Vincenzo Lancia
Italian Vincenzo Lancia was an Early Favorite (1905)
Competing against the five American cars, France, Germany, and Italy started 14 of their greatest cars and drivers. F.I.A.T. provided five cars for Italy, with engines ranging from 90 to 120 hp. The most prominent driver in the race was Italian Vincenzo Lancia who won the 1904 Florio Cup, covering the 231 mile Italian course with a then astounding average speed of 71.88 mph. The affable Lancia was both the crowd and gamblers’ favorite and later went on to develop his own car company.
Lancia at the Guinea Woods Turn (1905)
Lancia dominated the race from the beginning in his 120-hp #4 F.I.A.T, cutting laps at a breathtaking pace to average an astonishing 72 mph over the first 113 miles. As he made the Guinea Woods Turn in Old Westbury on lap seven, Lancia had a commanding lead of over 30 miles.
Christie and Lancia Collide (1905)
As captured by the prominent artist Peter Helck (1893-1988), Lancia was impatient to get back on course after replacing a tire on lap eight when leading by over 30 miles. He misjudged the speed of the approaching racer Walter Christie. He pulled onto the road in front of the American car, which hit him from behind. Lancia’s two rear wheels took 40 minutes to repair.
Crowds Storms Lancia After His Finish (1905)
With the first two places decided, the battle for third place was heated between Lancia’s F.I.A.T. and Tracy’s Locomobile. After Hemery completed his winning run, spectators packed the road near the grandstand. Lancia was forced to bring the F.I.A.T to a crawl before he crossed the finish line. He was stormed by a horde of admirers for his amazing race in what the New York Times called a “hurricane of cheers.”
Locomobile Finishes Race As Lancia Looks On (1905)
Within a minute of Lancia’s finish, Tracy’s Locomobile (right) crossed the finish line while the disappointed Lancia watched in his car. Tracy had done the seemingly impossible by making up time on the flying Italian and beating Lancia by two minutes and five seconds, averaging 56.9 mph. The third place finish was the first time an American car had ever placed in an international competition.
Lancia on Manhasset Hill (1906)
Vincenzo Lancia’s 120-hp #4 F.I.A.T. maintained his speed up Manhasset Hill on the North Hempstead Turnpike, one of the more challenging portions of the course. The hill presented a steep upgrade for about one and a half miles. Based on his spirited performance in 1905, Lancia was a crowd favorite and received a resounding round of applause from the grandstand crowd at the start and at the Spinney Hill grandstand.
Featured Drivers
- George Arents, Jr.
- William Borque
- Bruce Bruce-Brown
- Louis Chevrolet
- J. Walter Christie
- 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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