Vanderbilt Cup Races

Because there is a lot to cover in this photograph, I decided to focus this entire article on the cars in this image. Richard Weir took this photo in 1962. Of the cars featured in here, we have already discussed the 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow (to the left, near the door of the building), and both the black 1929 Lincoln and the green 1912 Autocar bus (outside, across the driveway in the far storage building).

Here’s what we were able to find out about the other vehicles:

1911 Stanley Steamer, 1915 Ford Model T, and 1907 Locomobile Type E

On the right-hand side of the image, there is a long row of some of the early antique cars that were on display at Henry Austin Clark Jr.’s beloved Long Island Automotive Museum. The first two cars were sold by Austin Clark during the 1963 auction held the year after this image was taken. The auction raised money for the museum by selling off some of the vehicles within the collection. To learn more about the 1963 auction, click here for Parts 1 and 2. 

I am only able to identify the first three cars within this row; if anyone can identify any of the other presumably brass-era automobiles tucked away in the photo, I would love to hear from you!

1911 Stanley Steamer

One of the alternative ways to make vehicles move and operate in the early years of automotive innovation was to harness the power of steam, and this 1911 Stanley Steamer did precisely that. Austin Clark sold this Stanley Steamer during the 1963 auction for $3,700, the equivalent of $36,000 today.

Today, this vehicle is surrounded by other historic automobiles in the private collection of William Parfet.

1915 Ford Model T

This brass-era 1915 Ford Model T was also sold off during the 1963 auction for just $1,500, the equivalent of $15,411 today.

Today, this 1915 Ford Model T is proudly displayed at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

1907 Locomobile Type E

Here is the postcard image for the Locomobile Type E. This Locomobile is not a vehicle designed for the racetrack. It was, however, intended to be the ultimate luxury car for this period of the 1900s. The chassis number for this particular Locomobile is #1322.

This is image shows how it looked after being bought at auction in 2008 for $128,000. This was in untouched condition to how it was when it was bought from Austin Clark.

Later, after the 2008 auction, it was discovered that the body for this Locomobile was not the original; the original body was even more rare and desirable.

Image credit: Bonhams Auctions

Initially, the chassis number was assigned by the Locomobile factory to be made into a “Shorty” body Locomobile Type E. Once this discovery was made, the car was restored to its original “Shorty” condition. It then was brought to auction in 2012 and was sold for $74,250.

Image credit: RM Auctions 

1919 Stutz Series G Bearcat

Henry Austin Clark, Jr’s beloved Stutz Bearcat two-seater sports car is featured front and center. From this image, it’s hard to appreciate the design of the Bearcat because of the museum’s tight walkways — but worry not, Austin Clark made three different postcards featuring his 1919 Stutz Bearcat.

The first postcard image was most likely taken in the gravel parking lot of the Long Island Automotive Museum. The powertrain for the Bearcat is a four-cylinder engine that has four valves per cylinder, resulting in 31 horsepower. It might not seem like a lot of power, but considering how little this car must weigh, the Bearcat must be a fun one to zip around in.

Here, we can see the 1919 Stutz Bearcat photographed in Washington Square Park in New York City.

This postcard showcases the sporty 1919 Stutz Bearcat with a 1919 airplane manufactured by Curtiss. The photograph was taken in Rhinebeck, NY, on the Aerodrome field, home of the Cole Palen Vintage Airplane Collection.

I could use some help finding information on where this particular 1919 Stutz Bearcat ended up after it left the Long Island Automotive Museum. If you have any information on where Austin Clark’s 1919 Stutz Bearcat is today, we would love to hear about it in the comments.

1957 Fiat “Eden Roc” Yacht Tender

Parked behind the Bearcat is one of the most “modern” vehicles that was on display inside the Long Island Automotive Museum — a coach-built 1957 Fiat.

The postcard image showcases the beauty of this rare and unusual car. It was built for the 1957 Paris Motor Show and was designed and constructed by the famous Italian coach builder and designer Pininfarina. The base platform for this Fiat started life as a Fiat Multipla.

Today, there is only one surviving example of this Fiat, and it belongs to the Cord family collection in the United States. I could not find any evidence that the surviving example of this extremely limited hand-crafted 1957 Fiat is the same one that Austin Clark once owned, but I would not be surprised if it is, in fact, the same.

Information and modern images sourced from: Mario the Multipla

That’s all for now; stay tuned for more deep-dive articles on identifying the vehicles seen in Weir’s photographs of the once-iconic Long Island Automotive Museum.