Louis Wagner
Winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the First American Grand Prize (1908)
Nationality: France
Born: February 5, 1882,
Pre-Saint-Gervais, France
Died: March 13, 1960, 78 years
Louis Wagner had a distinguished racing career lasting 24 years. His greatest victories were the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race with a 80-hp Darracq and the 1908 American Grand Prize with a 120-hp Fiat.
Related Posts
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Nov 07
2023
A 1906 Souvenir Scrapbook sold at the 2023 Hershey RM Auction
A souvenir scrapbook was recently sold with many previously unpublished Vanderbilt Cup Race images.
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Jun 19
2023
Mystery Friday Foto #24; Peter Helck with Joe Tracy and Painting “Speed Demons of 1904- A Motor Race On The Continent in The Early Days”
Did you identify the gentleman and painting in this 1926 photo?
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Jan 18
2023
Greg O’s Garage: Then & Now: The 1906 Course (Update 1/18/23)
How long would it take to get around the 1906 course in 2023?
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Jun 08
2021
New Hyde Park Herald Courier: Vanderbilt Cup Races in New Hyde Park
I wrote this brief article for this week's Guide to New Hyde Park published by the New Hyde Park Herald Courier.
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Nov 04
2020
Manhasset and the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Blank Slate Media has requested images of Manhasset during the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race for their upcoming Guide to Manhasset publication. Here are several choices for them.
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Sep 19
2020
The 1906 French Grand Prix-The Forerunner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Less than four months before the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race, the first French Grand Prix was held outside of Le Mans on June 26 and 27, 1906. The race was well-documented in this 10-minute film in which nine Vanderbilt Cup Race drivers and their racers participated.
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Jul 27
2020
Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Louis Wagner Driving a S74 FIAT at the 1911 American Grand Prize in Savannah
I challenged you to identify this amazing Long Islander.
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Jun 19
2020
Open Discussion: Powerhouse Road
As requested by Sam Berliner III and my favorite co-author Al Velocci, here is an open discussion on Powerhouse Road.
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Mar 09
2020
Mystery Foto #10 Solved: The Winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Roslyn
Last weekend's Mystery Foto was a rare elevated image of the 1906 Race.
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Sep 30
2019
Mystery Foto #39 Solved: Louis Wagner and Louis Vivet in the 1905 #6 Darracq
The Helck Family Collection challenged you to identify this weekend's Mystery Foto.
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Jun 24
2019
Mystery Foto #25 Solved: Lancia Taking a Manhasset Turn at the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
This weekend's Mystery Foto featured a prominent driver taking a turn.
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Feb 03
2018
Helck Family Collection: Peter Helck’s Illustrated Wagner Envelopes
The great racing artist Peter Helck was a close friend of Louis Wagner, the winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race, for 13 years from 1947 to 1960. This friendship was marked by a multitude of correspondence between Montlhery, France and Millerton, New York, including artwork from Helck and photos…
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Nov 18
2017
A Tribute to a 1906 Hairpin Turn Landmark in Old Westbury
One of the most photographed locations for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race was the Hairpin Turn in Old Westbury. As a result, images of the beautiful home at #1 Wheatley Road and hundreds of excited spectators on its lawn were captured during the race. Sadly, this Vanderbilt Cup Race course…
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Mar 15
2017
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: A Vanderbilt Cup Race Scrapbook Discovered in Garden City
The Garden City Archives have discovered a small scrapbook of photos from the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races. The scrapbook was a gift from Dorothy Peters Hubbell, whose family had direct links to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the founding of Garden City.
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Sep 17
2016
The Motor Racing Archives of Peter Helck to Become Available on VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Jerry and Timothy Helck have issued this press release concerning the motor racing archives of artist and historian Peter Helck.
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Sep 07
2016
From the Louis Wagner Family: A Gift for Winning the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Michel Marc of France has forwarded a photo of a gift that was given to Louis Wagner by his friends at the Darracq Factory. It currently resides in the home of one of Louis Wagner's heirs.
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Sep 03
2016
Westbury Times: Grandstand Site Raced Into History
The location of the grandstand area for the 1904 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races was recently designated by the Village of Westbury as one of six historic landmark sites. Reporter Leigh Anderson takes a "closer look" in this week's issue of Westbury Times.
