Vanderbilt Cup Races

It is a Buick.
It is the rain Mans’s car.
Wayne Cureny in Connecticut owns it.
It was on display at Lime Rock Labor day for Vintage Racing

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

It is a 1949 Buick Roadmaster convertible. used in the Rain Man movie. It is actually one of 4 alike used in the filming. NASCAR driver Ryan Newman owns one of them. It is now painted a light green with a red leather interior. BTW my cousin owned one from new in the movie color. She traded it in for a 55 Chrysler and then got a new 1959 Buick convertible 10 years later.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

This is a 1949 Buick Convertible, probably designated by Buick as Model # 76C.  This car was one of at least two cars used in the movie “Rainman” starring Dustin Hoffman.  The current owner is Wayne Carini.  The grille on this car with the vertical bars that first appeared on 1942 models and continued until 1954 is a classic Buick styling treatment along with the hood side ornaments often referred to as “portholes”.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

I wonder if anyone at the Roslyn Times knew who I was dressed as

From The Roslyn Times: Community cleanup at Motor Parkway

I think the car is a 1949. Don’t know why its famous,don’t know who the people are in the car,the woman face is blocked by her hat,the driver is either the owner or chauffeur

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

The car is Buick Roadmaster 8 cylinder.I’ll try to get back with the year

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

Old Sixteen may not be for sale, but you can see David Wasserman’s monumental depiction in metal of that historic car at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville. Or you purchase a coffee mug featuring that image on line at http://www.tincanman.bigcartel.com

From Helck Family Collection: Old 16 on Display at the Henry Ford Museum in 1962

While I could not recall the year, it being a Buick Roadmaster used in Rainman was my guess…...the only famous Roadmaster I’ve ever seen.  The owner may have been a stretch for me.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

Mystery Foto #47…..... The car is a 1949 Buick Roadmaster Convertible. One of two Buicks used in the making of the film “Rain Man starring” Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.
The currant owner is The films’s director Barry Levinson.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

Wow! Sam logged on and left a post. This made my day. Glad to know I’m “not that bad!”

Thank you frank. Awesome you guys did this too. We really have to meet one day. We were there very early as this is the starting line of the long journey. From the starting line this is the first point of “lost” parkway. The 73rd ave budge is cool though. Lots of posts in the thickets around it.

There are other spots coming from this journey. Stay tuned. I’m running out of new ideas however regarding LIMP. We could explore Melville to Wyandanch in more detail, I’ve seen the basics and found some good spots and I’m sure there’s more stuff to find in the woods there but for some reason the Suffolk portion of the road really doesn’t interest me very much. Not the same vibe. No race history. No Gold Coast owners going out that way (not many). Just doesn’t feel as “historical”.

From Sam & Dave's Excellent "Lost" Motor Parkway Adventure I: Clearview Expressway-Queens

The auto is the 1949 Buick Roadster Convertible, featured in the 1988 movie “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.  The pair drove the car across the country.  The car was shown at the 2016 Amelia Isle Concours and is currently owned by the film’s director, Barry Levinson who bought the car around 2 years ago and had it refurbished.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

1949 Buick Roadmaster used in the film ‘Rain Man’. Recently restored and shown at Amalia Island. Owned by the film’s director Barry Levinson.

From Mystery Auto Foto #47 Solved: Definitely a 1949 Buick Roadmaster that Starred in the Film Rain Man

There’s nothing I enjoy more than exploring and finding pieces of Long Island history. The LIMP is history and exploring this road and finding forgotten sections is just awesome. I just love that it’s there, hibernating, waiting to be re-discovered. I’ve written to Smithsonian Magazine with hopes that they take interest in writing a story about it. So far no answer. I think it’s right up their alley.

And I’m lucky enough to have my little man / exploring buddy to come along with me. Great times! We are already planning Vanderbilt Day III.

If anyone has any thoughts/historical sites that you think deserve investigation please let us know, LIMP sites or otherwise. I told Howard he has to get another web site up and running covering LI history in general! Nobody is better qualified to get that going!

From Sam & Dave's Excellent "Lost" Motor Parkway Adventure I: Clearview Expressway-Queens

Yeah he’s not that bad…..
We have some pretty good times together.

