Vanderbilt Cup Races

Frank, Are photos of bridges #2 & #3 taken by Dick Makse the same bridge ?  On the right side of the photos note the difference in the top most embankment stones against the bridge. Also, in photo #3 the top of embankment wall is at the same height as the top of the bridge, doesn’t appear that way in photo #2.

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

I happened to be passing the CRR bridge yesterday and it is still clearly visible from the Meadowbrook Parkway. When heading north, either on the main road, or the feeder lane starting just past 24 (closer), or entering the parkway north from Stewart Ave (closest) you can plainly see the bridge since the vegetation dies off in winter. Tried to get a pic but at 60 MPH you get one chance…

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

Maybe when our world is back to normal and we are able to once again have the great meetings of the L.I. Motor Parkway Society at the library, I should put together a program on coach building ? I would be happy to.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Al, yes the Great Depression took a while to sink in before businesses of all types started to disappear. A new Plymouth in 1931 was $635 just the body from Derham in Pa. for a 2 door victoria was $3,500 !! That 3.500 would have paid for a very nice new house, a full course meal was $1 to $2 maybe.
Most car businesses didn’t feel the affect or the coach builders as well until a few years in, all thought recovery was on the way. by the end of 1931 the gloom of reality had set in . Pierce Arrow was gone by 1938, Franklin by 1934, Hupmobile, Graham , Auburn, Cord etc. so the coach builders some of who had been around since carriage building days disappeared too. Brewster Co.in long island city was auctioned in 1937. Derham survived because they took on a Chrysler franchise and sold those while still having people order a custom body - many of the bodies were modified factory sedans. Still custom but a lot less $ then a totally scratch built frame up car. General Motors survived because they sold a lot of Chevrolets! not Cadillacs; Ford survived because they sold Fords, not Lincolns.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Walt, Thanks for your detailed and very informative post on how the industry operated. Was the Great Depression the primary reason for the downfall of the coach builder era ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Right, our 733 had the ‘standard’ 8, the 243, what later became the Super 8.  Most people today have no idea of what the Super 8 motel chain is named and logoed from.  I can say that the sound of that large engine, built 1926, is sweet!  And while the car is a handful to drive, I do enjoy it, though health problems the last several years have gotten in the way.  Hopefully this summer that will change.

In regards to ‘coach’ makers, I have an affinity towards Brewster.  My dad had 2 Springfield RR’s, 1928 with limo body.  I remember how amazingly comfortable the main seat in the back was.  Also remember how nice it was running that engine.  The other was a 29, this one aluminum head engine, Riviera Town Car.  Beautiful car but some previous owner had run it into the ground.  Supposedly once owned by the founder of Time.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Hey Al
Most automobile manufacturers from day one pre 1900 had a sales catalog that showed body styles they had on offer - these determined by what was currently popular but not all car manufacturers ( of chassis engine etc) had their own body dept to make the bodies for the cars. Often groups of bodies were contracted out to reputable body companies who supplied the bodies ” in the white” - that meant the bodies were totally finished except for paint , the “in the white” referred to the gray primer paint on the body, bodies then delivered by rail to the car companies and painted at the factory. This was mostly for “independent” car companies like Packard, Pierce Arrow, Franklin etc. Ford had its own dept to do this and Chrysler eventually bought the Budd Body Co. who had been supplying a lot of their normal sedans, coupes etc. There were usually a run of coach built bodies - maybe made 5 to 10 at a time - LeBaron touring cars/phaetons, Brunn convertible victorias, Murphy roadsters etc. To make one individual body on special order would cost more then a new house in a good neighborhood in the pre WWII era.  Coach builders would do a “one of” but made more $ on a run of a half dozen particular style bodies at one time. As they could cut all the wood, shape the alloy panels, order the window mechanisms, cast the windshield frames in group lots.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Walt, Early on, did the automobile manufacturer also offer a body of their of own, or was that a separate industry and the dealer would offer several choices to purchasers.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Yes, that is my car. I bought it in 2016. The car was restored in the early 1970s took and AACA 1st place award and then resided in two collections in heated storage and not used ! as it was to “perfect” - I do not like awards and think cars are best viewed when in motion. the 1931 Franklin I had for decades I drove nearly 50,000 miles ( day and night, sun and rain , but not snow)  The standard eight engine is a bit smaller then the super eight engine but the terms standard and super didn’t come into use for a few years; are mostly used by car collectors. Many of the body panels on the standard 8 and super 8 are the same, wheelbase was different as well, wheels,hardware, etc all the same.  There is an excellent upholsterer in Ridgefield, Ct. who could make you the side curtains I have seen his shop and his work and he is the one I would go to if I need any. Hope you have the irons to fit in the doors to accept the side curtains - quite a chore to get them on and off the car.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Thanks.  Assuming that the last photo is of your 733 (my dad had a 733 coupe with rumble seat, the smaller 8), you’ve got a very nice car!  As to mine, have the side curtains (or what’s left of them) on a shelf.  Hope to have the spare cash to have them redone eventually.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Note the 7 passenger Packard touring cars all had the oval loop style door handles on the outside. This was a hold over from the days of horse drawn carriages. Some town cars had the loop door handles as well. The readers here are getting a lesson on pre WWII era coach builders/body styles nomenclature.
Sorry to run on but my specialty as an author is about coach builders and car bodies.
I am in the middle of writing about the history of the Utica, N.Y. coach builder Willoughby and Co. for Crankshaft magazine issue #4. I have the Willoughby company photo albums in my archives.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

