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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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Recent Comments
These are very early bicycle mechanics (1901), working hard towards creating the future of the motorized automobile, while using standard bicycle components
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
Another mystery photo indeed!
From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
I agree with Brian, it’s the Roosevelt Field highway bridge, photo looking east. Note the 1918 photo below with similar railings. Also the 1940s photo view from on top of the bridge looking in the same east direction, with the landscape now heavily overgrown after 30+ years
From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
Additional documentation
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
The location is Coney Island, NY at the Long Island Automobile Club’s Sponsored Race.
Vehicle is the Torpedo Racer which set the world’s speed record for electric cars on November 16, 1901 going one mile in 63 seconds (57 mph). Held record for 10 years.
Andrew Riker was the inventor and the driver.
The vehicle is owned by the Henry Ford Museum and is currently on loan to the Studebaker National Museum.
Riker eventually went to work for the Locomobile Company and designed the 90 HP car that was entered in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
This feels like a Mystery Foto, Art : ) With the bridge photo, I think he’s likely driving just west of the Roosevelt Field Hwy Bridge. Pretty sure the terminus of the LIMP in 1910 was at Jericho Tpke. Know this section of the parkway wasn’t part of the 1910 course, but maybe he drove west a bit past the Meadowbrook Lodge instead heading north up Ellison Ave, perhaps for a bridge photo?
From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course
That’s Andrew Lawrence Riker driving his own Riker Electric Torpedo Racer at Coney Island, NY where he set the world speed record for electric vehicles at 57.1 MPH, a record that stood for ten years. Today, this vehicle can be seen at the Henry Ford Museum. A.L. Riker went on to design the 1906 90 HP Locomobile that raced as #12 in the 1906 American Elimination Trial and #9 in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup. After some modifications, it became the winning #16 racer in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup, later being known as the legendary “Old 16”.
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
Coney Island Blvd see attached files
Reiker
Yes ,the henry ford, a gift as I understand it
not sure what you mean by link, like “tag it” or a connection history wise?
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
Simply amazing. Another great find Roy! Thank you Roy again for exposing these buried gems for all to see and learn from.
From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
This is a Riker “Torpedo Racer.” An electric race car built, engineered and piloted by Andrew Riker. The event was the breaking of a world speed record by an electric car, which was done on Coney Island on a dirt track at 57 mph. In April of 1900 a version of this vehicle competed on the first vehicle race on Long Island. A 50 mile race from Queens to Babylon. It won, and was the only electric vehicle to have entered. This race was precursor to the Vanderbilt Cup races held a few years later.
From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island
read your article it is very interesting for me. I hope I will find more articles in the future.
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Speculating again, I think the Vanderbilts never owned variants of any brand, but only the best in its class. This is a tricky puzzle to solve….
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Al,
Yes, and let’s assume Willie K lll got that particular car that way, brass plate solved. It still does not not match the Bentley from the newspaper photo for his death. Hence, he was a Bentley enthusiast and maybe had more than one, or two.
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Greg, How about this possibility. The Bentley in the 1930 Monte-Carlo Rallye, GC 3661, was a “works” automobile. That is… it was not purchased by Kidston but he was hired by Bentley Motors to drive it in the Rallye. Some time after that event the vehicle was acquired by Vanderbilt Jr. and thats how his name got on the I. D. plate.
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Great find, thanks for sharing!
From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
The only map better than a old, clear aerial is an old & precise blueprint. Thanks again, Roy!
From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
Al,
But the Chassis and Engine serial numbers match the Bentley that still exists today. Registration plate numbers can be put on another car, but chassis and engine numbers cannot.
I think there may be 2 Bentleys that Jr. owned. When he died Willie K saved the plate from his second Bentley that was not wrecked and still exists today. Just my guess.
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Howard, I always thought a Coupe had a fixed steel roof. The vehicle associated with William K. Vanderbilt Jr. death appears to have been a Roadster. My speculation on the whole scenario is this. The Bentley with registration # GC 3661 was originally purchased by William K. Vanderbilt Jr. ( He was living in London at the time.) The vehicle involved in the crash was that vehicle. The vehicle was then disposed of by his father who kept the registration plate in memory of his son.
From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.
Howard, The map showing Clinton Rd. on the left side also shows the Hempstead Turnpike Spur of the Motor Parkway on the right side which was never built.
From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
What a great find! It makes sense that the Agricultural Society of Queens-Nassau Counties Fairgrounds aka the Mineola Fair is included. In 1918 no fair was held, as the grounds were used by the United States Army as a base hospital to help treat the thousands of cases of influenza. The total number cared for was 12,693, of whom 399 died. This would be the first time an annual fair was not held since 1842. Will copies of these blueprints be available online for viewing?
From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City
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