1906 Locomobile Old 16

Old 16, America's First International Champion

The inaugural Vanderbilt Cup took place in Nassau County in 1904 and was America's first hosting of an international automobile racing event.

This car was the first American automobile to win an international auto race. Built by the Locomobile Company of Bridgeport, Connecticut, it was the fastest car in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup race, but eleven tire failures kept it from placing. The Vanderbilt was not run in 1907, but in 1908 Old 16 won the Cup, becoming the first American car to do so.

The Vanderbilt Cup was America's first great international auto race. Run over the public roads on Long Island, the early races were dominated by European cars. By beating the Europeans in racing, this car demonstrated that America would be a player in the new technology of automobiles.

This 1906 Locomobile, known throughout the car world as 'Old 16,' is celebrating an important 100th anniversary in 2008. There, this Locomobile, driven by 23-year-old New Yorker George Robertson and sporting the number 16, won the prestigious 1908 Vanderbilt Cup race on Long Island, New York. This race car initially cost an extravagant $20,000 at a time when a decent-sized house could be had for about $1,500. Now in the care of the Henry Ford Museum, Old 16 is still in running condition and is entirely original.

The F-head engine had overhead intake valves, a displacement size of 1,200 cubic inches (a bore of and stroke of 7.75 inches), and produced approximately 120 horsepower.

Old 16 has never been restored, has always been maintained in running condition, and is on display daily in The Henry Ford Museum.