the boots, watching the refuel.
This was the race where George Robertson, #16 Locomobile, 90hp, finished 1st with an average speed of 64.3mph, first American car to win the Vanderbilt Cup Race.
Robertson and Lytle, #6 Isotta, Italy, 60hp, 2nd place, were neck to neck for 90 miles. On the last lap, Robertson blew a tire and replaced it within two minutes. He managed to win the race in the remaining 18mi.
An unprecedented 250,000 spectators arrived for this race.