The Washington herald., 1911-11-19
VANDERBILT RACE
AUTOIOTS THEME
Seventh Annual American
Classic Being Staged.
CONTESTS STARTED IN 1904
Cup Donated by william X. Wander
bIIt to Interest Manufacturers
and Sporting World in Road
Races to BE Held in America, but
Open to Foreign Machines.

For the seventh time the Vanderbilt
Cup race, Americas national classic, is
now staged for its greatest performance.
This race has meant a great deal to the
automobile industry and the development
of motor cars TO their present high state
of efficiency. The handsome silver trophy
which is the coveted prize in this con-
test has played an important part IN
automobile politics on several occasions.
Twice the original deed of gift has been
changed to make II meet up-to-date re-
quirements. and in 1905 the custody Of
the trophy was turned over to the Motor
Cups Holding Company. together with
the grand prize of the Automobile Club
Of America, and the Motor Cups Held
ing Company promoted the cup races
The cup was donated by William Il
Vanderbilt. jr., January. 1904. 1t was
Mr.. VanderbIlt's belief then that 1t was
possible to interest foreign manufactur-
ers and the sporting world at large in a
series of road races to be held on Ameri-
can ground. but open to manufacturers
of all countries. One of the conditions
named in the deed Of gift was that for
at least two years in succession the cup
should be raced for in the United States,
without regard to the country which
should have produced the winner of the
previous year, u provision which resulted
in Americans seeing more Vanderbilt
Cup races than might otherwise have
been the case.
The cup was to be competed for by
teams of cars from all or any clubs
recognized or affiliated with the Ameri-
can Automobile Association or similarly
recognized by the Automobile Club OF
France, competing as teams and not as
individuals. The race was to be be-
tween go and 800 miles in length. and no
portion Of 1t was to be run on a track.
First Contest 1904.
The first contest took place October g.
1904, on a circuit in Nassau County. with
sixteen contestants starting. These were
composed OF teams representing the
United States, France, Germany, and
Italy. 1t was won by George Heath,
driving a 90-horsepower Panhard car
Heath was an American amateur. driving
as a member of the French team, and
he covered 24 miles at an average speed
Of 80 miles an hour. America showed
third at the finish. with Herbert LytIe
in Pope-Toledo. The initial contest was
a success in every Yay, and certainly
acted as a stimulus for makers to I'M
prove the manufacture OF cars on this
side of the Atlantic.
When the second Vanderbilt was run.
the next autumn, an elimination race
was necessary in order to select an
American team, Bert Dingley being the
winner OF the trial. When the final
was reeled OF five cars each represented
America, France, and Italy, while Ger
many had but four. A second triumph
was scored for France by Hemery, in a
Darracq.
France scored its third triumph in the
Vanderbilt race in 1906
No Races in 1907.
There was no cup race in 1907, the
fourth taking place on October "a, 1908,
with drivers competing as individuals
and not as teams. The big memorable
feature OF this contest was that for the
first time the famous trophy was brought
back to America.
Last October's cup race was in the
form of a sweepstakes. Like the 1908
event, contestants competed as individ-
uals. This fifth Vanderbilt race saw Har-
ry F. Grant come out the victor in his
six-cylinder Alec, winning in a field of
fifteen starters.