Mystery Foto #53 Solved: A Rare Look Inside William K. Vanderbilt Jr.‘s Long Island Garage in 1904
This holiday weekend's Mystery Foto was a never-before-published image from the Helck Family Collection, gifted from Joel Finn in 1970.
Mystery Foto questions:
Who owned all three automobiles? How was he linked to the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
William K. Vanderbilt Jr. At the age of only 26 in 1904, Willie K. proposed the first international road race to be held in the United States by donating the Vanderbilt Cup trophy.
Identify the three automobiles and their significant accomplishments, if any.
Car #1: 1902 60-HP Mors. Vanderbilt drove this racer in the 1903 Eagle Rock Hill Climbing Contest and, possibly, the 1902 Paris-to-Vienna Race.
Car #2: 1903/1904 90-HP Mercedes: On January 27, 1904, he set the one-mile land speed record on the beach going 92.3 mph, surpassing the record established earlier in the month by Henry Ford. The racer was also likely driven by William Luttgen to a fourth place finish in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
Car #3: 1902 Renault: May have been used by Vanderbilt and his wife to tour France in July 1902.
Congrats to Ariejan Bos (see below Bos' Bonus), Greg O., Chuck R., Steve Lucas, Dick Gorman, and Art Kleiner (see Kleiner's Korner) for correctly identifying Willie K's garage. Kudos to Ariejan Bos who correctly identfied all three automobiles and their major accomplishments.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Close-Up
1902 60-HP Mors
Car #1: Vanderbilt drove this racer in the 1903 Eagle Rock Hill Climbing Contest and, possibly, the 1902 Paris-to-Vienna Race.
Over 5,000 people watched the 1903 Eagle Rock Hill Climb. Spectators are seen here congratulating Willie K. after he shattered the hill climb record with a time of one minute and 36 3/4 seconds in his 60-HP Mors.
On June 26, 1902, Willie K. raced his new 60-HP Mors in the Paris-to-Vienna Race, which included the 1902 edition of the James Gordon Bennett Cup. Fifty thousand spectators lined the roads outside Paris cheering and basking in glorious French sunshine as Panhard’s Rene de Knyff led at the end of the first day. 24-year old Willie K. can be seen standing on the far right just prior to the start of the race.Vanderbilt finished 60th of the 140 entries at the end of the first stage.
1903/1904 90-HP Mercedes
Car #2: 1903/1904 90-HP Mercedes
The zenith of Vanderbilt’s racing career was the Ormond-Daytona Beach Automobile Tournament in January 1904. For the event, he purchased the giant 90-HP Mercedes, among the most powerful cars in the world. On January 27, 1904, he set the one-mile land speed record on the beach going 92.3 mph, surpassing the record established earlier in the month by Henry Ford.
This racer was likely entered by Vanderbilt in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The #5 Mercedes driven by William Luttgen finished a strong fourth.
1902 Renault
Car #3: According to Ariejan Bos, the racer was a 1902 Renault Type I Voiturette.
As noted in Vanderbilt's book Log of My Motor (1899-1908), Willie K. and his wife toured France in a 2-cylinder 20 H.P. Renault (a racing car built by the firm for the Circuit du Nord.
Bos' Bonus (Submitted by Ariejan Bos)
Ariejan Bos: Looking at these cars this can only be the garage of William K. Vanderbilt jr. On the left the 1902 Mors, with which he won the 1903 Eagle Rock hill climb. The car in the middle car is the Mercedes,with he conquered the 20 mile world record during the Ormond-Daytona Beach races in March 1904. The car on the right is interesting, as I didn't know he ever had one: it is a 1902 Paris-Vienna Renault, not of the type with which Marcel Renault won this race (which was a type K voiture légère), but this is a type I voiturette, like the ones driven by e.g. Grus and Oury. I do know however that he did own another Renault, a 12 H.P. model, of which a photo appeared in Automobile Topics of October 4, 1902.
