Vanderbilt Cup Races

Greg - I have known about this F.R.P. auto from an earlier time and that it was built in Port Jefferson, but where in Port Jeff.?? I now know where! When I have the time, (next Hillclimb?) I’ll will check it out. Thanks!

From Greg O's Garage; The F.R.P. automobile built in Port Jefferson

The Rothman’s bought the East Norwich Inn (a tavern) that goes back to the 1700s in 1907 when no VCR race that year and the last of the racecourse that went thru East Norwich in 1905-06. The family sold the place in early 1970s to developer who built the Motel behind the restaurant, the sold to Burt Bacharach the composer and his Angie Dickerson the actress and the whole complex was known as Burt Bacharach Inn. They kept it for some time then sold to Anthony Sotto who mutilated the restaurant to become Boulder Creek a mall type restaurant that didn’t do well in snooty North Shore location. It was sold to group who had try to recreate the old Rothman’s front (almost), now known as Chas. Rothman Inn.

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

These photos are from the June 2, 2019, Greenwich Concours D’Elegance event in
Greenwich CT.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

Steven Vilardi- :D, it’s astonishing how a race track on a roof top could be had, but they did it! Amazing

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

I was out in Mattituck today and thought some of you might be interested in a current view of the most recent mystery photo.

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

Ariejan-
I see your point and it is well-taken. Also, to your point, the font of the ‘7’ is different. I will look into this further.

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

I’m sorry to stir things up, but this is a curious photo. The 7 on the car is obvious, but the car itself is not a Palmer-Singer but a Rainier. Attached a photo of the Palmer-Singer with nr.7, of which the radiator is clearly different from the roundish, Hotchkiss-like radiator of the Rainier. Attached a photo from The Automobile with the same #7 Rainier. Two Rainier’s competed in this derby, with nrs. 1 and 8, so where does the nr.7 come from? A difference with both Rainier’s during the race is the presence of front lights, normally not present in daylight road races. So my theory is that the photo’s with nr. 7 were taken during practice, the number from a previous race not having been removed yet. Unfortunately I couldn’t find an earlier race with a Rainier carrying nr. 7, so at present the mystery remains for me partly unresolved.

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

Mattituck on the north fork is far from any Vanderbilt Cup Race or Sweepstake Race held on Long Island. Looking forward to this week’s answers

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

Great story, I have Wille K. also setting a speed record in the Mors August 4th 1902 at Ablis at 76.08 mph. From the Cyril Posthomus Land Speed book. Could some one check the Motoring Log to see if this Vanderbilt encounter could be true. It would have to be before May 31, 1902 as that was when the Baker Torpedo crashed in Staten Island at a speed event. I am helping a friend research a book on the two Baker electric racers. Any insights appreciated

From Mystery Friday Foto #10 Solved: Willie K. in the 1902 Paris to Vienna Race in his Mors

This is the Long Island Stock Chassis Derby Competition held on September 29th, 1909.  This was held on the Riverhead-Mattituck course.  This is the sharp left turn at the east end of the course where vehicles would turn from South road to westbound Soundview avenue.  The car in the picture is a Palmer-Singer driven by Frank Lescault.  He finished 2nd overall but first in “class 2” (cars selling $3,001 to $4,000) with a time of 2:59.03 at 60.988 MPH.

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

This photo was taken in September, 1909 during the Long Island Stock Car Derby. The car is the #7 Palmer-Singer driven by Frank Lescault. He is turning left from Main Road (today’s route 25) in Mattituck onto Sound Avenue to head back west to Riverhead. Lescault won his class (of which there were 5) with an average speed of 60.988 MPH.

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

Race-Long Island Stock Chassis Derby
Car&driver;-Palmer-Singer driven by Frank Lescault
Location-Mattituck NY
Year-1909
Won first in Class 2

From UPDATE 3/22/23; Mystery Friday Foto # 11 Solved: Driver Frank Lescault in his #7 Palmer Singer during the 1909 Long Island Stock Car Derby

I know well of Brewster from their bodies (especially on Springfield Rolls Royce limos and town cars), but did they (presumably before RR of the US) manufacture their own full cars?

As to the museum, truly sad we don’t have it now; it was gone before I’d ever heard of it.

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

Does anyone have early photos of my Cunningham C-3 at what appears to be a charity fundraiser at the Museum, probably held in 1952 or ‘53? Even in the night-time photos, I can see the round-topped quonset hut building in the background. I can locate my copy of the photo at this minute. Thanks, Tom

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

Happy bidding and bouna fortuna

From Vanderbilt Cup Race items to be auctioned at the Automobilia Auctions, LLC on April 1, 2023

Greg, thanks for the education.  I’m a bit surprised.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Queensboro Bridge Connection to the Motor Parkway (Part 1)

My grandfather Henry Dodge donated this beauty to the Bennington Museum where it belongs. If you’d ever like more info on how he found it, rebuilt it, and later donated it - drop me an email and I’m happy to share. It’s an interesting story. David

From Mystery Auto Foto #40 Solved: A 1924 Wasp Touring Car Built in Bennington, Vermont

Bob-
There were tolls on all of the East River crossings at one point or another.

https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/july-19-1911-the-day-east-river-tolls-melted-away/#:~:text=Tolls%20were%20imposed%20on%20the,a%20penny%20for%20a%20pedestrian.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Queensboro Bridge Connection to the Motor Parkway (Part 1)

I’m just curious about the toll sign Frank Femenias submitted- was the 59th St. Bridge a toll bridge at one point?  If it was, was the Brooklyn Bridge a toll bridge at any point?  It would seem, although lightly trafficked byways could be tolled, a heavily used multi-lane bridge might be very difficult to collect tolls on with the technology of that day.  And if it was tolled, when and why did it stop being tolled?
Thanks, Bob Allen

From Kleiner's Korner: The Queensboro Bridge Connection to the Motor Parkway (Part 1)

The 1912 Thomas, seen in “A Ford Speedster and 1912 Thomas in the background,” is at the Seal Cove Auto Museum. The car was featured in a LIAM postcard. The Museum has its provenance well documented.

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