Rare Image Series #3: Louis Chevrolet- The Most Famous “Name” in the Vanderbilt Cup Races
Louis Chevrolet drove in four Vanderbilt Cup Races (1905, 1908,1909 &1910), more than any other driver. These are rarely seen photos of Louis Chevrolet, whose name became and continues to be one of the most recognizable brands in American car history:
Chevrolet preparing his FIAT for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
Driving a Buick Model 16 Racer.
Chevrolet in a Buick for the start of the 200-mile inaugural race at the Atlanta Speedway on May 7, 1910.
The first Chevrolet automobile built in 1911.
Chevrolet in his later years.
A 36-second film of Louis Chevrolet winning the 1917 Harkness Trophy Race, a 50-lap 100 mile auto race held at Sheepshead Bay Speedway in Brooklyn. Chevrolet finished the race at a speed of 111 miles per hour. This was a record for the short-lived racing series that took place annually between 1915 and 1918.
A 5-Minute film tribute to Chevrolet-The man and the car (including Dinah Shore's Famous TV Commercial at the 1:10 mark)
Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com:
Louis Chevrolet's Racing Record
Archives: Drivers and Mechanicians
Rare Images #1: Vanderbilt Cup Race Drivers and Mechanicians
Rare Images Series #2: Vanderbilt Cup Race Driver Joe Tracy
Featured 2011 Car Event of the Week
3rd Annual Cap-A-Radiator Open House 566 Fulton Street (Route 109), Farmingdale, New York, Saturday, March 12, 2011, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.
Comments
Hi Howard,
About the 4th picture it’s Atlanta Speedway. The car is a Buick and I think this is the start of the 200 miles race held on May 7, 1910.
Hi Jean-Yves:
Good job! More information on this race from Mark Dill’s excellent website:
http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/category/116
Howard
Dear Howard,
I love the photos of Louis Chevrolet, high resolution pictures too. Recently I found a couple of film clips of Louis. The first is a match race at Sheepshead Bay where his machine catches fire. You can see that video here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=29348
The second is on old film from Shell Oil that features newsreel footage of the 1920 & 21 Indy 500. You can see those clips here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdqC3xR0Bn8&feature=related
Enjoy!
Great photos but the Buick that Chevrolet is driving is not a Model 10—-More likely a Model 16 based car——The 16 and 17’s were larger cars and larger engines too—the model 10 cars were small cars—definitely not what is pictured
Keep up the good work We’ll keep looking at the pages Eric Edwards Ontario,Canada
Great pictures. Anyone know if the first 1911 Chevrolet car built still exists today??
Thanks so much for the great comments, films, feedback and insight!!
Much appreciated!
Howard