The Vanderbilt Cup Races

Locomobile #16 (1908)

Referee Vanderbilt and Chairman Thompson Inspect Locomobile (1908)

Vanderbilts: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race with #16 Locomobile

Vanderbilt took his role of referee very seriously and at times seemed ubiquitous. When driver George Robertson and riding mechanician Glen Etheridge stopped the #16 Locomobile to strap in a spare tire, Vanderbilt (left) and Jefferson DeMont Thompson, chairman of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Commission, inquired about road conditions. Robertson was wearing a racing mask and a scarf on his cap to clean his goggles.

Locomobile Passes Headquarters (1908)

Courtesy of The National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library

As with the three previous races, Jericho Turnpike was a significant part of the course. For the 1908 race, the cars traveled east to west down the turnpike for the first time. Jericho residents were thrilled when George Robertson drove his #16 Locomobile past the team’s headquarters located in D.F. Maltby’s Automobile Garage. The building would later become Jericho’s first firehouse.

Robertson Flies Over the Ellison Avenue Railroad Bridge (1908)

Robertson Flies Over the Elliston Avenue Railroad Bridge

The Locomobile, the pride of Bridgeport, Connecticut, soared over the Long Island Railroad Bridge on Ellison Avenue in Westbury. Driver George Robertson ran fast enough for the car’s wheels to clear the running surface as it crested the peak of the bridge.

Robertson Heads to the Finish Line (1908)

Courtesy of Brown Brothers

With a lead of over four minutes, Robertson’s Locomobile began the final lap of the race apparently on his way to an easy victory. However, instead of taking a conservative pace, Robertson pushed so hard he lost control and skidded backwards off Plainview Road and destroyed one of his tires. Amazingly, the car was otherwise undamaged. Robertson’s place in history hinged on his skills and those of his riding mechanician Glenn Ethridge in changing the tire. In a swift two minutes and 10 seconds, a new tire was mounted on the rim.

Robertson’s Locomobile Wins the Race (1908)

Courtesy of Brown Brothers

Robertson drove the big Locomobile across the line to claim the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup. For the first time, America could finally boast victory in an auto race against international competition. Robertson averaged 67.3 mph and finished one minute and 48.2 seconds ahead of the Herb Lytle’s Isotta.

Robertson Takes the Checkered Flag (1908)

Vanderbilts: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Finish

Brash and daring, 23-year-old George Robertson took the checkered flag from starter Fred Wagner before a huge crowd in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown). Jefferson De Mont Thompson, Chairman of the Race Commission, was seen with his hands raised. Beside him to his left was the ever-vigilant referee, William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Now called “Old Number 16,” the car is currently displayed at The Henry Ford, a museum in Dearborn, Michigan.

Profile of the Winner (1908)

Courtesy of The National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library

After his 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race victory, George Robertson was considered by many to be America’s premier race driver. Only weeks earlier he scored impressive stock car victories driving a Simplex in the 24-hour race at the Brighton Beach track and then in a Locomobile 40 at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. His driving career was cut short while practicing for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race when a newspaperman riding with him to develop a story panicked and clutched the driver as he entered a sharp turn. Robertson suffered injuries to his right arm that made it impossible for him to drive the heavy cars of the day in competition.

Robertson’s Plaque (1908)

Collectibles and memorabilia from the Vanderbilt Cup Races have turned up in auctions, flea markets and the Internet throughout the years. The rarest items are the 22 oval bronze plaques produced by Tiffany & Company from 1904 to 1916. The race sponsors produced two plaques for each race that were presented to the winning driver and manufacturer. Until 1910 when $2,000 was awarded to the winner, the plaque was the only official award and compensation given to the driver for winning the Vanderbilt Cup Race by the sponsors.

Banquet in Bridgeport (1908)

Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the Locomobile was manufactured, declared Monday, November 9th a holiday as Robertson paraded the victorious #16 Locomobile around town before 30,000 spectators. That evening more than 300 business and community leaders attended the largest banquet in the city’s history up to that time in the dining room of the new Stratfield Hotel. The Vanderbilt Cup was proudly displayed in the back of the room.

Locomobile Company Promotes Victory (1908)

Although the Locomobile Company promoted the establishment of “American Supremacy in Automobiles” in its ads, it soon decided to discontinue its racing efforts due to its expense. The Locomobile Company continued to prosper through World War I when it received several lucrative military contracts. But changes in the market and company management forced it to struggle through the 1920’s before eventually closing its doors in March 1929.

Featured Cars

Feature

The 128-page book by Howard Kroplick, a researcher and lecturer on the races, contains rare images of the races from the archives of major museums, libraries and private collectors. The book Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island will be available from Arcadia Publishing in March 2008.

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