Vanderbilt Cup Races

—Identify the race car, the manufacturer,  its designer, the driver and the mechanician.

Packard Gray Wolf. Driven by its designer Charles Schmidt. Mechanician: William McIllrid

—Where else did this racer compete?

Raced a bit. The last record of the Gray Wolf was a Chicago race with Jess Ellingsworth driving for E.R. Greene.

—Where was the Mystery Foto taken? What was the orientation of the photographer?

Massapequa Turn on to Hempstead Turnpike during the 1904 race

Your outstanding archives turned up Charles Schmidt, designer and driver of car #16 Packard GRAY WOLF in the 1904 race.

Love the interesting diversion.  Thank you and best wishes!
Vic

Too easy - “The Packard Gray Wolf- One of America’s First Lightweight Racers” per
09 Apr 2011 blog.  It’s all there.  Sam, III

That’s the #16 Packard Model K-S “Gray Wolf”, designed and driven by Charles Schmidt during the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The mechanician was William McIllrid. The photo was taken at the “Massapequa Turn” with the driver heading south on Massapequa Road turning west onto the Hempstead-Bethpage Turnpike. The photographer would therefore be facing approximately northeast. During 1903, the Gray Wolf also raced in Detroit, Cleveland, Providence, RI and at the Empire City Track in NYC. It also set speed records in January, 1904 at Ormond Beach (Daytona) Florida in the 1 mile, 5 mile, and 1 Km distances.

Great action shot captured in time of one of the earliest races on Long Island, revealing old Long Island as it was. Stumped on this hairpin turn on Long Island. Help!

Mystery Foto #14…The car in the Mystery Foto is the Packard Gray Wolf designed AND driven by Charles Schmidt in the 1904 Vanderbilt cup race. His mechanician was William McIldrid. Photo taken at the second turn on the course turning from Massapequa-Hicksville Road onto Hempstead Bethpage Turnpike. The car also raced at the Empire City Track in Yonkers and raced in providence Rhode island in 1903.

Packard #16 during the first race on Long Island, 1904

Does the car still exist?  Only Packard I’ve ever seen, photo or in person, that doesn’t look like a Packard.

R. Troy - apparently not but a reproduction from the original plans does: <https://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z15142/packard-model-k-s-gray-wolf.aspx>.  As to the looks, the famous Packard grille was dispensed with to streamline the one-off racer.  Sam, III

I only learned recently that Packards had been raced, so this is rather neat!  I grew up with Packards - it will always be my favorite (including the one in my garage).

C’mon, R. Troy - most of us are “car people”.  Don’t keep us on tenterhooks.  We all know what Howard and Bruce have.  Just what have you in your garage (please)?  Sam, III (formerly a ‘31 Chrysler Imperial 8 owner)

You had a very nice car.  Mine is the last remaining of the cars my father collected, a Packard 243 Touring.  A somewhat oddball, because while it’s a 2nd series car, it was build during the transition to Series 3, and it has at least one Series 3 part - the single piece windshield.  Every pic I’ve seen of other 243’s shows a 2 piece.  But when this car was brand new, the owners took a photo of it next to the 1916 Packard Touring car it replaced, and that single piece windshield is clear.  I can’t remember what, but I think there was a 2nd difference.

Great stuff guys! I’m interested!! Keep ‘er going

You Tube still has a great video on Packard, I think from History Channel.  There are at least 2 good videos, one of them spending time on the amazing Packard factory, and the other talks about the Proving Grounds which I think the Packard Club is working to restore.

R. Troy - I was WRONG!  Yes, I freely admit it; I only just now stumbled on the full story, profusely illustrated, in the May 1974 Road & Track, SALON, pp.  83-87, in my PDF files.  Those dark bands around the front and sides are nine copper tubes per side in lieu of a radiator.  The car was wrecked in a race ca. 1915 and the engine and chassis were then separated.  Reunited in 1940 and totally rebuilt from about 1964 through 1970, what you see today, while a major restoration, is truly the 1903 Packard Grey Wolf!  Sam, III

Great info Sam! She’s out there somewhere, rebuilt from her original parts! Amazing this Packard still lives today

What really hit me (again) as truly amazing is that the Grey Wolf was a successful racing phenom. only 18 years after Karl Benz came up with his Patent Motorwagen, only 15 years after Klara Benz “borrowed” it for the first road trip, and only ONE year after the first Mercedes hit the road and Ransom E. Olds set up the first gasoline auto production line!  We get so involved in the VCR and the LIMP that we sometimes forget to step back and get some perspective.  The old race films are indeed exciting but look carefully into the emerging technology of the day, as described in detail by Jay Leno, just for example, and it is simply incredible!  Sam, III