There was active organized racing throughout the U.S. prior to WWI. Venues such as Santa Monica, CA, Savannah, GA, Elgin, IL, and the Vanderbilt Cup races at Long Island, NY, provided tracks where individuals could race their cars side-by-side.
These cars were usually stripped sports cars, meaning the lights, fenders and any unnecessary items were removed. In this popular era of sports car racing, the leading cars were the National (which had the most wins), the Stutz Bearcat (which had the best advertising), and the Mercer Raceabout (which was considered the most advanced). The cars are shown in front of the scoreboard for one of the Fairmount Park races in Philadelphia, an event that drew over 400,000 spectators.
1912 NATIONAL SPEED CAR
A 7-litre engine propelled these racing machines to numerous wins, one of the three most successful cars of the pre-World War I racing era. A car identical to this, stripped down, was the only stock car model ever to win the Indianapolis 500 race (1912).
1916 STUTZ BEARCAT
The most famous pre-WWI road racers, the Stutz’ victories were highly publicized. They were powerful and competed extensively in road racing throughout America. This success spurred passenger car sales as “the car that made good in a day.”
1913 MERCER RACEABOUT
Known for its advanced design, magnificent handling, and high speed, these cars are considered the most versatile of their era. They are the most prized American pre-World War I sports cars. Though not the most powerful, their handling propelled them to numerous victories.
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