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Aug 24
2016
The Michelin Wheel of Fortune Poster on the French 1905 Gordon Bennett Elimination Race Course
Eagle-eye Pau Medrano Bigas, Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Barcelona, has identified a spectacular Michelin poster in this photo of Louis Wagner participating in the French 1905 Gordon Bennett Elimination Race.
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Aug 19
2016
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: From the Helck Family Collection- Driver Louis Wagner
For 23 years, artist Peter Helck was a close friend of Louis Wagner, the winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race. This friendship was marked a multitude of correspondence between France and the USA, including artwork from Helck and photos from Wagner.
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Jun 21
2016
Translation: December 1906 Les Sports Modernes: The Vanderbilt Cup in America
Professor Pau Medrano Bigas, Professor of Graphic Design at the University of Barcelona, has forwarded an article on the Vanderbilt Cup Race from a December 1906 French magazine Les Sportes Modernes. Sam Berliner III has provided its English translation.
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Mar 21
2016
Mystery Foto #12 Solved: A Memorable Moment at Krug’s Corner at the 1906 American Elimination Trial
This weekend's Mystery Foto documented a surprising, memorable moment at Krug's Corner in Mineola.
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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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Mar 14
2015
The Motor Way 1906: “How the Vanderbilt Cup Was Won By a French Car’
The Vanderbilt Cup Races made headlines in newspapers and automobile trade journals throughout the United States. The October 11, 1906 issue of The Motor Way featured a 12-page cover story on the 1906 race including these images and illustrations.
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Jul 08
2014
The Silk Menu Celebrating Louis Wagner- Winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Five days after the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race, the winner Louis Wagner was celebrated at a banquet at Cafe Martin in Manhattan. As a special gift for the dinner, each guest received a silk menu.
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May 17
2014
The Largest Newspaper Photo Ever Published in 1906- The Checkered Flag Finish of Louis Wagner
On October 14, 1906, the New York Times published a photo of the finish of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
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May 10
2014
Video:“The Location of the Start/Finish Lines of the 1904 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races”
The recent AmeriCarna "Vanderbilt Cup" episode focused on the six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island and the Vanderbilt Cup trophy.This two- minute segment features a trip to Jericho Turnpike in Westbury- the location for the Start/Finish Lines, grandstands and officials' stand/press box for the 1904 and 1906 Vanderbilt…
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May 05
2014
Mystery Foto #66 Solved: 1914 A.L.F.A. 40/60 HP Aerodinamica Prototype
This week's Mystery Foto featured a very unique early automobile.
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Feb 17
2014
Mystery Foto #55 Solved: Walter Christie Driving the #9 Christie in Mineola on September 21,1906
Bob and Ruth Valentine forwarded this never-before-published photo of a Vanderbilt Cup Racer.
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Feb 14
2014
Film of the Week: “Crazy Cars: 1906 -1950”
Sam Berliner III, the convenor (and father) of the Long Island Motor Parkway Panel, has forwarded this week's film of the week.
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Jan 26
2014
Images of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner: Louis Wagner
Several of my favorite Louis Wagner images and a film clip from the 1906 race.
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Dec 21
2013
The Vanderbilt Cup Race Fantasy Team
Wiliam K. Vanderbilt Jr loved competitive sports and was a member of his St. Mark's Preparatory School's football team (first row, far right).
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Jan 26
2013
Racing Up Manhasset Hill During the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
One of the most exciting locations to watch the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race was Manhasset Hill (Spinney Hill) located now at the intersection of Northern Boulevard and East Shore Road/Community Drive
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Aug 16
2012
Presentation:“The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island: Racing on Roslyn Roads”, Roslyn NY
As part of the lecture series sponsored by the Roslyn Landmark Society, Howard Kroplick will be presenting an overview of the Vanderbilt Cup Races with a focus on racing in the Roslyn area.
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Jul 26
2012
The #10 Darracq at Krug’s Corner During the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Thechicaneblog.com has a "Reader's Mystery Photo" of "Wagner in 100 HP Darracq making a turn at Krug's Corner in the Vanderbilt Cup Race".
