Vanderbilt Cup Races

There was a good article in the August ‘62 Road & Track magazine about the Bird auction with some good photos. Wealthy enclaves like like location used to be good sources for early exotic car purchases. In 1943 my father bought a 1936 Mercedes 540K cabriolet that had been used in one of the “Topper” movies for $1,000. The location was La Jolla, CA., a wealthy suburb of San Diego. He later sold it in 1963 for $4,500 and was happy about it.

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

I was at this auction as well, was 12 years old,  the Bugatti that Austin Clark bought had a hole cut in the top of the hood for easier access to the carburetor, and was I believe raced at Roosevelt Raceway in either 1936 or 1937 at the George Vanderbilt Cup Races held then . A lot of people who attended the auction drove over in pre WWII classic cars and I spent more time in the grassy field next to the auction taking photos of those cars (brownie box camera borrowed from my aunt) . The Duesenberg roadster (body by LeGrande) as far as I know is still owned by Dieter Holterbosch, and the Duesenberg Beverly sedan (Murphy coachwork) is owned by a collector/dealer in Va. this car when in the Bird estate had its shift lever cut off about 8 inches above the floor, and canvas covered rear top was stained as the roof of the garage leaked above it. Friends said that in the years the cars were stored there they could get into see the cars if you gave the caretaker a bottle of booze. Also in the garage was a rare 1940 Buick woody wagon with very low mileage and a 1952 Buick sedan with low miles as well. Back in the early 1970s when I worked for Austin we would go out to lunch and meet some long time Oyster Bay residents who remembered Wallace Bird and they had some pretty interesting stories about his “interests” beyond the cars. I have all this written down, plus photos (snap shots) that were found on the ruins of the mansion he had taken and were salvaged by one of the fellows we talked too back in the 1970s before the rain go to them. Photos show his boat, him and his wife, the Bugatti, plus local females who posed for him.

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

There is no Franklin in that group of cars. The first car with the round radiator is a French built Delauney - Belleville. note it has a radiator cap - Franklin’s were always air cooled, and not as large a car as the car in the photo. The D-B cars were imported into the USA at thie time of the photo and for a few year prior, Brewster was a agent in the USA for them. The vertical shocks mentioned were made by Westinghouse and a popular accessory at the time that gave a better ride as the roads were for the most part not paved .

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Wow, you can’t miss the drive thru path around the property in 1938.  I guess he drummed up enough customers there. I always have a hard time getting around the Stony Brook website.

From Was the First Parkway Fast Food Restaurant Located in Central Park (Bethpage)?

At first glance it sure looks like we’re above today’s Rte. 110 looking LI west over Spagnoli (Bethpage-Sweet Hollow) Road, with the surviving farmway bridge in OBVR at lower right and the so-called second (northern) Deadman’s Curve at upper left.  Sam, III

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

Funny, I immediately thought of the Bird Estate but didn’t remember the garage as being THAT big!  I, too, was at the auction, and then rode down to Massapequa in a visiting 1931 Chrysler Imperial 8 CG sedan, formerly from Osborne Road in Garden City near the LIMP, which I’d almost bought previously - long story there on my site - trouble was I lived in Mineola then and had a devil of a time getting home!  That Franklin circular grille matches 1906 cars and the 1907 Model D.  Did anyone notice that ALL the cars are fitted with those vertical shocks (or whatever) up front?  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Looks a lot like Round Swamp Road, Old Bethpage, left to right across bottom, with the LIMP
snaking in a curve right bottom across to upper left, with Bethpage toll lodge and Round Swamp Road bridge at bottom right. Claremont Road bridge at upper left. Photo about 1927.
Used for 1910 Cup race.

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

That third close-up photo had me confused. It’s not in the actual “mystery photo” but shows a section of of the LIMP slightly east of where the mystery photo leaves off in the lower right corner. I think the Claremont Road and/or Foster farmway bridge(s) are in that close-up.
_______________________________
From Howard Kroplick

Steve, I updated the blog photo with the unedited version.

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

Don’t be shocked people, I got it this time. I had a lot of time today, with this rainy day. Here goes. It’s a few of the Botto Farmway in Bethpage, now the Bethpage State Park. The aerial was taken in 1935. This section of LIMP was used in 1908 and 1910. As for the landmarks, I’ll get back to that

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

This 1935 photo is looking west in the vicinity of the northern section of today’s Bethpage State Park. The LIMP goes across the center of thephoto from left to right curving down to the lower right corner, with the bridge over Round Swamp Road. Also in the photo is the Bethpage Lodge and the Botto farmway bridge. 1908 was the only year that the Vanderbilt Cup Race (along with all the other sweepstakes races) used this section of the LIMP.

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

Wild guess: where the parkway went through Melville, and across first Maxess Road and then Ruland Road, east of Route 110?

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

Round Swamp.  1930ish.  Part of 1908 Course.  Bridge over Round Swamp Rd.  Bethpage Toll Lodge.  Botto Bridge.

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

I attended the auction at this estate in 1962 when I was 12 years old with my dad, who turned me into a gearhead with his purchase of a ‘59 jag mark I 3.4 salon.

I begged him to bid on the Type 57 Bugatti, which was missing a wheel. “you will never find a wheel like that” my father said. I BEGGED him to no avail; I watched as the car sold for a hi-bid of $750.00.

I recently found a newspaper clipping of the auction stuck in a similar vintage copy of Floyd Clymer’s book entitled the Fabulous Model “T”.

I wonder where that car is today?

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Here is a link that has additional photos and text about the estate - http://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot.com/2013/09/farnsworth-long-island-home-of-c-k-g.html

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

Now I know where it is, reading the comments. It’s around where the Planting Fields Arboretum is, right? Howard- I just noticed it now, your submit is mystery #73

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Thanks again Frank. That’s almost like what Al told me, but you explained it a little bit more.

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

Thanks for the interesting presentation—I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was living in Nassau County not very far away at that time but at my young age then I hadn’t developed enough interest in historic cars to think of going to observe the auction.

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

I’m just wondering who this person is. What happen Howard? you’re usually good on things like this. Mystery#70. if anyone is interested

From Mystery Foto #70 Still A Mystery: Is this Dario Resta?

Ted, the actual Motor Pkwy Right Of Way is very close to the constructed bike/hike trail, just across the street. It seems the LIMP right of way is almost always protected from future builders. The actual Right Of Way is on the over extended front lawns of the houses on the north side of Salisbury Drive. I believe that extra space to the street is the LIMP ROW.

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

Fun and interesting when two interests intermingle. I’ve read quite a bit about Farnesworth on Zach’s Old Long Island Blog site for a few years now, but didn’t make this connection!

More info/pics on Farnesworth;
http://www.oldlongisland.com/search/label/Farnsworth

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley