Vanderbilt Cup Races

The photographer is over Levittown, looking northeast. That’s the Wantagh State Parkway at the bottom, and Hempstead Turnpike is the straight road that cuts the diagonal from bottom left to top right. I see the Division Avenue School at top center. Motor Parkway ROW is at the extreme top left, and the Central Rail Road a few blocks south of that.

Photo must have been taken between 1948 and 1955, because the Division Avenue School does not have its north wing. It became a high school in 1955.

From Mystery Friday Foto #25 Solved: A 1949 Fairchild Aerial Survey over Levittown

This is a picture of Levittown.  The photographer is facing northeast hovering over the Wantagh parkway which is at the bottom of the picture.  Hempstead tpke runs from the bottom left to the top right of the photo.  In the top left area of this picture the undeveloped land is the Long Island Aviation Country Club and has not yet been built over with Levitt homes when this picture was taken.  The LIMP runs along the southern border of this property.  Since some ranch style Levitt homes in this photo are shown as completed, (homes north of Orchid rd and east of Jerusalem ave) this picture should date around 1949.

From Mystery Friday Foto #25 Solved: A 1949 Fairchild Aerial Survey over Levittown

Fred was a grand fellow, totally consumed by his love of auto racing and inspired to collect cars and original sales literature and books on cars by his father who had a collection of cars and was also a Doctor. I knew Fred for 50+ years - we would always spend time together sharing what treasures we bought/found at the Hershey swap meet car show when there was a blue field ( now when the roller coasters are)
I mentioned to him a hard bound book that was printed in Europe in the 1930s about racing that he had never heard of (!) and through my “spies” and contacts there managed to get about 3 or 4 for him as one was issued each year. He was very very happy with that. A genuine enthusiast - ( much like Howard Kroplick is) who cared so much about the history of cars and the connection that the period items made for us. Not about any $ value , it was the history connection always. He was so thrilled when his daughter was born, had her wrapped up in a white blanket and with him at the flea market at Hershey so she could “meet” his friends. God Speed Fred, it was an honor to be your friend.

From Update: Sad news- The loss of a hero- Dr. Fred Simeone

Lower left in Wantagh Parkway heading L > R north to south
Hemp Tpke heading East
Remnants of LIMP near top
You can see old Airplane country club

From Mystery Friday Foto #25 Solved: A 1949 Fairchild Aerial Survey over Levittown

I actually saw both of these vehicles in COMMACK about four years ago. I kick myself to this day for not taking a picture of it.

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

HOWARD: GREAT TO SEE THE THE CHALLANGER & THE MUSTANG AT OUR GNYR SHOW, AFTER 3 YEARS OF COVID.  A WELCOME SITE. THANKS FOR BRINGING THE CARS,  ARTIE FINNEGAN CHIEF JUDGE GNYR.

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

I was there also met the couple who had mentioned their name, but I forgot. I had mentioned a couple who run the Long Island MG club, yeah, they knew. Seen this MG at some earlier times elsewhere, it was featured ones in the LI Newsday Friday edition in the automotive section IN THE GARAGE page, also some time ago.

From Update Mystery Friday Foto #24: The 1955 MG TF-1500 #9052's owner in 2000.

Brian S:
I saw a Car at Milleridge Inn last Thursday that looks just like this. Didn’t talk to the owners, tho. Older man and woman. Really nice car.

From Update Mystery Friday Foto #24: The 1955 MG TF-1500 #9052's owner in 2000.

Mystery Foto #24…I did know a guy who bought a new red MG TF on Long Island back around 1955. His name as Al Van Wymerish. Now deceased. That’s all I’ve got.

From Update Mystery Friday Foto #24: The 1955 MG TF-1500 #9052's owner in 2000.

Do not know about this car.  I have 1954TF 1500.  green /black that I want to put on the market for $30K.

From Update Mystery Friday Foto #24: The 1955 MG TF-1500 #9052's owner in 2000.

Hey all, the event was ENJOYABLE!