Kleiner's Korner (Submitted by Art Kleiner)
The New York Times November 27, 1903.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle November 1,1900
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 16, 1901
Comments
Looks like Willie K’s garage. The two on the left appear to be his 1902 60hp Mors, and his 1903 90hp Mercedes from the 1904 Ormond-Daytona races in the middle. Unsure about the car on the right. Maybe a Renault?
In 1904 there were scant few folks who would have the means to own three automobiles and keep them in a quite stunning large garage. One was Willie K, and after poking around it appears they were all throttled by him at one point.
The car on the left is the 1902 60-hp Mors automobile which he ran int he 1902 Paris-Vienna Race, finished third in the 1902 Belgian Circuit des Ardennes Race and won the Eagle Rock Hill Climbing Contest in West Orange NJ in 1903.
The middle auto is a Mercedes, I’d believe the 1904 Ormond Beach one mile LSR 90 h-p Mercedes which ran 92.3 mph on the sands and held the world LSR for a time.
The car on the right I’d at first thought was a Franklin, but Willie K never had such a beast. It was his 1900 23 h-p Daimler “White Ghost” which he raced to an average 33 mph in several 1900 5 mile races.
So all are raced cars, though not necessarily race cars.
Well, let’s see: who would have been wealthy enough to own three racers in 1904 on Long Island and be able to store them inside a building? Can only think of one person: Willie K. himself, creator of the Vanderbilt Cup Races. The photo was probably taken at his Deepdale estate. I think car #1 is the 1902 70 hp MORS “Z” which Willie K. drove to a 3rd. place finish in the “Circuit des Ardennes Race” in July, 1902. Car #2 could be the 1903 MERCEDES that he used to establish the 1 mile land speed record at Ormond Beach in January, 1904. Car #3 looks like another MORS.
Mystery Foto# 53… The three auto shown were owned by Willy K who, of course, was the founder of the Vanderbilt Cup Races. The car to the left was a 1902 Mors, the middle car was a 1904 Mercedes 90hp and the car on the right was a 1904? Renault. Some or all of these cars were used as race cars, hill climbers and course patrol cars.
Here is a quote regarding the Mercedes.
“In the early hours of 27 January 1904, a Mercedes 90 hp car was racing over the flat sandy beach of Ormond-Daytona in Florida. After a small number of test runs William Kissam Vanderbilt jr., affectionately known in the media as “Willie K.”, had set off on a record-breaking trip across the sands. The millionaire from New York, had a good feeling at the wheel of his racing car supplied by the German Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft (DMG). The racing driver’s confidence was borne out when the eight timers clicked their stopwatches: 39 seconds for the flying mile was the official result. This corresponded to 92.3 miles per hour (148.54 km/h), marking an absolute world record for land vehicles”.
Happy and Healthy New Year to all Motor Parkway and Vanderbilt Cup Races enthusiasts. Glad to report I’ve generated some interest among some of my friends in our efforts and hope to do more info sharing in 2017. Actually one member of my New Year’s Eve group mentioned he saw Howard’s post about my most recent tour and saw my name. He’s been interested in the Parkway since being a LILCO foreman and used their survey maps for work related activities. He’s traveled most of the right of ways in Nassau which he quickly realized an old road existed in many places and hence the interest. His wife bought him Howard’s Motor Parkway book (Howard, she even got you to autograph it being sending it out) and has been a avid follower of the blog. Too bad he doesn’t have access to the surveys anymore.
Sorry for the diversion, back to the mystery photo.
Who owned all three automobiles? How was he linked to the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
Willie K! Obvious connection.
Identify the three automobiles and their significant accomplishments, if any.
on left - 60HP Mors - won the 1903 Eagle Hill Rock Climbing Contest in West Orange, NJ. Also broke the record for the one-mile hill climb.
on right - 1900 23HP Daimler Phoenix (“White Ghost”) - won 3 of the 5 mile races in Aquidneck Park, RI.
in middle - 1902 40HP Mercedes Simplex - Broke the kilometer speed record in 1902.