Mystery Foto #7 Solved: The 1914 Alco Race Car in Santa Monica in the The 1914 American Grand Prize Race
Allen Haywood challenged you to identify this ALCO race car and race.
Identify;
- The Race Car
The #6 ALCO race Car
- Driver
American driver William Taylor
- Race, Date, Location Hint; It is NOT a Vanderbilt Cup Race, but is related.
The 1914 American Grand Prize, held on February 28, 1914, was the third race of the 1914 Grand Prix season
- Finish for this racer
This ALCO racer, (which is not the Black Beast) was on the older side at that point, finished all 48 laps at 3rd with a time of 6:08:29
- What is the relationship of the Mystery Auto and the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
The 1909 ALCO Black Beast was a similar racer winning the 1909 & 1910 Vanderbilt Cup races. The 1914 Vanderbilt Cup was raced on the same course 2 days earlier (hence the signage in the photo) and both 1914 Santa Monica races were part of the 1914 Grand Prix race season.
1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race stats.
Comments (6)
Congrats to Art Kleiner, BOB BARAUSKAS, and Steve Lucas for identifying the ALCO at Santa Monica in 1914.
Greg O.
Close-Up
From Allen Haywood-
"Here is another picture of an Alco you may not have. This one is owned by flicker. The car was owned by Billy Taylor, who bought it after it was wrecked from an insurance company. It was raced at Tacoma in 1914. Billy is in the drivers seat. The man standing is a Mr Woolacott who may also owned an Alco or sponsored Taylor"
Comments
Let’s go with this:
Alco driven by Billy Taylor
International Grand Prix, Feb. 28, 1914, Santa Monica
Finished in second place
The car was driven two days earlier in the Vanderbilt Cup Race as #17, driven by Tony Janette as noted on the sign on the wall in the mystery photo.
ALCO
WILLIAM TAYOR WAS THE DRIVER
THE RACE WAS THE AMERICAN GRAND PRIZE RACE, ON THE SANTA MONICA ROAD RACECOURSE, HELD ON FEBRUARY 28, 1914
TAYLOR FINISHED 3RD AFTER STARTING IN THE 5TH POSITION.
THE VANDERBILT CUP RACE WAS HELD ON FEBRUARY 26, 1914, TOW DAYS EARLIER
THEN THE AMERICAN GRAND PRIZE RACE.
... with the palm tree - possibly Florida?
.. .is the ALCO sign a hint…
... a similar look to the Black Beast!
I was never an auto racing fan and so know little about NASCAR, etc., other than the names of notable drivers. However, as a resident of Boca Raton for 20 years after I retired from my trial practice in NY (I’m still admitted to the Bars of both NY and FL), I think the photo includes “Date Palm Trees.” Although Royal and Date Palms are not indigenous to FL, Boca and Palm Beach County are loaded with them. So. I’m guessing that the course was somewhere in Southeast Florida, which was probably in Palm Beach County. Where, I can’t imagine. But given Palm Beach, it might have been across inland in what is now West Palm Beach.
I think that’s the number 6 ALCO racer, driven by William Taylor, that participated in the 1914 American Grand Prize on February 28, 1914 at Santa Monica, CA. Taylor finished third in that race. The car is very similar to the ALCO “Black Beast” and the race course is the same one where the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race was held two days prior on February 26.
Thats the “black beast” Alco at the American Grand Prize Race held on the Santa Monica Road Course in 1914. Finished 3rd, driven by William Taylor.