He was born in 1878, the great grandson of
multimillionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt. Known by his friends as "Willie K" he was
active in various speed sports including horse racing and motorboats at an early age and like his father, William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. was an accomplished sailor and yachtsman but it was automobile racing that was his true passion.
It was his driving that was enraging the
locals. Fifty residents of Newport petitioned the police to impose speed
limits, and in 1900, Newport police issued Vanderbilt a summons to appear in
court to discuss his driving habits. City leaders established Newport's
first speed limits for automobiles ``and other self-propelled vehicles'' --
6 mph in central areas and 10 mph elsewhere. ``Arrest me every day if you
want to,'' Vanderbilt was quoted as saying. ``It's nothing to pay fines for
such sport.'' In 1901 he imported “The White Ghost,” the first racing automobile in the U.S. Turning his attention from Newport for Long Island
he established the
nation's first international auto race, an event that would help popularize
motorcars. He along with other wealthy enthusiasts formed the National Automobile Racing
Association and in 1904 he founded the Vanderbilt Cup Race at Garden City, Long Island. Later, he helped build the nation's first road designed
exclusively for automobiles, the Long Island Motor Parkway. This reinforced
concrete road also was the first highway to use bridges and overpasses to
eliminate intersections. Called ``Long Island's Appian Way'' in promotional
material, it was a road ahead of its time. .
In pursuit of his passion Vanderbilt went to Europe and set a couple of speed records for
gas-powered cars. He returned in 1903 to compete in the Circuit des Ardennes and the
infamous Paris-Madrid races. After racing in Europe without
much success he returned to the United States determined to organize his own races under
American sponsorship. The Vanderbilt Cup races were born in 1904 to
be run over the roads of Long Island and Queens in New York. Vanderbilt continued to
compete in various speed trials and was an avid supporter of motor sports until his death
in 1944.
It was his driving that was enraging the
locals. Fifty residents of Newport petitioned the police to impose speed
limits, and in 1900, Newport police issued Vanderbilt a summons to appear in
court to discuss his driving habits. City leaders established Newport's
first speed limits for automobiles ``and other self-propelled vehicles'' --
6 mph in central areas and 10 mph elsewhere. ``Arrest me every day if you
want to,'' Vanderbilt was quoted as saying. ``It's nothing to pay fines for
such sport.'' In 1901 he imported “The White Ghost,” the first racing automobile in the U.S. Turning his attention from Newport for Long Island
he established the
nation's first international auto race, an event that would help popularize
motorcars. He along with other wealthy enthusiasts formed the National Automobile Racing
Association and in 1904 he founded the Vanderbilt Cup Race at Garden City, Long Island. Later, he helped build the nation's first road designed
exclusively for automobiles, the Long Island Motor Parkway. This reinforced
concrete road also was the first highway to use bridges and overpasses to
eliminate intersections. Called ``Long Island's Appian Way'' in promotional
material, it was a road ahead of its time. 
