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
I think this is a wonderful article. I hope this leads to the effort being recognized nationally, and someday, fully funded!
From Planning, July 2013 "A Roadway Evolves-The Long Island Motor Parkway"
Ted: Forget the writing. I believe it’s a photo id tag that was stamped along the top edge after the shot was taken. There are vertical lines all over the aerial that coorespond to each of the letters.
From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
Ted: On the ‘38 aerial showing the semi circle bend of the motor pkwy, along the top fifth of the photo inside Ladenburg’s farm, there is huge lettering on the grass. I was thinking it may have been used as a landmark for approaching aircraft landing in nearby airports. If no one sees this, I will reduce my medication doses immediately. ;p
From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
Wild guess - eastbound heading toward meadowbrook lodge after roosevelt raceway and the big structure was some kind of garage for the cars ? not much to go by here but what the heck ? mike
From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club in Hicksville (Later Levittown)
Where do you see the writing Frank? I don’t see any on the 38 aerial.Which foto are you talking about?
From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
The picture looks to be in Pre Levittown in the 1930s. The structures are the hangers for the Hicksville Aviation Country Club and beyond that is the clubhouse.
From Mystery Foto #29 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club in Hicksville (Later Levittown)
Beautiful photos, especially the second one, which was new to me. To my surprise they used this car for travelling Europe between June and August 1908 (so he was back in time for the organisation of the Vanderbilt Cup race). A detailed (and very interesting) account of this trip can be read in “Log of My Motor, 1908-1911”, downloadable at the LOC-site (http://archive.org/details/logofmymotor00vand). The first photo in the book shows this Renault in full glory!
From Willie K's Cars #6: The 1907 Renault "Vanderbilt Racer"
Hi Frank, not sure where you are looking. Top? Bottom? Left? Right?
From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
Howard, or anyone have a clue about the mystery writing on the grass of the ‘38 aerial? Looks like R I S _ _ I R I, possibly R E A L T O R, R O O S E V E L T ?
From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #36:The Stewart Avenue Bridge in East Meadow Updated:2/18/16
Interesting article that hints at the business mindset of 100 years ago. Not much has changed since. Also the attempt to voice out even louder towards stopping a ‘new idea’ from flourishing any further.
From Anatomy of a 1907 Motor Parkway Cartoon
I knew it was Roosevelt Raceway right off the bat,from other pics and now it’s Roosevelt Field. Joe at least we both knew something
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury - winner was Tazio Nuvolari who received his Vanderbilt Cup replica from George Vanderbilt III.
1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury (6/19/60) - winner was Henry Carter (driving a Stanguellini) who received the cup from Cornelius Vanderbert IV. The two bridges in the picture were the Chevron Bridge and the Martini and Rossi Bridge. The Eddie Rickenbacker Cup race was run the day before.
Not sure, but I would imagine the Press Release to be close to the announcement of the 1960 race, sometime around May or June of 1960.
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
That was interesting and entertaining. Imagine that—politics and economic issues were involved! I especially liked the request from the LIRR. I guess things don’t change much when you factor in human nature. As the saying goes: the more things change the more they remain the same (ça change, plus c’est la même chose in the original French).
Ken
From Anatomy of a 1907 Motor Parkway Cartoon
Is this Roosevlt Field & Roosevelt Raceway (1924-1938)?
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
1936 Vanderbilt Cup (the dark track)
1937 Vanderbilt Cup (the course outlined in white)
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
Another photo that required quite a bit of (and ultimately needless) reasearching. Initially I was completely stumped, but I eventually got it- and sitting right under my nose on the VCR site the whole time! At least along the way I discovered some other interesting LIMP info and photos on the Internet that I’d never seen before…
This is the redesigned course for the revived 1960 Vanderbuilt Cup races around the Roosevelt Raceway Horsetrack.
A link for the VCR page;
http://vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_1960_cornelius_vanderbilt_cup_race_at_roosevelt_raceway
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
Ok, easy part, Roosevelt Raceway. I don’t even understand the rest of your question. -joe
From Mystery Foto #28 Solved:Then & Now- Courses for the 1936 and 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Races
Wow, amazing stuff. Really enjoyed reading about it….Thanks Howard…
From Updated: Long Island's First Major Automobile Competition: The 1901 100-Mile Endurance Test
From Bruce W:
You’ll probably get a lot of correct answers from us older old-car guys to your mystery-car question.
It’s Rust Heinz’s 1938 Phantom Corsair that was shown at the 1939 World’s Fair in Flushing meadow.. It utilized the front subframe of a 1936 Cord. Heinz designed the car and the body was formed by Bohman @ Schwartz It was also shown at the Park Avenue Armory by Herb Shriner at an indoor car show. I think it was in the 1950’s.
Best -
From Mystery Foto #27 Solved: Rust Heinz' 1938 Phantom Corsair
Never mind my previous question: “The body measured an impressive 237 in (600 cm) long and 76.5 in (194 cm) wide, enough to accommodate four people in the front row, including one person to the left of the driver.” - Wikipedia
From Mystery Foto #27 Solved: Rust Heinz' 1938 Phantom Corsair
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