Ralph DePalma
Winner of the 1912 and 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Races
Nationality: Italy later United States
Born: December 31, 1882 Troia, italy
Died: March 31, 1956- 73 Years
Early motor racing in Mercedes cars is closely associated with the name Ralph de Palma. One of the highlights in his career was February 26, 1914. At the wheel of a Mercedes racing car named "Gray Ghost", the American of Italian origin competed for the Vanderbilt Cup staged in Santa Monica, California/USA in that year – a thrilling race which he won, as he had done already in 1912, in a 140 hp Mercedes Grand Prix racing car.
Related Posts
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Feb 20
2024
Mystery Friday Foto #7; Solved; Gentlemen, Start Your Engines for the 1912 Milwaukee Vanderbilt Cup Races!
Did you identify the race and cars at the starting line?
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Oct 13
2023
InstaGRAM Report: Peter Helck Vanderbilt Cup Races Paintings Part 2
An up-close look into Peter Helck's Vanderbilt Cup artwork
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May 22
2023
Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize
This weekend's mystery photo, plus a bonus photo
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Jul 25
2022
Mystery Friday Foto #30 Solved: Ralph Mulford, Louis Chevrolet and Ralph DePalma gather around a 1914 Stutz Bearcat before the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
The Helck Family Archives challenged you again to solve this weekend's Mystery Foto.
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Oct 18
2021
Mystery Foto #42 Solved: A 1915 autographed photo from Ralph DePalma to his “good friend” Peter Helck
The Helck Family Collection challenged you to identify this weekend's Mystery Foto.
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Sep 29
2021
Greg O.‘s Garage: From the Helck Family Collection: Ralph DePalma at the Danbury Fair
Ralph DePalma was a regular exhibitionist at the Danbury fair in Connecticut.
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Sep 13
2021
Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Allen-Kingston Racer during the 1909 Readville Races
Jim Fahey of Rhinebeck, New York challenged you to solve this weekend's Mystery Foto auto.
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Sep 01
2021
Greg O’s Garage: From the Helck Family Collection- The 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo and the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race
The official Pan-Pacific Expo Program found in the Helck Family Collection archives provides insights into the Expo and the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
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Jun 27
2020
Hemmings Classic Car: Racing in Riverhead-The Long Island Stock Chassis Competition of 1909
My good friend and automotive historian Walt Gosden explored the 1909 Long Island Stock Chassis Derby in the August 2020 issue of Hemmings Classic Car. Walt also discovered what happened to Willie K's 90 HP Mercedes.
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Nov 04
2017
Gregg D. Merksamer: “Remembering the 1908 Briarcliff Trophy Race”
The most exciting and spectacular automobile race ever held in Westchester County is considered the 1908 Briarcliff Trophy Race. Run six months before the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, the Briarcliff race attracted skilled drivers and over 100,000 spectators along the 32.4-mile course.
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Jan 14
2017
The Melton Museum of Norwalk, Connecticut (1948-1953)
James Melton (1904-1961) was a popular singer for over 30 years from the 1920s and had a successful career on stage, radio and film. Melton was also one of the most prominent early antique car collectors.
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Oct 01
2016
John E. Roosevelt Family Photo Album: The 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby
The third post from the John E. Roosevelt Family Album features rare photos of the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby, also known as the Long Island Motor Derby and the Long Island Derby.
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Sep 12
2016
Mystery Foto #37 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the Mercedes that Won the 1915 Indy 500 Race
The Helck Family Collection challenges you to identify this weekend's Mystery Foto. Louis Slawe also needs your help identifying this automobile or spaceship spotted last month on the Jersey Shore.
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Aug 29
2016
Mystery Friday #35 Solved: Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion #1 on a 1933 Test Run at Roosevelt Field
Joel Friedman challenged you to solve this weekend's super Mystery Foto.
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Nov 20
2015
Film of the Week: Santa Monica Road Racing 1914-1916 Using Imatte Technology
Automotive historian and author Harold Osmer has posted six videos of his presentation on Sanata Monica road racing. This video features the 1914 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
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Nov 07
2015
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive-The Helck Family Memoirs #1: Old 16 at the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Jerry Helck, former owner of the Old 16 Locomobile and son of the great artist Peter Helck, has agreed to share family memoirs related to the Vanderbilt Cup Races. In the first post of the series, Jerry recalls when Old 16 was brought to the Old Timers Exhibition of the…
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Aug 09
2015
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.
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Feb 25
2015
Starting Lineup: The 1911 Vanderbilt Cup Race, Savannah, Georgia
For the first Vanderbilt Cup Race held outside of Long Island, a total of 14 entries raced on a 17.1 mile road course in Savannah and Effingham on November 27, 1911.
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Feb 18
2015
ClassicCars.com Profile: The Old Timers Exhibition of the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Steve Evans has posted a "Classic Profile" of the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race on ClassicCars.com .
