OUR HISTORY
Newport, Rhode Island
The history of Newport is synonymous with sporting firsts, from the first US Open golf championship, to the first New York Yacht Club annual regatta, to the first American car circuit race. Newport’s extensive automotive history dates back as early as the Gilded Age, with the first Vanderbilt Cup trophy given in a race on September 6, 1900, after Willie K. Vanderbilt and some of his closest friends traveled to the nearby horse track to race their newly-imported automobiles. Little did they realize the impact their racing exploits would have on American racing culture.
With such a rich motoring history, Newport is a natural destination for a premier Concours & Motor Week, with beautiful, historic mansions, landmark commercial buildings, and the seemingly endless Atlantic Ocean providing the most elegant of backdrops. Established in 2019, the Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week is a multi-day celebration of the automobile, uniting enthusiasts from around the world.
Audrain Automobile Museum
Founded in 2014, the Audrain Automobile Museum has grown exponentially since its inception, with over thirty acclaimed exhibitions, popular YouTube and podcast channels, and charitable outreaches throughout New England.
“More of an Art Museum than a Car Museum,” the Audrain celebrates the Machine Age, when art and automobiles came together, the people who created the vehicles, those who owned them, and the society they impacted. With access to more than 500 of the most remarkable and rare vehicles ever made, the Museum takes pride in its ability to display automobiles from 1899 to the modern day. Vehicles are chosen specifically and showcased based on ever-changing exhibition themes. Curated, themed exhibitions, four per year, give our guests of all ages a completely unique experience with each visit.
Learn more about the Audrain Automobile Museum Here
"Preserving Newport's History One Car At A Time"
The Vanderbilt Cup
The grand mansions of Newport were commissioned in the 1800’s by the wealthy in America to become their “summer cottages.” Each summer, society’s elite would take up residence in their cottages and spend the weeks from Memorial Day to Labor Day throwing extravagant parties and relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Newport. Today, many of these mansions still stand and serve as the backdrop for Audrain’s Newport Concours & Motor Week.
Willie K. at the wheel of his “Red Devil” Mercedes in 1904
Photo via the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum
On September 6, 1900, Willie K. Vanderbilt, the great-grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, and his “White Ghost” – the nickname he gave his 23-Horsepower Daimler – faced off with his fellow Newport millionaires’ motor cars at the Aquidneck Park horse racing track, the site of the current Newport State Airport. The races were considered a high-society event, drawing nearly 10,000 spectators in formal dress. Other iconic Newport families also took part in the races, with the Astor and Oelrichs families winning races. A total of thirteen races were held that day and 22-year-old Willie K. left victorious, having won three of the featured five-mile races, prompting him to plan another competition for the next year.
In 1901, Willie K. held the second, and subsequently last, race weekend in Newport, after an attempt by Vanderbilt to turn Ocean Drive, a main road that runs along Newport’s coastline, into a race track. His actions resulted in an injunction and terrible local press. In a fit of pique, he relocated his racing events to Long Island. The Cup was subsequently hosted at a handful of circuits throughout America, with the final race weekend hosted at Long Island’s Bridgehampton Race Circuit in 1968.
“The first automobile race ever held in this section drew about 10,000 people to Aquidneck Trotting Park this afternoon. The races were made up of all kinds of motor vehicles, from the gasoline tricycle to William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s French gasoline machine. Some of the events were most exciting , but the majority were tame. Mr. Vanderbilt's machine, as was expected, carried off the honors, winning in the final of its class and beating all machines in the mixed event. The programme was made of heats, the machines being divided into their special classes, the winners in each meeting in the championship. “
The New York Times September 7, 1900, clipping via vanderbiltcupraces.com
The Story Of Our Best In Show Trophy
Created by Brian Life, a world-renowned sculptor and artist, Audrain Concours & Motor Week’s Best in Show trophy pays homage to Newport, with intricate details reflecting the story of the city’s motoring history. Willie K. Vanderbilt’s “Red Devil” Mercedes which he infamously raced in the The Vanderbilt Cup races provided the original inspiration for the trophy - pictured is W.K. and the Red Devil’s designated maintenance worker who traveled with the car. Inspiration was also drawn from the Spirit of Ecstasy, the famous symbol of the Rolls Royce marque. The Mercedes seen on the trophy rides on a wave, representative of the ocean surrounding Newport.
