Vanderbilt Cup Races

I think one’s an Aston Martin of some kind based on the insignia on the back, the other an Alpha or something else Italian, possibly in Salisbury Park sometime after 1951 due to the ‘52 or ‘53 Ford wagon in the picture.

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

Re: mystery photo, The car is a 1953 Pagaso model Z102 built in Spain by Empresa Nacional De Autocamiones, a truck manufacturer. The car had a 4-0verhead camshaft V-8 engine and 5-speed gearbox. Photo is the parking area at the Bridgehampton sports car races in 1953 0r1954. The only other car I can Identify the the 1954 Ford station wagon.

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

The dark color car is a 1951-1956 Pegaso Z102/Z103? Berlinetta GT coupe by Touring

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

The dark color model is 1951-56 Pegaso Z-102, the light color is 1952 Pegaso Z-102 ‘Cupola’. Other informations is unknown to me?

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

Dunno about the garbage in front and behind but the true sports car is probably a 1936-39 vintage SS-1 (now Jaguar) tourer half hidden in between.  The one at left rear is a more modern classic, a ca.-1957-59 Mercedes 220S Cabriolet A.  HAH!  Might that lump in front be a Bertone body?  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

As some of you know, I attended the 19 June 1960 running of the so-called “Vanderbilt Cup Race” on the flat, twisting road course laid out in the infield and around the Roosevelt Raceway, a trotting track.  Jerry’s Dad’s Locomobile “Old 16” was there and the old car race was probably more exciting for me than the Cup race itself (no $5 bills in the mud, either).  When the Cup race was over, the security guards must have gone home and my buddy noticed that little oversight.  Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so we slipped out onto the track and started doing some very creditable laps in my XK-120M Jag until we were stopped and unceremoniously escorted back off the track.  And all that with a stock drophead, mind you, not even a roadster, let alone one in racing trim!  So, yes, Jerry, even though this clearly isn’t what you meant, I did see a VCR!  There’s even an unusual pic I took of Old 16 that day at <http://sbiii.com/automot1.html#old16>.  Sam, III

From Jerry Helck: Anyone Here Ever Seen A Vanderbilt Cup Race?

Theodore FRAYER was my father. Which of Lee’s children is your relative?  I enjoy and appreciate all your efforts with historical aspect of our family.

From Profile of Driver Lee Frayer by his Great-Great Grandson

After looking at close up,Must be road race at Bridgehampton?

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

I believe the cars are Pegasos.Made in Spain under order of Trujillo.Seems to be early 1950s.Looks like early(mid 60s) parking lot of NY Inst.of Tech.(Whitney estate?) in Old Westbury. haha.

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

Missed that.  Glad Fox 5 TV broadcast this segment!

From Roslyn Landmark Society in the News (Updated: 2/21/2019)

Absolutely wonderful to see all this restoration work evolve and become reality - it took many many decades to see the hopes and dreams that this would happen come about. Congratulations to all of those involved who made this dream come true, especially you Howard. The restoration pays so much respect to the memory of all the people that worked there at the grist mill when it was new, this is a monumental achievement.

From Roslyn Landmark Society in the News (Updated: 2/21/2019)

If you stop the 1936 race at 2:20 is that the Bob Swanson #51 OFFY? That it the one car that it at the very top of my Want to Find list. Just a few bits of it would justify a restoration. Bob

From Jerry Helck: Anyone Here Ever Seen A Vanderbilt Cup Race?

A crew of guys who enjoy what they do for a living. Must have been chummy with Willy K for them to be having a ball on his estate.Maybe they gave Willy K a quick lesson on surveying , I was always curious too.

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Surveyors of the Long Island Motor Parkway

Spanish Pegaso cars circa 1954. They were the re-boot of the Hispano-Suiza pre war cars. They have an over head cam super charged V8. Most of the Z-102 Pegasos were bodied by Touring in Italy. Following the death of their main racing driver at LeMans car production was stopped and the company built trucks and busses for about 20 more years. The Pegaso cars are well over $1M today. Looks like at Watkins Glen.

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

Both Pegaso?

From Mystery Foto #7 Solved: Two Pegaso Z-102s Parked at the 1953 Bridgehampton Races

This seemed to be commonly used pre-WW II.  I don’t have any for the Parkway, but have 2 from Lakehurst to identify/pay the landing crews handling the big rigids.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved: A Rare Long Island Motor Parkway Paycheck

I found the spot on Google Maps. There is a NYS historic marker on Stewart Avenue at the site of the east embankment. The Central Railroad would have been just to the south, and Dead Man’s Curve just to the east.

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Construction of the Jerusalem Road Motor Parkway Bridge

To answer some of John’s questions, the laborers were provided with sleeping accommodations paying 50 cents a week in dormitory like buildings that were built on skid like platforms and were moved as construction proceeded. They only went home, mostly to Brooklyn and Manhattan, on late Saturday by railroad looking forward to a very hot shower and heaping plates of pasta returning early Monday morning. Many of the laborers brought food back with them, mostly consisting of cheeses, sausage like meats, bread and fruit. You can imagine what the those dorms smelled like. Local farmers and teamsters, knowing the drill, would show up with work wagons and take them to and from the nearest railroad station.  Merchants would come out to this moving army also provided hot coffee, sandwiches etc. One could also buy clothing including work shoes. Merchants offering alcoholic beverages were not permitted on the job sites.  When in season nearby farmers would come around selling fruit, berries were especially popular. Regarding payroll records, most still exist at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved: A Rare Long Island Motor Parkway Paycheck

Imagine how important the paymaster’s job was. I’m sure the workers were paid in cash. Maybe the paymaster went to the Bank Of Mineola (just speculation it would be a local bank).  to make a payroll account withdrawal the morning of payday. Well in 1909 the only withholding would have been for worker related expenses if there where any ( company brought lunch to the site?).
Wouldn’t be great if somewhere a payroll accounting record still exists. That’s why history is a never ending revelation.
Howard,Al et. al. are all great. Love to meet you someday and just talk for hours.
John Ulrich
Just reading about these items is endlessly interesting,and each event raises more questions. For example, how did these workers get to the site? Maybe they rode he trolleys from their neighborhoods in Williamsburg or Ridgewood to Jamaica and then transferring to trolleys out to Mineola.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved: A Rare Long Island Motor Parkway Paycheck

Carlo’s 110 year old brass tag lost under dirt moisture will patina (turn light blue) at best, serving as a protective layer, but its alloy - zinc, copper, or tin will corrode under moisture and can weaken it to soft brass. Brass alone however does not rust.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved: A Rare Long Island Motor Parkway Paycheck