About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
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Recent Comments
it is a 1922 Ford model T touring from the film “Hog Wild” and is in the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: Laurel & Hardy's 1922 Ford Model T
After studying the ‘Hog Wild’ Ford at the Petersen Museum, I must conclude that there are many (small) differences between this car and the car in the movie. One remarkable difference is the windshield frame, which obviously belongs to a younger Ford. So this makes me really doubt if this is the original or a later produced copy??
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: Laurel & Hardy's 1922 Ford Model T
Nice mystery, because it made me look again at the beautiful ‘slow comedy’ of Laurel and Hardy. The car is Laurel & Hardy’s favourite model T Ford (what else!?), the movie ‘Hog Wild’ (with previously unseen detail: the chimney bricks floating in the pond ...) of 1930. Production of the T-Ford already had stopped of course, but there must have been present everywhere still an overwhelming amount of Flivvers for all kinds of purposes, including the numerous Ford-acts in the Laurel & Hardy movies. Determination of the production year of the car itself is not easy for me as the 20’s are not really my thing, but I’ll give it a try. After some research I would guess on the basis of several details, that it is an early ‘20s model, probably 1921 or 1922. The movie car resides presently in the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA.
From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: Laurel & Hardy's 1922 Ford Model T
Mark, very neat. Thanks for the Dingley information.
Howard
From For the Dingley Family: Part II- Bert Dingley and the Vanderbilt Cup Races
This is great news and what a great job they are doing on this one of a kind car. Now just to get it sanded,primed and painted to perfection,sound easy,but you never know what imperfections may come up,as was said. The end result will be what it should look like,as if it was a brand new car. I’m sure The Chrysler’s Chrysler will be a WINNER AT THE FINISH LINE
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VI: Heading to the "Finish Line"
Howard, I came across an interesting article that makes some points about Bert Dingley’s career. This is from August 1909 when he was entered as a Chalmers driver in the first races at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was in the 1905 James Gordon Bennett Cup and won the Wemme Trophy at the Portland Rose Festival (Oregon) in 1909. He also won the Shettler Trophy at Santa Monica in 1909. It’s all in this very brief article from the August 15, 1909 Indianapolis Star. http://firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/chalmers-ims-facility-detail
From For the Dingley Family: Part II- Bert Dingley and the Vanderbilt Cup Races
From David L.
“The Roberts story is wonderful.
Keep up the great work Howard.”
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Back at the library checking out the mystery and other things to keep up to date. The mystery was very interesting,too bad I couldn’t try to answer it
From Mystery Foto #40 Solved:The Von Osterman Family House in Lake Ronkonkoma in 1910
Howard -
Upon more thought, I am still sure the photo is of driver Harry Endicott, however, it was not taken at Indy in 1913. Endicott drove a red, six-cyliner Nyberg at Indy that year, and that is clearly not what he is sitting in. Photo is probably 1912 or earlier. It is obviously a Mason.
Thanks.
Robert
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Hi Robert:
Thanks for the comment.
You may be right. The source of information on the photo is Joel Finn, author of the “The 1912 Milwaukee Races”. I will do additional research on the photos.
Howard
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Howard -
I’m going to throw a wrench into things and suggest that the photo identified as Mortimer Roberts, is not him. I believe this is a photo of Harry Endicott and was taken in 1913 at Indianapolis. His mechanic’s name was J.D. McNamara. Endicott piloted a Mason in the ‘13 Indy. The photo of the man wearing that outrageous driving mask is also Endicott. You can find a similar photo on Mark Dill’s excellent early racing site. I would like to see an actual image of Monty’s brother Mortimer, as I have never seen one.
Thanks for all the great work. Love to visit and see what is up.
All the best.
Robert Rampton
Salt Lake City
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
I learned ALOT about Ronkonkoma and it’s history this weekend, but it wasn’t enough to solve all the questions!
-What was the M.G. Babcock Company?
One of many NYC real estate brokers selling large vacation homes to the NYC wealthy at that time.
-Identify the building featured on the postcard.
Unknown. Looked at dozens of historic homes, hotels, pavillions, 1930 aerials and couldn’t find a match. Possibly the postcard is just a generic M.G. Babcock sales brochure of sorts for their estates that are for sale in the area?
-Was the Long Island Motor Parkway ever officially called the “Vanderbilt Motor Parkway” in 1910?
I always understood it was never ‘officially’ called the ‘Vanderbilt Motor Parkway’ at any time and any reference to it as such was incorrect.
On a side note; I did find the exact postcard for sale on Ebay if anyone is interested!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/c-1910-BEV-Home-Lake-Ronkonkoma-LI-NY-post-card-/350895278960?_trksid=p2054897.l4276
From Mystery Foto #40 Solved:The Von Osterman Family House in Lake Ronkonkoma in 1910
I stumbled on a collection of photos of George Eastman of the Quaker State 200 race held in Philadelphia in the 1911 era, they are without descriptions, but perhaps you can identify some of the cars and drivers.
http://www.geh.org/fm/lazar/quaker200_sum00001.html
Cheers and keep up the good work.
From Blog Updates (Latest: 3/9/2014)
Wonderful outcome from just a small post. But it all boils down to Howard and this great newsletter and all the research that goes in to it…...Thanks Howard for sharing all of this…....The photos , the stories ....It’s just fabulous….
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Good job Howard, That is so Kool!
Best regards,
Wayne Carroll Petersen
Barney Oldfield Great Great Nephew
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
From Kathy C:
“Watching you ( the fastest man in America ) be beaten by Henry Ford on the History Channel! What great fun! I know you use it in your talks but so cool to see it on the tube….You bring history alive & help all of us in the field by making history breathe & relevant… you give so many connections. My goal is linking history on many levels… You & the BB create wild links: socially politically economically culturally in an incredibly crafted machine & the roadways & races it traveled… what fantastic & powerful links to offer in the study of history to reach wildly diverse interests! “
From Film "The Black Beast in the Finale of "Men Who Built America"
What a nice story! It will keep me in a good mood for the rest of the year. Thanks!
Ken
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
That is great news, good job!!!!
From Cousins of Drivers Montague and Mortimer Roberts Reunited With the Help of VanderbiltCupRaces.com
That looks like the Von Osterman house which was located near the north-west corner of the lake. Today the property is occupied by a beer & soda distributor at the south-east corner of Rosevale Ave. and Smithtown Ave. The M. G. Babcock Co. was one of many real estate development companies that promoted and sold land around the Lake Ronkonkoma area in the 1910’s and 1920’s. I don’t think the LIMP was ever officially called the Vanderbilt Motor Parkway although it obviously was referred to as such on the postcard and probably other publications as well.
From Mystery Foto #40 Solved:The Von Osterman Family House in Lake Ronkonkoma in 1910
MY computer is down,so I can’t research this one. I’m at the library doing this right know,this is a very interesting one too. Well good luck guys,it would take me too long here to do it.
From Mystery Foto #40 Solved:The Von Osterman Family House in Lake Ronkonkoma in 1910
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