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Feb 12
2015
From the Gary Faules Collection: Drivers and Race Cars from the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Races
In the second post featuring photos from his collection, race car driver, team owner and writer Gary Faules has provided these up close images of drivers and race cars from the 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
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Oct 22
2014
Starting Lineup: The 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco, California Updated: 10/10/2016
The 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race was held in conjunction with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California.
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Oct 15
2014
Starting Lineup: The 1912 Vanderbilt Cup Race Held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Only eight race cars participated in the Vanderbilt Cup Race held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 2, 1912.
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Feb 07
2014
Film of the Week: “The Cool Hot Rod” (1953)
Dick Rowley has forwarded this link to a 26-minute 1953 film on creating a hot rod club in 1953. Ralph DePalma, winner of the 1913 and 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Races can be seen at the 13:18, 23:26, 23:40 and 23:49 marks.
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Oct 21
2013
Mystery Foto #38 Solved: 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race Officials, Committee & Drivers in San Francisco
This week's Mystery Foto was a real challenge. Where in the world was the Vanderbilt Cup Trophy?
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Oct 23
2012
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Barney Oldfield Preparing for the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Despite a long racing career dating back to 1902, Barney Oldfield's first Vanderbilt Cup Race was the 1914 294-mile race held in Santa Monica. Wayne Carroll Petersen, the great great nephew of Barney Oldfield, has provided these photos of Oldfield preparing for the Vanderbilt Cup Race.
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Aug 23
2012
Hemmings Daily: Savoring Milwaukee’s best: The Milwaukee Masterpiece
Hemmings Daily has posted an article on this weekend's Milwaukee celebration of the 1912 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
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Aug 13
2012
The continuing story of Joan Newton Cuneo: “Those daring young (wo)men in their racing machines”
As a follow-up to the May 2012 post on pioneer driver Joan Newton Cueno, reporter Mike Eldred has forwarded his article on Cueno's 1910 automobile exhibition held in Wilmington, Vermont.
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Jul 28
2012
Film: The 1917 Match Races Among Oldfield, Chevrolet and De Palma in Sheepshead Bay Speedway
In 1917, three of the most famous daredevil drivers were veterans of the Vanderbilt Cup Races; Barney Oldfield (1914 & 1915), Louis Chevrolet (1905, 1908, 1909,& 1910) and Ralph De Palma (1911,1912, 1914 & 1915). On August 17, 1917, over 40,000 spectators came to Sheepshead Bay Track in Brooklyn to…
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Jul 14
2012
Race Profile: 1915 Vanderbilt Cup Race in San Francisco, California
In 1915 both the Vanderbilt Cup Race and the American Grand Prize were held in conjunction with the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California.
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Jun 29
2012
A New Book by Joel E. Finn: The 1912 Milwaukee Races: Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prize
Just in time for its 100th anniversary, race historian Joel E. Finn has written a wonderful book on the 1912 Vanderbilt Cup Race and 1912 Grand Prix held in Milwaukee.
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May 12
2012
Then & Now: The Santa Monica Course for the 1914 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races
Both the 1914 and 1916 Vanderbilt Cup Races were held on the beautiful Santa Monica, California road course bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Check out the changes over the last 98 years.
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Feb 02
2012
Three Vanderbilt Cup Race Winners Together in 1936
David Greenlees' Oldmotor.com website has posted this photo taken prior to the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race. I believe it may be the only image of three Vanderbilt Cup Race winners together.
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Jan 16
2012
Race Profile: The Vanderbilt Cup Race Heads to Savannah in 1911
Racing returned to Savannah in November, 1911. The Vanderbilt Cup and the Grand Prize were to be held within three days of each other. Savannah welcomed the racers, holding lavish parties and improving the circuit that AAA’s Fred Wagner called, “the finest road course in the world.”
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Jun 09
2010
Mystery Foto: The Five Drivers in the 1940 Mystery Photo
Congratulations to Michael Ferner of Bitburg, Germany for correctly identifying the drivers in VanderbiltCupRaces.com's first Mystery Photo Contest. Here are the five drivers who posed at an Automobile Oldtimers Club meeting in November 1940.
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Aug 10
2008
Driver Profile: Ralph DePalma
Excellent article from emercedesbenz.comon Ralph DePalma, winner of the 1912 and 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
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Mar 10
2008
Film: “1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race”
The Vanderbilt Cup Race was held for the first time on the West Coast on public roads in Santa Monica, California in 1914. The actual race was captured as the backdrop for a Mack Sennett slapstick Keystone film "Mabel at the Wheel" later called "Hot Finish" starring Mabel Normand, Chester…
Bob, the plates were purchased by members of the Wheatley Hills Golf Club and Links Golf Club. Both clubs had private…