From Sam & Dave's Excellent "Lost" Motor Parkway Adventure I: Clearview Expressway-Queens

David Stephan - I had suspected exactly the same, living in Queens myself. Up to some point around 2004?, it was still being used by patients/nurses during daylight hours, before being permanently shut down. Hope to film this “LIMP remnant” walk-through some day. Brian McCarthy had brought up a good question as to how long the tunnel is. My findings measure it as 220 feet (67meters).

From Raiders of Lost Underpass

Another great exploration Sam and Dave! Brian McCarthy and I were there on the same day. We must’ve just missed each other. We also walked the whole ROW curve up to the 73 Ave bridge looking for any remnants. No luck on the curve but the Clearview Expwy location had roadway posts and ROW posts amidst very tall trees. A highly recommended exploring site.

From Sam & Dave's Excellent "Lost" Motor Parkway Adventure I: Clearview Expressway-Queens

Sam, you have a cool Dad.

From Sam & Dave's Excellent "Lost" Motor Parkway Adventure I: Clearview Expressway-Queens

At a time when Vision Zero is being pushed so hard, one has to wonder why this pedestrian underpass was abandoned and locked up - and whether any viable use could be made of it today.

From Raiders of Lost Underpass

From Gary Hammond:

My interest in Dudgeon’s Steam Carriage or Wagon started back in the 1990’s while doing research on the history of the Mineola Fair.  I’ve amassed quite of bit of material on him and the vehicle since then - I’m sending you a few items.  I did get to see it when on exhibit at NMAH, although it was placed in an awkward position, crammed in amongst other vehicles on display, not highlighted for its importance!  It’s also relatively small about 11’x5’x5’ overall.

Mystery Photo # 46 – Richard Dudgeon’s Steam Carriage or Wagon
This was an easy one – Richard Dudgeon’s Steam Carriage or Wagon!  Considered to be one of the earliest self-propelled road vehicles built in America, if not America’s oldest operational road vehicle!  Built in 1866, it replaced his original vehicle (built c. 1853-58) which was destroyed in the N.Y.C. Crystal Palace fire of 1858 while being exhibited during the 30th Annual American Institute Fair.  Although Dudgeon’s business was located in Manhattan, he was a Long Islander, living on the North Shore at Peacock Point in Lattingtown/Locust Valley (see 1873 Beer’s Atlas, p.127).  Today it’s part of the collections of the National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C. where it had been on exhibit for many years, in the Road Transportation Hall, although it may now be in storage (see YouTube video).
Miscellaneous facts:
 Richard Dudgeon is credited with inventing the hydraulic jack and roller tube expander.
 At the 28th Annual Queens County Agricultural Society Fair, held September 29 – October 1, 1869, at the Mineola Fairgrounds, Richard Dudgeon exhibited his Steam Carriage.
 Richard Dudgeon died April 8, 1895; buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn
 Exhibited November 1900 at the N.Y. Madison Square Garden Auto Show
 Driven through the streets of Glen Cove, July 24, 1902
 Exhibited at the 1939 N.Y. World’s Fair in the Railroad Building (photos exist online)
 Exhibited April 15-23, 1950 in the VMCCA Antique Auto Show, Boston
 The Dudgeon would become involved in a Nassau County court battle involving custody and ownership.  Unfortunately, no records seem to exist from the case, as they probably were destroyed in the early 1980’s in the Mitchel Field Hanger # 1 fire when all the County court and clerk’s records stored there were destroyed.
 A detailed article about Dudgeon appeared in Automobile Quarterly, Vol. 5, # 3, Winter 1967
 On January 25, 1991, the U.S.P.S. issued a 4¢ stamp “Steam Carriage 1866” showing the Dudgeon machine
 Sam Berliner has stuff about the Dudgeon Steam Carriage posted on his website

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The Dudgeon Steam Wagon- The Earliest Road Vehicle Ever Seen on Long Island

The Oasis: I wasn’t aware of this or anything mansion related in East Meadow. Interesting. And via Google maps there appears to be a “void” where this house once stood. It’s certainly worth a look. I’ll get back to you if I find anything of interest!

From Images of America Book: East Meadow by Scott Ackers