The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup, officially titled the I George Vanderbilt Cup, was held on October 12, 1936 at Roosevelt Raceway, a purpose-built road course near Westbury on Long Island, New York. This event marked the first running of the Vanderbilt Cup since 1916 and also served as the fourth and final race of the 1936 AAA Championship Car season. The 300-mile race was contested over 75 laps of the 3.97-mile circuit, attracting an international field that included top European drivers and teams alongside American competitors. Italian ace Tazio Nuvolari won the race in an Alfa Romeo 12C-36, starting from eighth on the grid and leading all 75 laps to finish with an average speed just under 66 mph. French driver Jean-Pierre Wimille finished second in a Bugatti, while Italian Antonio Brivio, also in an Alfa Romeo, completed the podium in third place. The race’s revival was backed by George Washington Vanderbilt III and others who sought to bring major international road racing back to Long Island, but the limited success of the event and the dominance of European machinery over American entries meant the Vanderbilt Cup was held only once more in 1937 before disappearing until later revivals in the 1960s.