A phaeton is usually 5 passenger , some with an extra cowl across the back doors that is hinged to the rear of the front seat. A toru9ng car was the name for all open 4 door cars with side curtains until the phaeton name got popular about 1928, then the touring was pretty much regulated to the 7 passenger open body style. My Packard is a 733 7 passenger touring car.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Thanks!

I don’t recall hearing ‘toy’ before.  But I’m used to touring cars and phaetons (I don’t know a definition, but in my experience phaeton’s tend to be more elaborate than touring cars, with some having a 2nd windshield for passengers).  FYI, my Packard 243 is a 7 passenger Touring car.

Anyone know when full size windshields became common?

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

I am under the impression the Meadow Brook (Golf) Club offered pro-bono memberships to officers at Mitchel.  Aside from being the right thing to do for our servicemen, there was no shortage of competition with other courses in the area, not the least of which were the Links at Salisbury, literally across the street on the other side of Merrick Ave. with four courses alone!  The prestige of having high ranking officers on their rolls would have been motivation enough.

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

Lee, Some bits of trivia that might help. The Meadow Brook Club was established circa 1880, well before the advent of the automobile. So, I’m guessing the members for the first 20 years or so came out to the Club mostly on the CRR which was already there.  Stewart Ave was built around 1905-1907, prior to that the earlier automobilists came out by Hempstead Tpke. and or Old Country Rd., no ? The big change at the club came in 1917 when they acquired the property on the east side on the club fronting on Merrick Ave. on which a new 18 hole golf course was built replacing the 9 hole course built in 1894. I got a hunch a lot of dirt,  buildings, etc. was moved around at that time So far, unable to find anything on when the entrance roadway from Merrick Ave. was built or anything on bridges.

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

The word “toy” used to describe the body was a term used in that era for a particular type of coachwork. Same as phaeton was used for a touring car later. (especially in the 1920s/30s.) Capacity and level of the style of the door line had a lot to do with it. Toy tonneau had a lower door line level, held only 4 people comfortably - other open 4 door touring cars would seat 5 ( 3 people in rear seat two up front) or 7 people ( 2 extra seats provided that folded down and were located behind the front seat, most of the times attached to it) .  A long article could be written about the nomenclature of motor car body styling over the decades . Articles in the era were written to make the readers clear of what was what and some terms were a carry over from the horse drawn coachwork to describe similar car bodies that had seen their origin on a horseless carriage.

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

Interesting 1903 timeline.  Presumably that bridge predates the extant trestle.  Do we know when the existing bridge/over/underpass was constructed?  I’ve never seen a cornerstone in any of the photos of it.  What became of the earlier bridge, only Alexander Stewart knows for sure.  And he’s not talking!

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow

Why ‘toy’?

From Mystery Friday Foto #6 Solved: Henry Austin Clark, Jr. visiting Lynhurst in Tarrytown in his 1912 Simplex Toy Tonneau in1970

This isn’t surprising. If you look at the prices of Classic and Muscle Cars at the Mecum and Barrett-Jackson auction lately they are insane! These plates are very rare and it appears that multiple buyers (probably including you Howard) wanted it. The value is just what someone is willing to pay.

From 1933 Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate sells for a record $4,434 on Ebay

Lee, The entire area on the east side of the Meadow Brook creek between Stewart Ave. and Hempstead Tpke. for the longest time was subject to “ponding” from the overflow of the creek. An article in the Feb. 7, 1870 issue of the B.D.E. states “on the west bank the ground is some 15 feet above the bed of the creek” Regarding your mention of a previous bridge….  an article in the Apr. 23, 1903 mentions “a bridge that spans the creek” Did the CRR build it ? What happened to it ?

From Mystery Friday Foto #5 Solved: A 1930's view of the Motor Parkway area around Merrick Avenue in Westbury and East Meadow