Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Greg, yes I’m fully familiar with Meudon and the story - incredible location and property - and great spot for exploration of “remnants”—my favorite! See my attached pics for some Meudon remnants.

A few years ago they built a house just below the Meudon site, and I did some work in that house so I got first hand Meudon property looks.

From Greg O's Garage; The Country Estates of the Motor Parkway/Vanderbilt Cup Race Officials and Directors

An odd connection with Port Jefferson. The car appears to be designed in part by the same Francois Richard after he left New York and Port Jefferson and the ONLY and Metropole production. A bio of him appears in a book on Cleveland leaders. It notes the ONLY and Metropole, but not by name, however the bore and stroke matches the ONLY.

From Mystery Foto #56 Solved: Paul Sartori in Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt's 250-HP Custom Built F.I.A.T.

The argument for it possibly being the Black Beast becomes a little more likely when you consider ALCO switched from chain drive to shaft drive around 1909 or so, making this a much older car than 1912.

From Mystery Friday Foto #36 Solved: Harry Grant in an Alco at the 1912 Old Orchard Beach Meet in Maine

My grandmother was Christine Strang Pennock.  Her brother was Lewis Strang.  I have quite a lot of information on Lewis and wonder what your interest is in him.

From Lewis Strang: A Fan's Story

road warrior

From Kleiner's Korner: A Very Imaginative (and Horrific) Tale of a 1902 Auto Race on Long Island

I remember going there as a small child, in the 50’s.  I even remember getting lost in the crowd.  I would like to know, though who the early stockholders were. I think my dad & his brother owned stock. Any information would be appreciated. I’m reasearching my family history. The last name is DOWLING.

From Memories of Roosevelt Raceway (1936-1988)

The photo shows Harry Grant in an Alco. The event was the Old Orchard Beach race held from 4 to 6 July 1912. Now the interesting thing is that Grant was a participant in this event, not in an Alco but in a Berkshire. I tried to find a picture of Grant in his Berkshire, but was unsuccessful so far. As for the Alco, I have a strong feeling that this is a road version of the racer with which he won the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup races. Could it be the same car?

From Mystery Friday Foto #36 Solved: Harry Grant in an Alco at the 1912 Old Orchard Beach Meet in Maine

I’m fairly certain of the location so I’ll try that first. I think it’s Old Orchard Beach in Maine. Everything else is guesswork. The driver looks like Harry Grant. The car could be a 1911 Locomobile model 30 speedster or runabout manufactured in Bridgeport, CT. Since the registration plate is 1912 Massachusetts, I’ll go with that as the year of the photo. In July of that year there was a 100 mile race at Old Orchard Beach so maybe that’s the event.

From Mystery Friday Foto #36 Solved: Harry Grant in an Alco at the 1912 Old Orchard Beach Meet in Maine

I and a large number of us GNYR of AACA members will at the Hershey meet on Oct. 6, Hopeful any streaming of your lecture can be recorded?

From The Preservation Society of Newport County Fall 2022 Lecture: The Advent of the Automobile including The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races

This is wonderful! But it also the week of the Hershey car show and flea market !!!!
And same evening as the annual meeting/dinner of the Society of Automotive Historians.

From The Preservation Society of Newport County Fall 2022 Lecture: The Advent of the Automobile including The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races

Howard, congratulations on this!  Will it be streamed so we can watch it?  Thank you.

From The Preservation Society of Newport County Fall 2022 Lecture: The Advent of the Automobile including The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races

So neat to see something like this that people didn’t know about.

From Exclusive from the Garden City Archives: Old 16 Locomobile taking a turn in the hamlet of Jericho during the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The driver in this picture looks like Harry Grant.  The winner of the 1909 and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races.  The car is a 1911 Locomobile Runabout.  It was manufactured by the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders (E-M-F) Company built in Bridgeport Connecticut.  The car has a 1912 Massachusetts license plate on it indicating that this might be his personal vehicle.  He may be taking advantage of the closed course to make an informal speed run.  The location here is Old Orchard Beach in Maine.  And the event is probably the 10 mile loop race held on July 5th 1912.

From Mystery Friday Foto #36 Solved: Harry Grant in an Alco at the 1912 Old Orchard Beach Meet in Maine

That Model A is fully dressed!

From A Walt Gosden Special: Signs of the Times Part III

In case someone doesn’t know, Heath: an area of uncultivated land. I realize this was fictional, but he describes the Hempstead Heath being 100 miles long ( Long Island is about 120 miles long ) Remember Mad Max ( Mel Gibson )? Maybe this publication was referred to for the movie. : )

From Kleiner's Korner: A Very Imaginative (and Horrific) Tale of a 1902 Auto Race on Long Island

Dave- Did you know Lattingtown had an actual town center?
The best story about the wealthy buying up property for their estates is ‘Meudon’, the palatial estate of William Guthrie, and ‘Ormston’, the estate of John Aldred. Guthrie and Aldred got together and bought the entire town of Lattingtown and leveled some 60 houses and businesses for their two neighboring estates.

Look up ‘Meudon’, designed by my favorite architect, C.P.H. Gilbert…
http://www.oldlongisland.com/search/label/Meudon

From Greg O's Garage; The Country Estates of the Motor Parkway/Vanderbilt Cup Race Officials and Directors

Got it thanks Greg. Cool pic of the tree line. I was aware of the still existing tree line on the southern state. Very cool that it’s still there. I was also aware that was not the original house, but thanks for clarifying that was Sr and not Jr. Usually families bought properties near each other in those times…see the Pratts or Phipps families who basically bought entire towns! Any Gold Coast mansion info you have or need let me know. I’m into that stuff.

From Greg O's Garage; The Country Estates of the Motor Parkway/Vanderbilt Cup Race Officials and Directors

Greg O. There was a major change at that intersection the day before you snapped your photo. The wooden utility poles were replaced by those made of metal.

From Mystery Friday Foto #35 Solved: Bert Dingley taking the Hicksville Turn in a Pope-Hartford at the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Greg - Great “after” shot of the 1910 intersection. Nah, I don’t see any significant changes through the years, except that everything has been transformed here! :D

From Mystery Friday Foto #35 Solved: Bert Dingley taking the Hicksville Turn in a Pope-Hartford at the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Stopped by the turn this afternoon. Difficult to spot the changes, but it has changed slightly.

From Mystery Friday Foto #35 Solved: Bert Dingley taking the Hicksville Turn in a Pope-Hartford at the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race