The Alco “Black Beast” at the 1911 “Greatest of Auto Shows”
From January 7th to 21st in 1911, the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers organized the "Greatest of Auto Shows" at Madison Square Garden located at 26th and Madison Avenue.
The car show consisted of 101 exhibits placed on 125,000 square feet. Over the two-week period, over 150,000 people attended the event. As described in the New York Times; "It is the one that attracts the fashionable element and motor enthusiasts from all parts of the country. There was class and substance to the crowd, and the attitude of the visitors indicated that the flood tide of automobile enthusiasm is running high." The show included an "exhibit of famous racing trophies, including Vanderbilt Cup."
The January 14, 1911 issue of Automobile Topics noted; "Garden Show a Marvelous One. In a Beautiful and Effective Setting, the Finest Collection of Cars and Accessories Ever Shown in America are on View."
The American Locomotive Company exhibit showed "three complete cars, a polished chassis and the two-time winner of the Vanderbilt Cup race with a fresh coat of black paint."
A close-up of the Alco Black Beast shows another attraction for the exhibit-the Vanderbilt Cup. Although the Cup was removed for this photo, the Cup's pedestal remained on top of a display with the copy "The Vanderbilt Cup". As winner of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race, the American Locomotive Company was entitled to display the cup for one year by putting up a $3,000 bond.
Note how this photo of the pedestal for the Vanderbilt Cup trophy matches the pedestal on the Alco Black Beast.
Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com and the Internet:
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