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Apr 06
2012
Fred Wagner- The Official Starter of the Vanderbilt Cup Races
Fred Wagner was the official starter of all the Vanderbilt Cup Races with the exception of the 1904 race. Accordingly, Wagner, a resident of Smithtown, was the "Zelig" of early racing and captured in hundreds of photos. Here are my some of my favorites.
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Jan 31
2012
Then & Now: Krug’s Corner in Mineola
Krug's Hotel, on the north-west corner of Jericho Turnpike and Willis Avenue in Mineola, was a favorite viewing site for the 1904, 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races. This Then & Now look found a rarity- A building on the Vanderbilt Cup Race course that is still standing!
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Dec 17
2011
Profile: #10 Darracq- Winner of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
It’s safe to say the motoring press gave little credence to Louis Wagner’s Darracq racer as a prospect for winning the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup despite a victory by the same marques in the same race just one year prior. The Motor Way described Wagner’s racer as “the peculiar wire wheeled,…
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Oct 29
2011
Race Profile: The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race- The First Use of A Checkered Flag
No greater evidence of the success of the Vanderbilt Cup Race emerged than when popular culture embraced it.
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Jun 29
2011
Favorite Images of the Vanderbilt Cup Races and the Long Island Motor Parkway
Eric M: "Can you provide a sampling of your favorite Vanderbilt Cup Race and Long Island Motor Parkway images?":
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Dec 23
2010
Prominent Women of the Vanderbilt Cup Races
The daybreak start of the Vanderbilt Cup Races attracted thousands of adventurous men and women who streamed into Long Island from New York City. With hotels and roadhouses overflowing, they camped, gambled, drank, socialized, and established a tradition of revelry that became a hallmark of the event. Women made up…
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Dec 10
2010
Images of the Six Vanderbilt Cup Race Finishes
Photos of the exciting finishes of the six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island:
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Aug 01
2010
Archives: 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Links to related posts on VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: February 1, 2012):
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Aug 01
2010
Archives: 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Links to posts related to VanderbiltCupRaces.com (Updated: Febraury 1, 2012):
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Apr 29
2010
The Eight Winning Drivers of the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1904-1916)
Eight drivers won the 11 William K. Vanderbilt Jr. Cup Races held from 1904 to 1916. Three drivers, Harry Grant, Ralph DePalma and Dario Resta, were two-time winners.
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Mar 30
2010
The Six Winners of the Vanderbilt Cup Races (1904-1910)
These are the six winners of the Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910:
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Feb 15
2010
The Checkered Flags of the Vanderbilt Cup Races
As Louis Wagner was about to win the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race in the #10 Darracq, starter Fred Wagner waved what is believed to be the first checkered flag used to signify the finish of an auto race. Here are the winners of the six Vanderbilt Cup Races of…
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Dec 30
2009
Starting Lineup: The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race
For the last post of 2009, here are the 17 cars that competed in the third Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 6,1906. The race was won by the #10 Darracq driven by Louis Wagner. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge the image.
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Dec 19
2009
Starting Lineup: The 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race
These 19 cars competed in the second Vanderbilt Cup Race held on October 14, 1905 won by the #18 Darracq driven by Victor Hemery. Remember to click on the photos to enlarge the image:
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Jun 24
2009
Vanderbilt Cup Race Drivers on the Broadway Stage in 1906
Last week, a photo was posted of Elsie Janis on stage for the 1906 musical The Vanderbilt Cup. The above recently restored photo was taken during the same night as the drivers and mechanicians posed with Elsie Janis after the show.
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May 20
2009
VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: A Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner for Sale
Have you always wanted to own a historic race car and a winner of the Vanderbilt Cup Race? No, the Alco-6 Black Beast Racer is not available. In a VanderbiltCupRaces.com exclusive, the Darraqcthat is believed to have won the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race with driver Louis Wagner is being…
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Mar 10
2008
Film “The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race”
The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race was one of the most exciting sporting events of its era- drawing over 200,000 spectators to Long Island. This rare film shows the race action among the French, Italian, German and American cars at the grandstand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury and the Hairpin Turn…
Thanks to Howard Kroplick and http://www.vanderbiltcup races.com for Keeping American Automotive Racing History & my…