Vanderbilt Cup Races

Jack T.,

My grandfather was William Luttgen, the driver of the number 7 Mercedes.  I suspect that our grandfathers worked together in New York City on the Upper East Side, at a machine shop that was at some point called the Mercedes Repair Company.

William Luttgen had been a mechanic for Mercedes in Germany, serving as mechanician in several early races for the driver Foxhall Keene, who encouraged him to immigrate to America.  Long story, but his Mercedes experience brought the machine shop he found work at enough business that William was able to get a partnership stake in 1905.  Eventually he bought out his partners becoming sole owner.  I believe that the shop name had been changed to the Mercedes Repair Company by 1906, but I don’t really have all the history.

The family has a photo of the front of the shop with my grandfather sitting in a racing Mercedes on the sidewalk.  Most of the shop employees are in the photo if I am correct.  It would be interesting to see if your grandfather is in the picture, but I am not sure which of my cousins has the photo. 

If I can dig up any old photos of the shop I will try to pass them along through Howard.

Robert Luttgen

From Mechanician Joe Marx in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

You all probably notice on the top,bottom and both sides of the photo,something is inscribed on it,can’t make it out,this may lead to who he is. Are they words,codes or what?,that’s something to work on

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

Howard- that’s a post i guess I’ve missed.  Thanks.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #8 Mineola Lodge

There were 3 Ford Barber-Warnock specials entered in the 1924 Indy. 26,27 and 28. 26 did the best driven by Bill Hunt came in 14th.  No 28 driven by Alfted Moss, Stirling’s father was 16th and the car used for this photo shoot 27, was driven by Fred Harder and came in 17th.  They had Louis Chevrolet Frontinac OHV Model T engines. The chassis were built with after market parts sold by speedster parts shops. The bodies were by Morten-Brett of Indianapolis. Barber-Warnock was the Indianapolis Ford dealership.

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

I saw the CCC episode; really nice car, great to see it like that.

From Video: "Chasing a 1908 Simplex Speedcar"

I commented on this,but it didn’t get posted. It’s a toss up between the 1908 Siimplex Speedcar and your BLack Beast Howard,I’ve seen the Simplex in one of the museums I was at,but never in action,I would have to see it in action to make up my mind,but I think it would be your’s Howard, just because I see you more in action than I’ll ever see the Simplex. It’s all live not in pictures or on videos too. I have to get the full effect,as I do with your’s

From Video: "Chasing a 1908 Simplex Speedcar"

I use to work around their on Lakeville Rd,across from the turn on Jericho back in the middle 1970’s.when I had a 1968 Firebird HO 4 speed 4 barrel dual exhaust,those where the days,never knew I was driving on a historic roads. I use to live around their too

From Then & Now: New Hyde Park Turn

Elsa, I will need to research that possibility.

From Racing Up Manhasset Hill During the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Haven’t had the time to comment on anything for the last couple of days,to busy looking at everything till now. There’s one comment I have to say,which is the one and only thing about this site and I said it before there’s never a dull moment,something new all the time and everybody tries to help out to clear things up. Anyhow,I don’t need to comment anyway,you get enough from everyone else,they know more about what’s going on than I do,they’ve been at it longer than I have.I only learned about the Vanderbilt Cup Races when Howard bought The Black Beast and went to car shows with it,that’s when it all caught my interest,now I can’t enough of it,

From The Closing of the Motor Parkway and the Current Utilization of the Right-Of-Way

Hi howard. That was a good eye finding that post. I’ve been thinking of the limp row just north of jericho tpke. A drainage area, i believe.

From The Motor Parkway Toll Collection Structures: #8 Mineola Lodge

Sam III, good catch. You are 100% correct.

Howard I

From The Closing of the Motor Parkway and the Current Utilization of the Right-Of-Way

Doesn’t the Loco firetruck in the linked photo set have a straight front axle, as well?  Mayhap the heavy-duty vehicles had such.

Sam, III

From Trucking Down to the Vanderbilt Cup Races

So that’s what that dilapidated, abandoned building was (on Round Swamp Rd)! That puts things together.

From The Bethpage Lodge (1910-1960s): A Classic Repost from 2009

You omitted the partially-buried but intact 1911 Wheeler Farmway bridge just east of Springfield Boulevard in Queens and the inaccessible-but-very-much-extant eastern Clody Farmway bridge in the sandpits immediately east of the Nassau-Suffolk County line.

Because the former can be visited, even explored, and the latter seen with a scope, I feel they should be listed.

Sam, III

From The Closing of the Motor Parkway and the Current Utilization of the Right-Of-Way

Was Wagner’s winning Darracq the “Bluebird,” that Joan Newton Cuneo later got to drive?
EN

From Racing Up Manhasset Hill During the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Might be considered as a kind of event for various car clubs.  Thanks.

From Upcoming Exhibit: "Car Culture: Art and the Automobile" 4/27/13- 8/11/13, Huntington, NY

Howard, The article on the Eagle Rock Hill Climb will be out in a month on the VSC Bulletin. As soon as it’s out we can put it on your website if you like. I got many other photos from Joe Fagan who is the historian for West Orange. Let me know how you want to do this.

From Racing Up Manhasset Hill During the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

From a 79 year old fan of auto racing, I thank you for all you do to preserve US auto racing history.

From Indianapolismotorspeedway.com: Vintage Indy 500 Cars To Take To The Brickyard During Legend's Day

I knew it was something about the bus and noticed the miniature Vanderbilt Cup on top of the radiator too

From Trucking Down to the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Ariejan, congrats! That’s my guess too. Here is a post with five Locomobiles with the mascot. http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/sunday_january_24_2010_six_locomobiles_with_vanderbilt_cup_mascots

From Trucking Down to the Vanderbilt Cup Races