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
At this time I want to wish you all a HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY. Boy is this car getting more and more interesting. You’ve got a really amazing car,it’s more historic than you would ever dream of,it just might be the first to have mechanically automatic window system. Who knows what else they’ll find,you’ll never know untill they find it. It may take longer for you to get it back,but it will be well worth the wait
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
What an innovative system. I’ve never heard of anything approaching it’s level of ingenuity.
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
Frank, the first “power” window is most often credited to the 1940 Packard 180 introduced in 1939.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_automotive_superlatives
According to imperialclub.com, the 1941 Chrysler Crown Imperial limousines included an undetermined amount of LeBaron Custom Town Limousines. Power windows, known as hydro-electric windows, were introduced that year and were first offered as optional equipment on the Crown Imperials.
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1941/specs.htm
It is possible that the 1937 Chrysler’s Chrysler was the first automobile ever to have a mechanically automatic window system.
Does anyone know of an earlier car that has this feature?
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
David, I added additional background to the opening paragraph. The car is a one-of-one 1937 Chrysler Imperial C-15 Town Car custom built by LeBaron for Della Chrysler, the wife of Walter P. Chrysler. Click on the “See More” links for additional information.
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
What is the point of this story? Why should we care about this car? That should have been pointed out in your story.
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
Howard that is Salisbury park drive & Stewart ave the meadowbrook bridge by ladenburg dr correct me if wrong Peter Tummiinello.
From A "New" Motor Parkway Map & Nassau County Historical Sites
Howard that I think is Meadowbrook bridge & Stewart ave bridge. Salisbury park drive & Stewart ave Eisenhower Park correct me if Iam wrong Pete Tumminello.
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
This may have been the first “power” window?
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
That was a surprising guillotine feature. Never seen it before. I wouldn’t want to get my fingers caught there, or the dogs head gazing towards the wind. I’m thinking since both sides were not working, that may have been intentional for safety reasons. Also amazing work going on in that shop. Difficult work too as parts sometimes aren’t available to replace existing ones and you’d have to create your own, all while trying to keep the car in its original state. Blunt work and tedious detail work in harmony. I’m curious what other surprises will pop up….
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
Wow, I love surprises….. That is a unique feature !!!
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
Keep the updates coming I think they are great and am really enjoying the progress of the restoration.
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
This is the Fresh Meadow Country Club golf course and surrounding area, the western terminus of the LIMP. North Hempstead Turnpike running horizontally across the middle. Central RR of Long Island. Black Stump Road (73rd Avenue) in the lower right corner. Queens Road (Hollis Court Boulevard) in the upper right corner.
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
Addendum,
The road running horizontally at the bottom of the photo was the old Black Stump Rd., which was renamed 73rd Ave. - the same 73rd Ave. over which the parkway goes.
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
For me - this is where I grew up. Freash Meadows. The long diagonal was, and still is, the abandoned Central Railroad of Long Island that went all the way out to Garden City, and a little beyond, which the magnate Stewart built. Some tracks are still extant in Garden City, where I had my law office for many years. My family was a member of the Fresh Meadows Synagogue, which was right at Peck Ave. next to the old railroad right of way, on the north side of what became Horace Harding. I would have to walk across the abandoned railroad right of way if I walked to shul.
The golf course is Fresh Meadows.
The top diagonal road is the old Queens Road, which was named Hollis Court Blvd. when I was a kid. After the LIE and Clearview Expressways were built, the portion south of of the LIE that remained was renamed Hollis Court Terrace. The portion of the diagonal road at the upper left was the old Lawrence Ave., which became 50th Ave., I grew up at the intersection of 51st Ave and 199th St.
As of 1924, Nassau Blvd (Horace Harding) hadn’t been built. Neither had Francis Lewis Blvd been built, albeit in stages, which was originally named Cross Island Blvd; the name was changed to Francis Lewis when the Cross Island Parkway opened in 1938. But that was a little before my time, as I was born in 1948.
I am happy to say that I spent a good part of my youth on the Vanderbilt Parkway, and sped along all the way out to Creedmor. What a ride!
The almost horizontal road that abuts the golf course and ends at a T-intersection with the old Queens Road was North Hempstead Turnpike. It was renamed Booth Memorial in the early 60s from what I remember. It went right by my high school - Francis Lewis.
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
From Bruce K:
That is a very neat feature with the door handle!
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
OpenStreetMap does not show the entire 44 mile route of the LIMP. It assumes that the Suffolk portion follows CR 67. CR 67 was moved in the area of Sagtikos State Parkway and the LIE and some of the curves were changed. Look at the google map for the LIMP in the above mentioned area.:
Google Map of LIMP: http://goo.gl/maps/Ah1ne
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
Amazing. Both that Chrysler designed it, and Babinsky and Co. figured out what it was for and how to fix it.
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
It sure is a fascinating car! Though I wonder if Walter considered the window feature for his higher end cars!
Ron
From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle III: An Amazing Discovery
Howard,
Too funny! I found that NYCity map site earlier this morning before you posted the link while researching this picture! It was tough without it, but it made it real easy to confirm that it is indeed what I suspected it was; the future Western terminus for the LIMP in Fresh Meadows. I don’t know the name of the golf course, but the long abandoned railroad would be the old Central RR. The roads in the area would also be the usual suspects; North Hempstead Turnpike, Horace Harding, 73rd etc.
From Mystery Foto #17 Solved: A 1924 Aerial of the Future Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows
Thanks a whole lot Howard. I’m going to get on it right now,it’s a good day to do it.
From Clean Up the Historic Deadman's Curve in Bethpage on Saturday, June 22, 2013
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