Vanderbilt Cup Races

One of the featured vintage automobiles of the soon to be opened automobile museum "The Collection on Palmetto" is a beautiful 1908 Locomobile Model E with a Vanderbilt Cup trophy mascot. Laura Giner of "The Collection" has requested information on the hood ornament and provided several images.

Be Safe, Stay Healthy, Save Lives,

Howard Kroplick

Laura Giner: "I work at The Collection on Palmetto in Clearwater, Florida. We are a collection of brass-era automobiles and steam engines, a museum that has yet to open to the public.  One of our cars is a 1908 Locomobile Model E, and I've decided to create an information board which discusses the 1908 Vanderbilt Race in which Old 16 was victorious. I think it will be so interesting for visitors to learn about how important that race was. Needless to say I've been calling on your website for my research!

One thing I am having trouble finding out about online is the hood ornament that is on our Locomobile. I'm told those commemorative hood ornaments were made to celebrate our victory in that year, but I don't know when they were made, or how many, or any details. Could you provide more information about those hood ornaments?

Here is a history of the automobile. I've had the pleasure of researching the cars and writing about them. It's one of my favorite things about my job!"

The 1908 Locomobile Model E

An automobile brand already known for elegance and precision, Locomobile gained worldwide acclaim after racecar “Old Number 16” took first place in the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup of 1908. The victory propelled Locomobile to the forefront of American-made automobiles.

In that year, Locomobile produced the Model E, which the company proudly recognized to be a “direct descendent of six sturdy ancestors.” The Model E had inherited all the tried and true technology of six previous Locomobile models.  

A standard Locomobile Model E weighs 3,000 pounds and has a wheel base of 102 inches. This luxuriously long Locomobile has a limousine body set atop a limousine chassis with a 116-inch wheelbase. Production cars of this year included a four-speed selective transmission and make-and-break ignition with low-tension magneto. The Locomobile’s four-cylinder, T-head engine with dual-chain drive produces 20 horsepower. It boasts a classic right-hand drive, hickory-wood artillery wheels, Solar lamps and original gauges.

Previous owner Mr. Young in the 1960s followed a lead to a coastal California town where he found the Locomobile chassis. The steering column was gone, but he later found one with the correct quadrants. A woodworking expert, Mr. Young recreated the missing back doors, which was an extremely difficult task. His wife polished the brass, and Mr. Young, along with his son, Lloyd, traveled all over the country looking for original parts for their Locomobile. They found many parts and fashioned some. In fact, according to Mr. Lloyd Young, “A machinist is your best friend, and most expensive.” Mr. Lloyd Young received a trophy for the Locomobile at a 1967 Fresno Autorama.

Subsequent owner include Bob Antonik of Arizona and Richard and Ann Staadt. The 1908 Locomobile Model E was acquired by Marvin and Linda Feldman in 2014. A fully operational vehicle, the 1908 Locomobile Model E has been enjoyed vigorously in car tours around the country. And with its handsome good-looks and plethora of brass, it is no surprise the1908 Locomobile Model E has been featured in the Horseless Carriage Club Gazette and other car magazines numerous times. It now resides at The Collection on Palmetto in bright and beautiful Clearwater, where it finds itself in good company among dozens of other distinguished, American automobiles of the Brass Era.