Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard this is wonderful information We notice the plate# 3 is assigned to Brewster & Co. I’m wondering if that was the carriage maker who later built bodies for Rolls Royce America in Springfield Mass. They later also produced some of the most iconic automobiles, mentioned in Cole Porter’s song ” You’re the top” He also owned a Brewster.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Found- The oldest known Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate

Charles,  Thank you for sharing the race photos.
Are you related to John Heyer, Elva Courier racer 1960?

From A Family Discovers 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race Photos in their Grandfather's Photo Album

My favorite - the Whitestone Bridge. The personification of Art Deco elegance.  I was five years old when my parents bought a brand new up and down house at 51st Ave and 199th St, Flushing, which was w/in the Fresh Meadows “65” postal zone. The “unrecognized” dividing line between Fresh Meadows and Bayside was Francis Lewis Blvd (200th St). Given that PS 162 at 201st St. and 53rd Ave the closest grade school, I started attending it in the Fall of ‘54 (First grade), having gone to PS 177 on 188th St & 58th Ave by bus for Kindergarden because PS 162 was undergoing an expansion to accommodate the growing nearby population. In or about ‘53-54,” the parents in my neighborhood were in an uproar when they learned that the “Clearview Expressway” was going to be built using not only the right of way of Francis Lewis Blvd, but 199th St itself, where we had just moved into our newly built house.  Protest to shift the location of the Clearview mounted all along the proposed right of way. I remember well carrying a little sign myself, although I, of course, didn’t know what was going on. When the Clearview was shifted to 204th St, everyone believed that the protests were the reason. They weren’t. Rather, it was better to leave Francis Lewis doing what it was intended to do when it was named “Cross Island Blvd,” which was to funnel traffic to the Whitestone Bridge. Eventually, I moved to the Island after I got married (47 years now), where I set up my law practice. My wife and I first bought a pre-construciton condo right next to the terminus of the SOB Expressway. We then moved to 1-acre Woodbury on the other side where we did a teardown and built a custom home. Then eventually to Boca Raton, and for the last few years Phoenix, where we are now. Through it all, I always of the opinion that a tunnel should have been built under the Sound. The wasted travel time and the pollution caused by it from all of those drivers who were forced to go probably 20+ miles out of their way to get to the other side of the Sound, most especially “big rig” truckers, changed the region for the worse. Indeed, the fees shippers would have paid to use such a tunnel could have been very high, given the savings generated from the wear and tear on vehicles, fuel savings, and wasted manhours.

From Update with Aerials: Video of the Week: Robert Moses: Long Island's Master Builder

Love seeing The Beast so clearly. Must note that these photos display an exceptional eye of photographic quality. This is not just incredible Motorsport reportage. These are pure photographic art.

From A Family Discovers 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race Photos in their Grandfather's Photo Album

Hello Howard. RE: Childs Frick’s 1921 LIMP License Plate, can you give us some more information concerning its discovery “in a ditch?” When, where, by whom? Perhaps somewhere on the grounds of Nassau’s Museum of Fine Arts? Sounds like a very interesting story. Thank you.

Elliot: The person who found the plate was on the location with permission. However, they do not wish to disclose any additional details. Enjoy, Howard

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Found- The oldest known Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate

Mr Holterbosch sounds as if he were quite a man!
I’m currently investigating the history of a 1966 Lola T70 that he owned from 1976 to 1996.  He had it completely restored in 1987 in England by Crosthwaite and Gardiner and I wondered if anyone contributing to this thread can answer any questions about it, such s who Mr Holterbosch bought it from/sold it to?
I’m also writing a piece on early 1948-1952 Ferrari F1 cars and I believe Mr Holterbosch owned one of the 1952 Indianapolis 375s. Can anyone tell me more please?
Thank you
John Starkey

From In Search of H. Dieter Holterbosch and his W.C. Bird's Duesenberg

The remnants of automobile #1042 ‘found vanished’ once the injured Police officer returned home, seems the only lost Tucker affording a glimmer of hope.
As, around 1961, it was unclear if the remains were stolen or carted off to a scrap yard by the officer’s landlord, the missing car’s story remains unfinished.
I can admit to being a born optimist, and the trail is a wee bit cold now, but strange and wonderful things do happen.
Wayne Carini was 9 or 10 years old at that time and Jay Leno almost 18 months older. Time to form a Chasing Classic Car detectives’ posse, guys?
First, which might have been the yard - very likely since redeveloped - the Tucker could have been taken to? Second, any mention in the local press of the car’s disappearance?

