Vanderbilt Cup Races

I notice in the vintage ad above that there was also a Roslyn Motors facility in Flushing, Queens. Does anyone have any information on where it was?. Was it a showroom? How long was it in operation?

From Updated 2/21/18: Mystery Foto #7 Solved: The Roslyn Motors Lincoln Dealership in 1926

Jan Hyde:

Great day at one of my favorite places!

From Update:Tucker 1044 Highlights from the Simeone Museum's Tucker Day

This is the Christie WC-3, also known as the WC-1906. It was built for the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup but was destroyed in the September time trials. The engine was a 100 bhp V4, not the straight 4 configuration of earlier Christies. Walter Christie, Louis Strang as riding mechanic, crashed and destroyed the car during the time trials when another car spun in front of them and Christie ran off the road, hitting a tree. The car could not be repaired in time for the 1906 race, so Christies quickly stripped and prepared a 50 bhp straight 4 touring car for the race. This car was underpowered for the event and finished way down, but it did finish. The car in the photo never ran in the Vanderbilt Cup race itself.

[i tried to send a response earlier but was suffering internet problems so not sure it transmitted]

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine

Hi Howard. I just finished rereading Julie Fenster’s detailed account of the 1908 “race of the century”. At the end of the book she does not mention that the Thomas was purchased by Austin Clark which I find interesting. She states that its “provenance is a little disjointed” following the sale of the car by the publisher of the “Buffalo Commercial” newspaper. The last picture that you posted is the condition of the car as I remember it at Clark’s museum, so he must have had the car restored to its appearance at the end of the race. I also had the opportunity some years ago of seeing the Protos in the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

From The Winning Thomas Flyer at the Long Island Automotive Museum

This is Walter Christie’s 1906 race car, which he developed through the year with the hope of winning the Vanderbilt Cup.  It was fast, equaling Barney Oldfield’s one mile American oval track record of 53 seconds. Unfortunately Walter crashed on September 15, while practicing for the Elimination Trial.  Walter then stripped down one of his touring cars for the race.  It had maybe half the horsepower of this racing engine, but he still qualified for the Vanderbilt Cup and finished 13th. His fastest lap was 33 minutes, compared to the leaders who turned 28 minute laps.  The fastest cars in the 1906 Vanderbilt Race had nearly 120hp. Due to the accident, Christie was racing with his production car of only 50hp.
Attached is a photo from the Henry Ford Collection, showing the car and engine from a very similar angle. Also attached is a photo of his wrecked race car, with the engine shown in your photo.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine

Looks like a front drive Christie.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine

Sam, just to let you know I was at the Simeone Museum event the other day, had with me of the print outs of what you want to see in a large envelope, thrust to Howard on way his out to the Demo event of the day, he quickly put it in bag, so I’m not sure if he got to see it? thrown out? He’s a very busy guy these days. As for scanning, have to learn quickly, maybe to you sbiii.com?
HEY HOWARD, SAM WANT TO SEE THOSE PRINT OUTS! Your groupie Mark
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Howard Kroplick

Mark, great to see you yesterday in Philly. Thanks for the information! John will scan and will post later in the week.

From Sad News: The buildings of the Long Island Automotive Museum are gone

Was that a blown head gasket shot?

Bruce, that’s a premonition of the Chrysler influence one-hundred years back to the future.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: High-Resolution Photos of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I always under the impression that George Schuster was the winning driver of the NY to Paris race in 1908.
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Howard Kroplick

Schuster and Roberts split the driving for the Thomas Flyer during the 1908 Race.

From The Winning Thomas Flyer at the Long Island Automotive Museum

Engine shown in photo is the 50 hp Christie. Car competed in the 1907 Vanderbilt Cup. Running in 5th place when Elimination Trials were called on 9th lap. Running in 13th when race was called 8th lap. Engine had V shaped placement of cylinders permitting larger diameter pistons to be divided into 2 banks of two cylinders for each side. This allowed a larger power bore.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine

Great Photos.
Was that a blown head gasket shot?

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: High-Resolution Photos of the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Thank you for reminding us of this interesting part of automotive history.

From The Winning Thomas Flyer at the Long Island Automotive Museum

That pink and white color combination may have attracted women to the ladies tee in the fifties sixties and seventies but the car certainly looks better in Waltz Blue. Are you sure that 1043 was not used as a Mary Kaye Cosmetics car?

From Mystery Foto #11 Solved: Tucker 1043 -The Most Expensive Tucker '48 Ever Purchased at Auction

Richard T: 
Thank you Howard. Great event.

From Update:Tucker 1044 Highlights from the Simeone Museum's Tucker Day

Roger R: Thank you Howard Kroplick, Rob Ida, John Jr, Mike Tucker & Sean Tucker, Mark Lieberman, and Fred Simeone for this experience I will never forget.

From Update:Tucker 1044 Highlights from the Simeone Museum's Tucker Day

It was a thoroughly fabulous day.  The talk was informative and enjoyable.  Despite all I’ve read in several books, I learned even more today.  We’ll have to do it again…..soon. 😉

From Update:Tucker 1044 Highlights from the Simeone Museum's Tucker Day

Mark - scan, baby, scan (please) - and post!  I’ll be happy to post the flyer(s) if you or HK don’t.  Sam, III

From Sad News: The buildings of the Long Island Automotive Museum are gone

That looks like the unique V-4 engine invented by John Walter Christie (1866-1944) and used on his unusual front-wheel (direct) drive Christie racer. Christie himself drove the racer in the 1905 and 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Races along with the 1906 American Elimination Trial. I believe George Robertson drove the racer in the 1905 American Elimination Trial.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine

I still have my LIAM flyer made up in 3-21-1952, map of all of Long Island with roads to go there, no Rt.495 LIE shown, Haha, and a copy of ANTIQUE CARS by Austie, and a flyer of Harrah’s Automobile Collection, 1/1977, ‘A gallery of more than 1,100 authentically restored or carefully preserved vehicles’ this National Automobile Museum also in Reno, just a puny 220 vehicles, oh what you’ve had
missed

From Sad News: The buildings of the Long Island Automotive Museum are gone

Christie’s racers were also V-4 engines as he had only so much room for inlines on a transverse mount, which would account for some uniqueness.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: A Unique 1906 Transverse V-4 Christie Front-Wheel Drive Engine