Vanderbilt Cup Races

The racer is the 120 HP Locomobile, “Old 16”, winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup the previous October with George Robertson driving. The date of the photo is sometime between February 6, 1909 and February 13, 1909. It was taken at the Chicago Automobile Show during that week. Also in the photo are two racing trophies on display. On the left is the aforementioned Vanderbilt Cup. To its right is the Founders Week Cup, also won by George Robertson in a Locomobile, although not “Old 16”. That race, also in October of 1908, was run at Fairmount Park in Philadelphia.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: Old 16 at the 1909 Chicago National Motor Show

The race car is of course the “Old 16” Locomobile.  Winner of the 1908 VCR.  This photo was taken between February 6th to February 13th 1909.  The dates of the Chicago Auto show where this picture was taken.

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: Old 16 at the 1909 Chicago National Motor Show

I recognize the racer as “Old 16,” the 1906 Locomobile that was the first American car to win the Vanderbilt Cup race in 1908.

I’m taking a guess here: Is it a New York Auto Show at Madison Square Garden? (This year’s show opens today.)

From Mystery Friday Foto #14 Solved: Old 16 at the 1909 Chicago National Motor Show

On a recent trip to the AACA Museum in Hershey Pa, I saw the award for Preston Tucker from when he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999.
So glad to see it in person.
Wish the picture was better but the Award was in a Glass display case.

From Article: Never Give Up. Lessons learned from Preston Tucker, creator of one of the most innovative cars in American history.

Just so wonderful to see this. I hope to get out to see the exhibit in person this month. Meredith is a great lady, sincere genuine enthusiasm for her interests in automobiles. Her Dad was a great friend of mine, I admired his artwork - he was a former G.M. designer in the early 1950s. Excellent to see a female that is interested in automobiles and automobile history - not enough of that at all.

From Greg O's Garage: A New Tucker Display at the Huntington Public Library by Dr. Meredith Jaffe

Agreed, Unfortunate accident. Appears no other racer was involved, and likely not. With the new pneumatic tire development, a blow-out is possible that can be controlled to an extent, but teamed with wooden spokes can quickly diminish control. Steering linkage failure is usually catastrophic. Thanks again Ariejan Bos.

From Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: #J13 Maxwell and #G28 Sharp-Arrow competing in the 1908 Sweepstakes at the Bloomingdale Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Will definitely visit to the Huntington Library to see the display of Dr Jaffe’s Tucker Collection.
Pictures of display look great

From Greg O's Garage: A New Tucker Display at the Huntington Public Library by Dr. Meredith Jaffe

Uploaded a few messages about the crash, in The Horseless Age and The Motor World respectively. The exact reason for the crash is not clear, but obviously the car skidded off the track and was wrecked. Possible cause could be a steering failure or a tire blow-out. The day of the accident was 10 November by the way and not 9 as mentioned in The Horseless Age.

From Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: #J13 Maxwell and #G28 Sharp-Arrow competing in the 1908 Sweepstakes at the Bloomingdale Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Amazing Sharp Arrow details here. Are there any facts regarding the 1910 Savannah race accident? Life-long efforts to produce this racing machine suddenly came to a halt.. I suspect inadequate road preparations or just poor weather conditions. Splendid documentation Ariejan Bos.

From Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: #J13 Maxwell and #G28 Sharp-Arrow competing in the 1908 Sweepstakes at the Bloomingdale Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Another correction, It’s now Chas. Rothmann’s Steakhouse.
I know the granddaughter of the portly bald gent in black as Paul Rothmann who owns the ‘56 Caddy. he trades in every year for a new Caddy from Mitchell Olds Cadillac. he and his three? brothers ran Rothmann’s them days.
The developer I had mention was just a new owner of the place and had the motel built and was a co-owner with Burt Bacharach using his name for the place.

From Greg O’s Garage: Rare photos from the collection of Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Part 2

Love that Pierce-Arrow,,,

From Greg O’s Garage: Rare photos from the collection of Henry Austin Clark, Jr. Part 2

Love the photos, nice clear images!

From Greg O's Garage: Rare photos from collection of Henry Austin Clark Jr. Part 1

Any chance the Mercedes Simplex driven by Harry Harkness a 60 hp automobile that won the first race up Mt. Washington could be in existence somewhere? Or any cars that were driven by Harry Harkness especially the one he raced Henry Ford in an exhibition? See LegendarySteinway.com

From Direct from Stuggart: The Two "Oldest Surviving" Mercedes Automobile

Tis was the shortcut going from aunt’s house on Foxcroth Rd to uncle’s house on Crandell Dr, Mineola.  Thanks for the memories.

From Greg O's Garage: Plans and aerials that document the removal of the Motor Parkway railroad bridges in Nassau County

Thanks Gary.

From Greg O's Garage: Plans and aerials that document the removal of the Motor Parkway railroad bridges in Nassau County

Art, Yes, your article was from Newsday, February 24, 1978, p.27.

From Greg O's Garage: Plans and aerials that document the removal of the Motor Parkway railroad bridges in Nassau County

I think that’s the number J13 Maxwell with Charles See driving alongside L. B. Lorimar driving a Maxwell. See finished 4th. in the jericho Sweepstakes while Lorimar finished 6th. in the Garden City Sweepstakes, two of the five concurrently run races that took place on October 10, 1908. The bridge could be the Bloomingdale Road “highway bridge” over the LIMP.

From Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: #J13 Maxwell and #G28 Sharp-Arrow competing in the 1908 Sweepstakes at the Bloomingdale Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Great for too many impaired drivers who are causing too many deaths and destruction!
The Tesla ‘semi’-autonomous driving gives false information to drivers that they can close their eyes or play with their cellphones while driving. NO! Is why too many Tesla’s are involved in accidents.

From I have seen the future: Take a ride in the Waymo

The photo shows two contestants in the Long Island Motor Parkway Sweepstakes, held on October 10, 1908. The Maxwell with J13 participated in the Jericho Sweepstakes and would complete only 3 out of 6 rounds ending up on 4th place. The other car is the Sharp Arrow with G28, which participated in the Garden City Sweepstakes for stock cars costing from $2.001,- to $3.000,-. This car in the hands of William G. Sharp would win by a large margin of just under 40 minutes. In the main category, the Motor Parkway Sweepstakes for cars costing over $4.000,- this car would have ended on 3rd place! Motor Age in their 15 October issue showed the Sharp Arrow as the ‘Dark Horse’ of the race. Almost 6 months later the Sharp Arrow was disqualified following a protest, because the car appeared to be a specially built racing car and not a stock car, demanding that at least 10 chassis of the competing car must have been previously built. In the meantime the Sharp Arrow had started production with the slogan: “Speed King of American Stock Cars”! The advert in the Cycle & Automobile Trade Journal of February 1909 clearly predated the granted protest. The Sharp Arrow as a make would only have a short life, as William Sharp together with his riding mechanic Albert Fuches would be killed on the final day of practice for the 1910 Savannah Grand Prize and the make went down with him.

From Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: #J13 Maxwell and #G28 Sharp-Arrow competing in the 1908 Sweepstakes at the Bloomingdale Road Motor Parkway Bridge

Very nicely done

From Greg O's Garage: Plans and aerials that document the removal of the Motor Parkway railroad bridges in Nassau County