October 3, 1912 – First win for Duesenberg
Starting grid for 1912 American Grand Prize race, held in Milwaukee
Generally speaking, drinking alcohol and driving don’t go together, unless you’re an observer of a race. Hopefully spectators were the only ones with a beer in hand on this day in 1912 when the Pabst Blue Ribbon Trophy race was held in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, a short drive from Milwaukee, where PBR was established. It was at this race that a vehicle equipped with a Duesenberg engine won a professional race for the first time. While it’s only speculation, it’s believed the Duesenberg brothers, Frederick and August, celebrated by shotgunning tall cans of PBR, marking a proud moment in Duesenberg history.
1908 photo of Montague Roberts (left) with brother Mortimer Roberts, who won the 1912 PBR Trophy race in a Mason race...
