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1907 Renault AI Vanderbilt Racer
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Description
In 1906, Ferenc Szisz won the first Grand Prix of the Auto Club of France driving 4-cylinder 90 hp Renault AK. American racing pioneer William K. Vanderbilt was so impressed Szisz’s car that he persuaded Renault to create a smaller version of it. In 1907, Renault built at least ten AI Racers with a 35-45 hp motor. Only five are known to still exist today.
Much of this Renault’s early history is unknown. It didn't appear until 1951…
In 1906, Ferenc Szisz won the first Grand Prix of the Auto Club of France driving 4-cylinder 90 hp Renault AK. American racing pioneer William K. Vanderbilt was so impressed Szisz’s car that he persuaded Renault to create a smaller version of it. In 1907, Renault built at least ten AI Racers with a 35-45 hp motor. Only five are known to still exist today.
Much of this Renault’s early history is unknown. It didn’t appear until 1951 when it was anonymously left at the now-defunct Long Island Automotive Museum. Even then, the car sat idle in a back building at the museum for decades. In the 1970s, the museum made a deal with a New Jersey engineer named Ledyard Pfund. If Pfund would restore the car, the museum would give him a half-interest in it.
Pfund meticulously documented his restoration of the car, from the late 1970s until his death in 1991. After his death, the Renault went on display at the Collier Automotive Museum, now the Revs Institute, in Florida. In 1994, the Pfund estate gifted the Renault to the Owls Head Transportation Museum. After a long period of static display, the Pfund Renault was returned to running status in 2018.
Year:
1907
Make / Manufacturer:
Société Renault Frères
Model:
AI
Location Created:
France
Donated By:
Ledyard H. Pfund Estate
Exterior Color:
Blue
Interior Color:
Black
Engine Size:
45 hp
Chassis/Frame:
Chassis #8935