Mystery Foto #32 Solved:The FIAT Team for the 1908 American Grand Prize
I was not on the fence whether to use this photo as this weekend's Mystery Foto.
Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify these three men
From Left to right: Felice Nazzaro, Louis Wagner and Ralph DePalma
- Where and why was this photo taken?
This was the FIAT team for the 1908 Grand Prize Race of the Automobile Club of America held in Savannah Georgia. Louis Wagner won the race, Felice Nazzaro finished third and DePalma ninth.
- How are these three men connected to the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
Felice Nazzaro drove FIATs in the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
Louis Wagner drove Darracqs in the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races. He won the 1906 race.
Ralph DePalma particpated in four Vanderbilt Cup Races (1911,1912 , 1014 and 1915). He won the 1912 and 1914 races in a Mercedes.
Congrats to Greg O. and Ariejan Bos for correctly identifying the 1908 FIAT team. Steve Lucas was close but confused mustaches!
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Closeups
Felice Nazzaro
Louis Wagner
Ralph DePalma
The FIAT Team for the 1908 American Grand Prize
Felice Nazzaro
Louis Wagner
Wagner capturing the American Grand Prize.
Comments
I’m not 100%, but here goes nuthin’...
-Identify these three men
Left to right; Felice Nazzaro/ Louis Wagner/ Ralph DePalma
-Where and why was this photo taken?
The three were teammates driving for FIAT in the 1908 ‘Grand Prize of the Automobile Club of America’ that took place in Savannah, Georgia on November 26, 1908.
-How are these three men connected to the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
Felice Nazzaro drove the #8 FIAT in the 1905 & 1906 Races
Louis Wagner drove the #6 Darracq in the 1905 Race- and drove the winning #10 Darracq of the 1906 Race- He was also the winner of the First American Grand Prize from the above photo in 1908.
Ralph DePalma drove in the 1911/ 1912/ 1914/ 1915 races and was the winner of the 1912 and 1914 races.
Trying to figure out who they are and how they’re connected to the VCR
Italian Vanderbilt Cup Racers - left to right
Felice Nazzaro, raced 1905, 1906
Paul Sartori, raced 1904, 1905
Ralph DePalma, won 1912, 1914
In this photo we see Louis Wagner, Felice Nazarro, and Ralph DePalma (left to right). They were the FIAT team at the 1908 Grand Prix in Savannah, GA and this photo was probably taken at the FIAT headquarters at Doyle’s horse race track in Thunderbolt, GA, a few miles outside Savannah. Wagner won the 1906 V.C.R in which Nazarro was also entered. DePalma won both the 1912 and 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
These are the drivers of the Fiat team for the 1908 Grand Prize at Savannah. From left to right: Felice Nazzaro, Louis Wagner and Ralph De Palma. Both Nazzaro and Wagner had competed in the 1905, 1906 and 1908 Vanderbilt Cup races, Wagner winning of course the 1906 edition. De Palma’s first Vanderbilt Cup race would be the 1911 edition, and he won the race in 1914. Louis Wagner was the winner of the 1908 Grand Prize, by the way.