Motor racing in 1915 was still in its infant's shoes, exploring this new and dangerous type of sport. In America, the Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand prize were dueling to manifest themselves as the main national racing event.
San Francisco hosted the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, incorporating a race track within the Exposition grounds. It would be the venue for both racing events, being held consecutively on the very same track for the first time.

The drivers were brave men, often occupied otherwise, from all sorts of backgrounds. As was the young, talented racing driver Eddie Rickenbacker. After establishing himself as a well-known racing driver, he would become the first Ace of Aces as a fighter pilot in WW1. His life would become an unprecedented story that transcends any imagination. He would be a fighter pilot in both world wars, having crashed and presumed dead twice, was awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor, started his own car brand, held leading positions within divisions of General Motors as well as Eastern Airlines, and even owned the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Aces in the Cockpit desk is inspired by the epic 1915 showdown of the Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand Prize on this unique temporary circuit, where Eddie ‘Ace of Aces’ Rickenbacker battled the track fiercly in his stunning Maxwell.