Newport, Rhode Island, is known for a long list of sporting firsts: the first U.S. Open golf championship in 1895, the earliest U.S. outdoor polo match around 1876, and the New York Yacht Club’s first out-of-town annual regatta in 1844. Less widely known is that this summer retreat for America’s industrial elite also hosted the country’s first organized car circuit race.
In 1900, William Kissam Vanderbilt II drove his 23-horsepower Daimler Phoenix to Aquidneck Park to race friends in an early event that foreshadowed the Vanderbilt Cup. Nick Schorsch, founder and chairman of Audrain Group and a leading collector of vintage automobiles, revived Newport’s automotive legacy with Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week. The event showcases rare and historically significant cars at Belle Époque mansions such as Doris Duke’s Rough Point and The Breakers, the 70-room summer home built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
The seventh annual Audrain Concours & Motor Week is scheduled for Oct. 1–4, 2026, but Newport’s appeal extends throughout the year. Begin in the Bellevue Avenue Historic District at the Audrain Automobile Museum, where a rotating collection of more than 400 cars spans early brass-era models to contemporary supercars—many drawn from Schorsch’s personal collection. Nearby, tennis enthusiasts will find the International Tennis Hall of Fame, site of the United States Lawn Tennis Association’s first championship in 1881.
Audrain Automobile Museum © Audrain / Heritage Group
From the tennis museum, catch Newport’s hop-on, hop-off trolley for a quick ride to the Newport Cliff Walk, a 3.5-mile path that follows the Atlantic shoreline and offers dramatic views of the ocean and the Gilded Age mansions perched above it.
After the walk, return downtown to Thames Street to experience the energy around Bowen and Bannister’s Wharf, Newport’s vibrant center for shopping, dining, and nightlife. Heritage Group, Schorsch’s hospitality company, operates more than a dozen restaurants in the area, including The Reef for waterfront dining and Brick Alley Pub & Restaurant, known for its award-winning lobster roll and an extensive beer selection.
For an elegant overnight, consider The Vanderbilt, Auberge Collection hotel: a restored 33-room mansion once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt and added to the Heritage Group portfolio in 2025. With easy access to Newport’s historic sites, cultural attractions, and seaside scenery, the city offers a blend of history, hospitality, and automotive heritage that appeals to a wide range of visitors.