From Greg O's Garage; The four "lost" Tuckers #1027, #1023, #1018 and #1042

The driver was Louis Chevrolet
The first automobile in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race was a Fiat
The second automobile in the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race was a Buick
Vanderbilt Cup Race on October 2, 1905. During early morning practice, he got into a patch of fog and ran into a telephone pole with the 110 hp Fiat.
Vanderbilt Cup race of October 1, 1910, Chevrolet drove a Marquette - Buick. One of the Buick’s wheels became wedged in a rut and snapped the steering mechanism. The car slammed into a parked street car in Hicksville, crashed through a fence, hit a touring car and a tree before landing upside down in front of a farm house.

From Mystery Friday Foto #2 Solved: Louis Chevrolet's Wreck on the Course

“The people that put up the coin for the sport.”  This looks like this was the area by the grandstand where spectators could pay to park along the fence near the start/finish line.  Parking here was insanely expensive.  So the comment is appropriate.  The “inconclusive” location of the one photo might be somewhere between Carmen ave and Newbridge rd.  These pictures are all treasures.  Keep finding and preserving things like this.

From A Family Discovers 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race Photos in their Grandfather's Photo Album

Wow! More great historic photos that have been saved. The travel from Montclair, NJ to CA recorded is equally amazing (https://myveronanj.com/2021/08/01/a-cross-country-adventure-in-1921/). The photo below appears a CRR steam engine captured on the left edge while smoking up Eisenhower Park. Thanks Charles for sharing these gems

From A Family Discovers 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race Photos in their Grandfather's Photo Album

Fantastic photos (and captions)!  Thanks Charles for sharing!

From A Family Discovers 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race Photos in their Grandfather's Photo Album

Thanks Thomas - here are two maps from 1906 and 1914 showing some buildings on property of an R.E. Stephens (1906) and Mrs. R.L. Stephens (1914) just north of Jericho Turnpike.  Might this be the farm in which your grandmother lived?  As Greg noted, any additional info. you have would be great.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

Thomas-
If you have any stories, photos or souvenirs from you grandmother, we’d love to hear or see them.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

In 1905-1907, my grandmother Nellie Parsons LaTourette lived in Westbury with her Parsons family at ages 10-12. My Grandmother told me it was on a farm in Old Westbury, (the Stephen’s Farm) on or near Red Ground (Rd.), just north of and facing E. Jericho Pike/Mineola Blvd. (and Maunch Chuck?) and just north of present day LIE, near or on Wheadley Rd and Old Westbury Rd, near Hairpin curve on the race course of the Vanderbilt Racing Car Cup races.  She also shared stories of her family hosting one of the French racing teams in 1906 and their using her barn for their cars and her mom cooking breakfast for them during the races.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

At least they tried to put an embankment to help the racers a little with that sharp left turn.  I’d still rather watch from the inside part of that intersection though, thank you very much.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

The church in 2021. The second floor window is now sealed with stained glass. The church still sits 250 feet west of the Woodbury Rd intersection on Jericho Tpke

From Mystery Friday Foto #1 Solved: The Dangerous Woodbury Turn on the 1908 Course

Like modern EVs with two electric motors for all wheel drive.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

The Christie might be the first twin-engine, 4WD gasoline auto.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

Mark, yes, that was electric. There was also a Spyker and Benz. Cotta-Mobile and Twyford in the USA.  Steam vehicles even earlier.

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer

Lee, would that be with electric motors mounted on all 4 wheels?

From Mystery Friday Foto #51 Solved: J. Walter Christie's 1905 Vanderbilt Cup racer