Vanderbilt Cup Races

“The left side of the engine shows a clear view of the long thin metal box on top of the cylinder head that houses the spark plug wires and was a feature on Chrysler 8 cylinder cars since at least 1933.”  To be most specific, the big Imperial straight 8 started with the 1931 CG Imperial 8 and that already had the “box”, as shown clearly on <http://sbiii.com/chryslr4.html> at <http://sbiii.com/autopix/31cgsag3.jpg> and on my own former CG on <http://sbiii.com/chryslr8.html> at <http://sbiii.com/imprlpix/31cgcc04.jpg>.  Sam, III

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

2.86 mi East from the Rocky Hill Lodge, the garage is located on Jericho Tpke between N/S Tyson, Van Siclen, Belmont Ave’s in Floral Park (See attached). Amazing revelation! My first search was to check near the 1904 Start/Finish line near Jericho (3 mi East from the Mineola Lodge). For the owner, I’m going with Belmont. The cars, I’ll leave it for the experts. This would’ve been nearly impossible without the hints. A real challenge but lots of fun! Thanks guys.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

Thanks for a great article Howard!  Being a painter of iconic guitarists with cars, I loved reading this!  Best wishes, Chris Osborne

From TheMusicZoo.com: Cars & Guitars: Beauty And The Beast

This car continues to amaze me in its beauty!

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

I’m stumped on this one, but while poking around on Google Streetview around where I’d thought it might be, I noticed similar architectural features on the building at 160 Jericho Tpke in Floral Park. There also happens to be notable family street names within a block or two, ie; Belmont, Whitney, Vanderbilt.
Too many guesses to list on the cars.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

Phil, the make of the tires is Lester Tire Co. , this is not the usual tread pattern you are used to seeing for their tires, I didn’t even know they had this available. Supplier was I believe Lucas Tire in Ca. the owner of the company Stan Lucas is a good guy and has some great pre war cars.
Phil Alderman - yes I do appreciate the humor, but you have to realize on the tv car restoration shows they can get a lot of work accomplished during the breaks for commercials !

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

Howard, see the documentation I’m sending you via e-mail concerning the following.
What was the location of the Motor Parkway Garage?
Location is in Floral Park, at the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Tyson Avenue.  Building today 160 Jericho Turnpike.  Map to be sent Howard indicates the garage next to a building owned by a Krug - any relation to the Krug’s Hotel? 

Who was the owner of the Motor Parkway Garage?
Documentation indicates the owner of the garage was Anton T. Smith, who ran the garage as an agency for Fontenac Pleasure Cars.  But I can’t find any streets nearby named for Smith.  There’s a Belmont, Vanderbilt, Whitney along with Van Siclen and Van Buren, but can’t find any connection of these to the garage.

Identify the two cars in front of the garage.
Since it was an agency for Frontenac and the pic is an ad, I’m assuming the cars are Frontenacs.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

Seventeen months! The restoration shops on television do a complete restoration on a car in anywhere from three to seven days. (The people who know me will appreciate the humor.)

Totally enjoying the process - the car is spectacular. Thank you, Howard.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

Awesome story. This was the Bugatti I remember from childhood at the LI Museum. Gold Coast of LI was an incredible place to wander in the 60s. Anyone remember Ferguson’s Castle in Huntington Bay?

http://www.gothichorrorstories.com/true-ghost-stories/huntington-bay-ny-the-rise-and-fall-of-fergusons-castle/

From More Insight into the Bird Cars, the Farnesworth Garage and the 1962 "Car Auction of the Century"

From Robert:

Absolutely breath-taking, Howard.

Aside from Pebble Beach, when will we be able to see it?

Maybe over Labor Day at LRP?  I’m sure that along with the Lauren cars that will be there, Murray Smith would give it a special place of honor.

What an amazing story!

ROBERT

PS:  Auction of the Century is beyond belief, too.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

Stunning!
Best of Luck showing her
Tom

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

I’m waiting with bated breath to finally see the finished package.
Thank you for all the updates.
I’m curious about the make and supplier of the tires that are on those
beautiful wheels.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

Gram and I are SO excited…We literally feel like WE have a car going to Pebble Beach!
You have done so much for all of us on Long Island Howard. You’ve turned our “piece” of the auto-magnitude in history into such a viable and excitingly relevant piece of the puzzle!

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XII: Countdown to Pebble Beach-One Month

I took a quick look at the Motor Parkway Trail East Meadow, it not maintained very well, the grass seed that they put down didn’t take too well and the weeds are overgrown, on both sides. The trail is full of stuff falling from the trees, especially tree bark, not very safe for anything, I would say, maybe that’s why I didn’t see anyone, just walking your dog is about the safest thing. They did cut the branches I mentioned last time, the ones that where very loose. Everything else looks the same, so I didn’t bother with pictures.  That’s it on my updates.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Maltby’s Garage in Jericho

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

I haven’t a clue but I’d like to guess….Hicksville or Hempstead near the slowdown control sections of the race, or Garden City where many buildings like that still stand. I agree that the building would not be on the motor parkway since it was 1904 .... and I am at a loss for the makes of the cars as well, but fun stuff to ponder about.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

I seem to remember this story back in the sixties. After dying in the plane crash his cars were auctioned. I recall the Buicks, I thought there were several early ‘40 Buicks included in the auction.

Interesting to recall this event.

From The 1962 "Car Auction of the Century" at the Farnesworth Garage

Not an easy puzzle, if it was only because of the coarse grid of the picture. The right car appears to be a 1909 Stevens-Duryea model X. The left car was slightly more challenging: first I thought of an EMF, but the car is too large. So I ended up with a 1910 Chalmers-Detroit model 30 and that seems to fit rather well.
On the basis of the info the garage must be located in Jericho, but that is as far I could get. The rest of the puzzle I must leave to others.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

Was it on Merritt Parkway?

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park

The Motor Parkway Garage was on Jericho Tpke by N. Tyson Ave. in Floral Park. Currently it houses Management Services Corp. and Cleopatra Gallery Furniture. According to the May 20, 1909 issue of the magazine The Automobile,” a publication issued in New York and Chicago, Anton T. Smith opened it.

From Mystery Foto #77 Solved: The Motor Parkway Garage in Floral Park