1908 Locomobile Model E

In the early 1900s, automobile makers like Locomobile used racing to promote their cars. Racing attracted people and the press, who took pictures and published stories in newspapers around the country. One famous race called the Vanderbilt Cup Race took place in Long Island, New York. The very best race car drivers from all over the world came to try to win the Vanderbilt Cup. Year after year, only European cars and their drivers won the race. But In 1908, all that changed: The Number 16 Locomobile became the first American car to win the Vanderbilt Cup Race, beating out its European competitors in a a tremendous victory for American racing. George Patterson became a legend when he drove Old 16 to a victory in the first great automobile race, the first of many great races, the Vanderbilt Cup Race.

This Locomobile Model E was also built in 1908, though it is not a racer. This 1908 Locomobile is a touring car with a gas-powered engine. A tribute to that legendary Vanderbilt Cup Race win of 1908 sits atop the hood though: A commemorative Vanderbilt Cup Trophy hood ornament, a unique momento of that pivotal event in automotive history.