1909 Locomobile Model 30

Speedster
Engine number: 2730

In 1908, the Locomobile, famously known as 'Old 16', won the Vanderbilt Cup contest on Long Island. It was originally built for the 1906 Vanderbilt race, where it was piloted as #12, by Joe Tracy. It won the elimination race and had the fastest lap time of any entry. During the main race, tire trouble and a muddy course consigned Tracy and the Locomobile to finish in 10th place. French driver Louis Wagner took the sport's first checkered flag in a Darracq. There was no 1907 Vanderbilt Cup race, as a melee broke out in the crowds at the 1906 event, resulting in the death of a spectator.

For the 1908 event, the race promoter William 'Willie K.' Vanderbilt II had completed a private highway, the Long Island Motor Parkway, which provided a safer course for the race. Locomobile entered their two-year-old racer and re-numbered as 16. This time, George Robertson was tasked with piloting the car, setting a furious pace, and winning the race with a new record average speed of 64.3 mph. Old 16 spent many of its later years with artist Peter Helck, and is currently in the collection of The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan.

Though the company was capable, it did not offer a speedster to the public. Many inspired individuals created their own, particularly in the 1930s and 1940s, when cars with derelict bodywork were fairly plentiful.

This example has a Second Prize brass plaque on the dashboard, from the 50th-anniversary celebration of that famous 1908 Vanderbilt race, which was held on October 25, 1958, at Old Westbury, Long Island. It is not known who performed the speedster conversion, but it owes much of its design inspiration to the Bearcat and Raceabout. There is a monocle windshield, brass lighting, a center-mounted Rushmore spotlight, gas headlights, and kerosene side lamps. There is removable leather upholstery, a Warner Auto Meter odometer-speedometer fitted to the dashboard, a Warner Chelsea clock, and the ignition is of a Bosch dual-coil system.

This car rides on Firestone Non-Skid tires with dual spares at the rear. It is finished in dark blue paint, which is accented with white pin-striping.

by Dan Vaughan

The first car to win the Vanderbilt Cup race in Long Island was the 1907 Locomobile 'Old Sixteen'. The winning car has survived even to this day. The victory cemented the cars built by the Locomobile Company as some of the finest cars of the period, made to uncompromising standards of quality and without concern for cost.

The company originally produced steam cars to the Stanley brothers' design. Their small carriages were the best-selling American automobile of the time. After hiring designer Andrew Riker, and realizing that steam power was not a sustainable business, the company introduced a new line of gasoline automobiles. A new factory was established in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and in 1905, a new line of gasoline-powered cars was introduced.

The gas-powered Locomobiles were influenced by European manufacturers, featuring the Panhard system of the engine up front, transmission in the middle, and the drive at the rear wheels. Under the bonnets was a new T-head four-cylinder motor. The T-head design gave the engine excellent flow characteristics and allowed for large valves. Their rear wheels were driven by dual chains.

In 1908, Locomobile introduced the Model 30. These models continued the theme of quality and design innovation found on the company's larger models but in a smaller - and lighter - size. The Model 30s were powered by a 286 cubic-inch T-head engine with a 4.5-inch bore and stroke and delivered nearly 40 horsepower. The four-cylinder engine and its square dimensions made it very smooth and free-revving. The power was sent to the rear wheels via a shaft drive rear end.

by Dan Vaughan