30 cars that “smell like Castor oil and sound like machine guns”. When it was all said and done, after 2 days of rain delays, Bernd Rosemeyer averaged 82.5 mph in his Auto Union to take the victory.
More on the ’37 race at VanderbiltCupRaces.com.
Thanks, A Saucerful of Wheels
0 replies on “Auto Union at Vanderbilt. 1937.”
Interesting to note the swastika on the side of Rosemeyer’s car, which was not ordinarily there in European GP races. The trip to the USA for the Vanderbilt Cup was a huge propaganda event for the Nazis, who even went so far as to get assurances from the race organizers that there would be no political protests against their presence, and hired the Pinkerton Detectives to protect their cars from any sabotage attempts. It was, i believe the only time the Swastika flag was ever raised in triumph on a flagpole in this country. Let’s not forget that when we toast Rosemeyer’s driving talent.
For more on this topic, I suggest picking up a copy of “Hitler’s Motor Racing Battles” by Eberhard Reuss. It’s a MUST read for anyone who is interested in the real history of the Silver Arrows and their political role in prewar Germany.