18 replies to this topic

[JBaxter]

Could anyone provide the engine sizes for the list of runners and riders please?
Many thanks indeed,
JB

Edited by JBaxter, 27 February 2013 - 23:37.

[D-Type]

I'm sure you'll find all the information you want and more at Leif Snellman's Golden age site

[JBaxter]

Many thanks,
Not much mention of engine sizes though. But this site helped:-

http://www.vanderbil...erbilt_cup_race

[dgs]

Could anyone provide the engine sizes for the list of runners and riders please?
Many thanks indeed,
JB

More information given in reprinted copies of 'A Record of Grand Prix & Voiturette Racing' books volume 3 & 4 by Paul Sheldon, including entrants, some chassis numbers and engine type, such as 1937 race:

No 1 Mauri Rose (Townsend B Martin) Maserari V8R1, chassis 4504, engine, Maserati V8R1
No 10 Guiseppe Farina (Scuderia Ferrari) Alfa-Romeo C, engine, Alfa-Romeo 12C-3800
No 22 Joe Thorpe (Joe Thorpe) Alfa-Romeo B, chassis 50004, engine, Alfa-Romeo 8C-2900

Books expensive but invaluable

[Michael Ferner]

The Vanderbilt Cup information in the "Black Books" (A Record of Grand Prix & Voiturette Racing) is riddled with errors! And the Leif Snellman site has its info exclusively from that source, it seems. Much better is the list of specifications on the Howard Kroplick site (www.vanderbiltcupraces.com); it's from a contemporary US magazine (The Motor, I believe). I have also an official entry list of the 1936 event (if only I could find it), but I guess much of the info on the specs list would have been culled from that. Sadly, I don't think I have ever seen something similar for the 1937 event, but I think I could come up with an educated guess on most of the entries. Are you after something specific, as it would be quite time consuming to do the whole lot?

[JBaxter]

I was seeking the capacity of the tiddley little car which came 5th in 1936.
Seems they used the factory option of the middle sized engine.
Cheers chaps,
JB

[David McKinney]

Fairfield's ERA. I understood he used a 1500 engine in the US race rather than the 1100 he normally used (information probably from a copy of Autocar I no longer have)

[dgs]

No 42 Pat Fairfield's ERA was chassis R4A according to 'black book'.

Believe information double checked against David Weguelin's book "The History of English Racing Automobiles Ltd" and Adam Ferrington of the ERA club.

Maybe the book would indicate engine capacity.

Incidently Howard Kroplick site www.vanderbiltcupraces.com site on 1936 event has 9th position finisher Entancelin time as 4:59'43.11", same as 7th position finisher Cummings.

[Michael Ferner]

... which is not correct for either finishing position:

7th Cummings 4:57'43.11"
8th Rose 4:57'47.27" (incl. 12" penalty)
9th Étancelin 4:59'05.52"

[Michael Ferner]

Oh, and Fairfield's ERA was #46!

[dgs]

Oh, and Fairfield's ERA was #46!

My apologies to Michael Ferner, I typed incorrectly Fairfield's race no as 42. It is of course no 46, as shown in 'black book', also 'black book' published same times for positions 7th, 8th and 9th, as he has confirmed.

[JBaxter]

Pretty good works fellas. Now for the final 10 point question:- In which prewar race did R4A have a 2 litre engine?

[David McKinney]

1938 Grosvenor Grand Prix?

[Frank S]

Any recent word as to the location of the Vanderbilt cup today? ISTR it was last placed in a San Diego-area exotic car store, but none of them would admit to that.

[JBaxter]

1938 Grosvenor Grand Prix?

Weguelin reckons he ran 1100cc there, lending his 1500 unit to Howe.

[David McKinney]

It was just a guess

[monoposto]

Any recent word as to the location of the Vanderbilt cup today? ISTR it was last placed in a San Diego-area exotic car store, but none of them would admit to that.

I believe the trophy is at the Museo Nicolis

Museo Nicolis

[Frank S]

I believe the trophy is at the Museo Nicolis

Museo Nicolis

Probably a more appropriate situation, but not completely so.

[aldo]

The Official program of the 1936 race has the full list of entries (pages 30-34). For each one of the 73 entries listed there are the following data:
- Car number
- Name of the driver
- Country
- Car
- Entrant
- No. Cylinders
- Bore
- Stroke
- Piston displacement (in c.i., meaning Total displacement)
- Supercharged /Not supercharged. There is a footnote about the supercharger: "Contestants are free to add or remove these devices before starting".
I cannot type the too long list, yet here is some cherrypicking:
2 Bill Cummings, Boyle Products spl, 268
3 Wilbur Shaw, Gilmore spl, 255
7 Billy Winn, Miller Spl, 255
12 Freddy McEvoy, Maseratti (sic) Spl, 91
16 Raymond Sommer, Alfa Romeo Spl, 196
18 Jean-Pierre Wimille, Bugatti Spl, 286 supercharged
21 Babe Stapp, Topping Spl, 234 supercharged
29 Raph, Maserati Spl, 293 supercharged
38 Joe Thorne, Joe Thorne Spl, 270
45 Earl Howe, ERA Spl, 90 supercharged
46 Pat Fairfield, ERA Spl, 90 supercharged
48 Goldie Gardner, Maserati Spl, 91 supercharged
51 Billie Devore, Hogan Spl, 104
73 John Moretti, D & M Spl, 340.

Hope this can help.
Aldo