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

Mark, I thought I saw you from a distance but by the time I got to where I thought you may be you had disappeared. I did not bring one of my own cars but rode over with a friend who is one of my former students , Rob Mancz, who has a great 1968 Pontiac Tempest. I need to get my 1930 Packard 7 passenger touring car and 1940 Buick Roadmaster back on the road. Spending to much time researching and writing stories about car history for publications all on pre 1950 vehicles. It just never ends !

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

Yes it was truly a great day both for the weather and show vehicle turn out!  Sadly the historic military vehicles were passed by again. No chrome, no shiny paint, just vehicles that help win the wars that our gallant veterans fought along side of. Olive Drab isn’t so drab!

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

Art, Brian, The lawyer representing the horse was Henry B. Culver.

From Kleiner's Korner: Preparing the Horse for the Automobile (Part 2)

Great weather, great turnout! That ‘50 Ford I had remembered from about 20? years earlier along with the owner with a new ‘50 Ford T-shirt, an award winner that day. That’s Gene Kennedy a board member of the club that put up the event, keeping an eye on me??? Haha.

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

WHAT? Walt you were there, and I did not see you there? DRAT!
Me a newbie member of both the local vintages auto club was at the event, also me Howard’s groupie with two of his toys.

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

I have yet to see the book in person - the author was in contact when he was working on it for information. What I do find very disturbing is the comment by Jay Leno on the cover “I think you will find this book a refreshing change from “the usual books"about coach builders and their car “.
I think that is a dire insult to all the books that paved he way for any of us to understand what coach builders had to face from horse drawn era up into the 1970s. “usual books” !!?? how many books on specific coach builders have been written in the past 65 years ?  Long island’s own Hugo Pfau of Centerport was a pioneer in writing a book on coach builders and used the journals specific to coach builders in the era as reference that are in the NY Public Library in Manhattan. I was friends with many of the authors of books on coach builders : Fred Roe, Lawrence Dalton ( of England who I met at the R-R Club library in that country to do research with) John A. Conde, all had books that focused primarily on coach building efforts and examples. Nothing “usual” about them, we are all so fortunate that they got into print.

From 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler included in Matthew Kilkenny's new book "Detroit Steel Artists"

It was a great show with outstanding weather , and enough breeze to keep the sun tolerable. The best part for me beyond the cars was to see so many friends in person after the long period of time when we all had to cope with inactivity because of the Covid pandemic. Nice to meet face to face and exchange some words. Some people I have known my whole life - Ken Spillman in his 1932 Franklin sedan from Ridge ( he grew up here in Floral Park about a 5 minute walk from me ).
Also to see “Howard the K” and his Mustangs of the Day!
I was absolutely delighted to meet in person the daughter of a friend Roy Jaffe who was a stylist/designer at G.M. in the very early 1950s and we both were long time members of a Classic Car Club ( pre 1948 cars) . I had never met her before despite visiting Roy at his home and going for rides in his cars, seeing the amazing art work he did and spending hours talking to him about it ( all done by hand not computers and using an air brush etc) . I hope she reads this - Meredith you are as wonderful and noble as your father , have his same demeanor , intelligence and sincere interest in cars.

From Highlights from the Old Westbury Gardens Car Show

My father, who was a member of SAE (he was an aeronautical engineer whose car hauling trailer design in the early 1950’s was revolutionary - the Troyler), eventually had a Master Toolmaker working for him.  This gentleman had 2 hobbies - local (Scranton PA area history, and building scale model steam engines.  They worked, were really working art, though he only ran them on compressed air.  Apparently born in 1895, it wouldn’t surprise me if he’d worked on steam cars or locomotives.  I knew him in the early to mid 1970’s - he was an amazing craftsman, whose favorite tool was a lathe.  I remember him, using his favorite lathe, taking valves meant for a tractor engine, and cutting them down into the exact dimensions needed for a RR Springfield P1 (aluminum head) engine.

From Greg O's Garage: Joe Tracy and the Society of Automotive Engineers

Thanks for the insight David!  And Brian, I’ll try to get the name of the legal team the horse used just in case! 

Here’s an interesting comparison the Maxwell company used to justify the use of the automobile over the horse.  Check out the gas and oils costs for the auto.  Wonder what the comparison would look like now.

From Kleiner's Korner: Preparing the Horse for the Automobile (Part 2)