About
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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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Howard, I’m personally disappointed with what the City has done to the Motor Parkway ROW in Queens. Do they plan to leave any portion of the ORIGINAL pavement with the concrete extensions exposed ?, I doubt it. They can’t even get the name right. Among other errors, they still have Pope responsible for 12 toll lodges. For years I’ve been pointing out some of the errors they have made on the historical markers. When the City puts up an historical marker on that portion on the original Motor Parkway ROW between Francis Lewis Blvd. and Rte. 295…, somebody let me know, some of the original pavement is still there, just on the west side of 295.
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
Two more.
From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
Some more.
From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
JeRita - yes a beautiful place, now gone forever, except in your mind and in pictures.
Here are some of the ones I’ve taken before and during demolition. I have more pictures of the house in disrepair but better off remembering the mansion and track the way it once was.
From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
Lovely, thanks so much!
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
When I was a farrier apprentice in the 60’s I got to go to Hitchcock’s farm a few times and it was quite an experience for a young man. It was the most beautiful horse farm I had ever seen up to that time. I got to go back in the early 90’s when the track was gone but the barns were still there for lay ups. Thanks for the memories.
From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
Interesting research. Somewhere, someone must have pictures of the reconstruction project. Thanks for all of your efforts.
From Greg O's Garage and Kleiner's Korner look at Jericho Turnpike Then & Now
Of course we are looking at the classic photo of the beginning of the construction of Levittown New York.
We are looking east with the Wantagh Parkway and Newbridge Roads crisscrossing at the bottom, Hempstead Turnpike running up the right hand side, and the Motor Parkway snaking up the left hand side.
There are the pre-Levittown houses along Loring Road that ends on Sherwood road, possibly still under construction along with Wolcott, Birch, William, and James. Along what will be Schoolhouse the slabs for several homes can be seen. I can’t be sure if they end at Valley Road or Division Ave, which parallel there.
This section of Levittown was the first of several built. It was built only on the south side of the Motor Parkway, with a gap between the ROW and Orchid Road. Orchid ended at the curve south of the parkway, where homes were built on the ROW for the west side of Carnation. Homes were built in this gap later, as was the extension of Orchid to Newbridge.
Per Wikipedia, Levittown ground breaking was on July 1, 1947. As only the slabs of several houses are complete this must be shortly after that date.
The man pictures is none other than William Levitt who pioneered the entire plan for this town and several others. Wikipedia dates the photo as 1964.
Aside: I am writing this from my family home located in the dark area left side where the parkway curves south the Newbridge.
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
This is one of the classic photos of the area that would become Levittown. The photographer is over the East Meadow area looking east. The Motor Parkway crosses Wantagh Parkway from the bottom and continues east with the bend north and then back south before continuing east. The Vanderbilt Cup Races grandstand would have been just below the dark line that appears on the photo. That’s the Green Acre Homes development (1933) in the lower right adjacent to the WP/Hempstead Turnpike cloverleaf. The appearance of a completed Wantagh Parkway (1936) and the lack of any Levitt development would place this picture at between 1936 and 1947. I am going to guess 1946-1947 since it may be related to an aerial survey of the area for Levitt. Oh yes, the man in the picture is none other than William Levitt.
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
Beautiful!!!
From A Preview Look: Tucker 1044 on display one week before the opening of the Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia
Gee, it doesn’t sound like a Falcon.
From Video of the Week: Hear the Challenger III roar for the first time in over 30 years
Howard,
It looks GREAT!!! OK, now let’s have a race.
Rog
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
Great to see NYC recognizing the Motor Parkway. Howard - is the original historical marker still there? Unfortunately I would imagine the repaving caused some parts of the original Motor Parkway to be removed forever - such as the piece of roadway before going over Winchester Avenue that showed the roadway under the original paved roadway. I’m hoping Phase II will not damage the posts south of the ball fields shown below.
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
A key piece of my “Motor Parkway” of my youth. So looking forward to exploring it once again when my son Gram returns in a few weeks. He just graduated top of his class in Auto Restoration from Penn College and his childhood explorations of the Vanderbilt were key to fueling his early passion for all things related to automobiles.
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
How immensely rewarding to see so much of the LIMP preserved for posterity! May Nassau and Suffolk now follow suit, as Queens and NYC Parks & Recreation have done an outstanding job with their section of the roadway.
From Walking the "reconstructed" Motor Parkway from Springfield Boulevard to Winchester Boulevard in Queens
I have come across what I’m told is 1924 Cantrell bodied Dodge.
I’ve posted a couple photos. can anyone tell me ways to positively ID it?
I’ll be cleaning her up and selling her for the owner.
Where does one find values on these?
I sold a similar Ford Depot Hack for about $18,000 in similar condition.
These I think, would be a bit more rare than the Ford, but I could be wrong.
Help?
Thank you all very much in advance.
From From the Hugh Nutting Collection: Insight into the Woodies of Huntington's J.T. Cantrell and Company
I am unable to locate the grid map behind the Long Island business man’s right shoulder. None of it seems to exist today, not even partial. The map behind may have been a proposed map during early development strategies.
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
Such a great photo of the Hempstead plains just before the building of houses by Levitt & Sons. This picture was was taken May 27, 1947 and this is a view looking east. Newbridge rd and Wantagh parkway are in the foreground, and the Motor parkway is on the left side of the photo fading into the distance. Also, the island of trees are still visible top center. This photo is linked to the Vanderbilt Cup Races from April 19, 2012 posting. The businessman shown is o William Levitt who posed for this picture as he is holding an advertisement for Levittown, posted in the Saturday Evening Post, August 1954.
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
Pictured is William Jaird Levitt who was the founder of the Levittown development
for returning veterans to have housing for them and their new families..
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
The Foto is of the land on which Levittown would be built. The community was then called Island Trees. The photographer is looking east. It must have been taken around 1947, when the construction of Levittown was approved. The Wantagh Parkway, Old Westbury Road, and Newbridge Road can be seen at the bottom of the Foto. The Motor Parkway and Central Railroad are on the left, and Hempstead Turnpike is on the right.
It’s hard to see, but it looks like the grandstand for the Vanderbilt Cup Races on the north side of the Motor Parkway.
The businessman is William J. Levitt, who would transform the land seen in the aerial into America’s first suburb.
From Update: Mystery Foto #49 Solved: A 1947 Aerial of Levittown and William J. Levitt
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