Vanderbilt Cup Races

Four major automobile races were held from 1908 to 1911 in Savannah, Georgia including the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Here is a "Then & Now"  of the location of the grandstands for the 1910 and 1911 races:

Then: 1908-1911

 The map of the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race course. The grandstands were located on Waters Avenue near East 46th Street (upper right-hand corner).

  Waters Avenue- when it was part of the 1908-1911 Savannah race courses

Now

In 1955 the Georgia Historical Commission placed this historical marker on the site of  the grandstands for the 1910-1911 American Grand Prize Races and the 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The marker is at the intersection of Waters Avenue and East 46th Street  . This is the inscription:

On each side of Waters Avenue at this site stood the grandstands built for the famous Savannah automobile races in 1910 and 1911. The starting and finishing line was located in front of the stands.

On November 12, 1910, David Bruce-Brown won the American Grand Prize Race of 415 miles by only one and a half seconds, averaging 70.55 miles per hour in a Benz car. The Grand Prize Race held on November 30, 1911, was also won by Bruce-Brown driving a Fiat, with an average speed of 74.45 miles per hour.

On November 27, 1911, Ralph Mulford, at the wheel of an American-made Lozier, was victor in the Vanderbilt Cup Race, averaging 74.07 miles per hour.

These races which were run over a course of 17 miles of fine roads in Chatham County are considered by authorities as the greatest automobile road races held in this country. Of international interest and importance, the events contributed their share in the development of the early automobile industry in America.

 Waters Avenue at East 46th Street as it looks today.

Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com and the Internet :

Archives: 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Savannah, Georgia

Georgia Historical Society

Index: Archives on VanderbiltCupRaces.com