Albert Clement, Jr.
The French Clement-Bayard (1904)
The prestige of the Vanderbilt name drew many leading European manufacturers and drivers to the race. Cars entered by France (6), USA (5), Germany (5), and Italy (2) were among the 18 starters. The French cars included three 90-hp Panhards, a 60-hp Renault, an 80-hp De Dietrich, and an 80-hp #12 Clement-Bayard (pictured above at the starting line). At the wheel of the De Dietrich was one of the leading European drivers, Fernand Gabriel, who finished second in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Race and was the declared winner of the 1903 Paris-Madrid Race. The German cars were all Mercedes, each owned by Americans. Two 90-hp F.I.A.T. cars represented Italy, one owned by Willie K’s cousin, Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt.
Clement Protests Race (1904)
An anguished Clement, his face coated with oil and dust, approached race referee Vanderbilt immediately after the race. Clement protested that he was unfairly delayed at the Hicksville and Hempstead Controls. In a late night meeting at their Garden City Hotel Headquarters the Vanderbilt Race Commission, led by Vanderbilt, denied the protest and declared Heath’s Panhard the winner. The Vanderbilt Cup was awarded to France.
Featured Drivers
- George Arents, Jr.
- William Borque
- Louis Chevrolet
- J. Walter Christie
- David Bruce-Brown
- Albert Clement, Jr.
- Bert Dingley
- Arthur Duray
- Lee Frayer
- Harry Grant
- George Heath
- Victor Hemery
- Foxhall Keene
- Billy Knipper
- Vincenzo Lancia
- William Luttgen
- Herb Lytle
- Felice Nazzaro
- Edward Parker
- Al Poole
- Eddie Rickenbacker
- George Robertson
- Charles Schmidt
- Elliot Shepard
- Emil Stricker
- George Teste
- Joe Tracy
- Louis Wagner
- A.C. Webb
- Walter White
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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