Vanderbilt Cup Races

Sam III….Appreciate your re-collection about the “joyride” with Austie in the 5th Ave Coach ( an adventure you’ll never forget! ) When I was at the Half Hollow Hills library, they have copies of ” The Checkered Flag ” and ” Great Auto Races ” written by Peter Helck. Austie must have donated one of these books ( Inside cover is signed by him in 1973 ). A nice suprise to notice.

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."

Enjoyed the drive with Jay Leno in the Fiat !

From Update: Peter Helck's 1921 Benz-Mercedes "Rabbit-the-First" Now Owned by Jay Leno

The Lincoln dealer on south oyster bay road across from Grumman aircraft was command Lincoln mercury.They closed in the early 80’s.

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

*VCR inscribed on this Vanderbilia:  1904 race
*Location/Auto/Driver & Mechanician:  Looks to be quite a curve towards the LIRR. This curve matches the right turn crossing the LIRR, then proceeding east on Jericho Tpke. in Queens. But the DeDietrich #2, driven by Fernand Gabriel & D. Miollans; broke down in Hicksville; probably in vicinity of the LIRR ( broken pump & frozen carburetor in lap 7. They finished in 8th place ). The inscription on the Vanderbilia states Hicksville. So my answer is Hicksville.

*Artist: Ernest Montaut, Born 11/7/1878 - Died 8/9/1909. His wife Marguerite was also an artist. Mr. Montaut was known to use a lithograph stone process for his artwork.

*Possible purpose for this Vanderbilia:  This looks to be a metal novelty box. Metal is also used for lithography. The artwork is obviously “stenciled” on the top/lid of the box. Perhaps Marguerite had this novelty box made in memory of her late husband, who passed at such an early age.

*Manufacturer of this Vanderbilia and when:  Don’t know who and when this was made. Sometime after 1909?

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

That Austie/LIAM duster brings back great memories but Austie’s trademark was his godawful checkered jacket which I memorialize, along with the LIAM Jeep truck, in
<http://sbiii.com/autopix/duesbrg2.jpg> at <http://sbiii.com/automot2.html#clasicar>.  Sam, III

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."

The AACA Truck Seminar back in the 1970’s-80’s was always a highlight of the event. Austin pulled a few cars out of Ridgefield in the early years, the ALCO that is now in the Nethercutt Collection being one of them.

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."

I lived onlytwo miles from Austie but quite literally across the tracks.  Even though we weren’t, he always treated me like an old friend.  My favorite Austie adventure was when he took me for a wild ride in the open-top Fifth Avenue Coach with me in the top front right seat and he steered us too close to live power lines in downtown Southampton - terrifying. but the road was so heavily crowned that the greater danger was as the bus tipped madly over; he got us out of that fiasco safely and roared with laughter afterward.  We tipped a few into the wee hours on occasion and, for all his Cuban tobacco wealth, he was always a genial all-around good guy.  I still miss him.  Sam, III

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."

A sister car to this one lived here in Ridgefield until it was found by James Melton in 1943. I think it is now in a collection in Utah. Bob

From Video: The Renault Vanderbilt Racer at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

1904 VCR.  Gabriel.  The Master Nitpicker strikes again!  I can’t read most of the inscription (en français) but the loco is NOT an LIRR loco and the proper name of the LIRR is Long Island Rail Road (RR as two words).  Seems reasonable to assume the art work was based on a Peter Helck original.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

The image is an artistic representation of Fernand Gabriel driving the #2 DeDietrich racer in the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race as he crosses the LIRR tracks in Hicksville, just ahead of the speeding locomotive. The artist was Ernest Montaut (1878-1909), who mainly created French posters. Although no lithograph expert, I think the item In question may have been the engraving from which succeeding prints were made by pouring some molten material (wax, paraffin, rubber, lead?), onto it, allowing it to harden and then using that new impression to “stamp” out new prints.

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Sorry, I stand to be corrected! The BMW promotional short is called “beat the devil” not race with Lucifer! Another short from that series with “Madonna” is called “the hire”

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Don’t know all the answers but this image could be depicting a close call during the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Hicksville, NY. If true, this location is where the RR tracks cross South Broadway/Rt. 107 today (Massapequa Road). The left curve in the road however contradicts my guess. It should be a right curve.

The first train/auto accident ever recorded in the U.S. occurred in Westbury, NY on Oct 1910, where the RR tracks cross Post Ave. French race car driver Henri Fournier and three passengers, collided with a train that ejected everyone out of the vehicle. All occupants survived the wreck.

Original image is not a Peter Helck illustration. The style is different

Possible 80hp De Dietrich with Fernand Gabriel behind the wheel, and mechanician D. Miollans

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/then_now_the_1904_vanderbilt_cup_race_course_through_hicksville

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_39_a_historic_accident_in_westbury

Looking forward to this week’s answers

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

I thought it was the building in Great Neck, too.

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

Which Vanderbilt Cup Race was depicted on the cover?
1904 VCR

Identify the location and the race car and driver?
Hicksville; #2 De Dietrich driven by Fernand Gabriel

Which artist was originally responsible for the artwork?
Looks like the name is E Montaat

What was the possible purpose of this Vanderbilia?
Who manufactured this Vanderbilia and when? (Currently unknown)
Unknown, but looking forward to the answers!

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Which Vanderbilt Cup Race was depicted on the cover?  1904

Identify the location and the race car and driver? Hicksville, Fernand Gabriel in a DeDricht

Which artist was originally responsible for the artwork? Ernest Montaut

What was the possible purpose of this Vanderbilia?  To encase the prints contained in the series “10 Years of Race, the Winners 1897 - 1907”.

Who manufactured this Vanderbilia and when? (Currently unknown)
Not sure but photo sent to Howard is of a silvered metal inkstand depicting the work of Ernest Montaut for Michelin tires indicating 34 ceramic tiles.  A long snot, but what’s to lose.

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Penny H.

I had the honor and distinct privilege of riding with Kirk Gibson in the Renault when the family owned it. It is a wonderful piece of automotive history especially with its connection to Vanderbilt. Great to see the museum driving it so folks can see and hear the car in motion. Bravo!

From Video: The Renault Vanderbilt Racer at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Mystery Foto #8… This case depicts the 1904 Vanderbilt cup Race. The location appears to be the railroad crossing at Massapequa Road, Hicksville. The car was a Lorraine-Dietrich (or De Dietrich) driven by Fernand Gabriel (mecanician, D. Miollans). The original art was by E. Montaut. My guess as to the possible purpose of this box is it held prize money for the winner. Can’t find any info on who manufactured this Vanderbilia.

From Mystery Foto #8 Partially Solved:A Humidor Vanderbilia from the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

Nice to see it in action!

Ken

From Video: The Renault Vanderbilt Racer at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum

HAC’s stories and comments appeared regularly in Old Cars Weekly back in the 70’s and 80’s and were tremendously enjoyable. One could not help but developed a fondness for this fun loving person. Thanks for keeping his memory alive!

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."

I used to attend the annual AACA meeting with Austin, we would drive to Philadelphia and back in his Mark III Lincoln (which was a new car at the time not a collectible it now is)  . He and George Norton ( a former AACA President) would host the truck seminar and I got involved when Austin asked me to run the slide projector for him and George . It was standing room only at those seminars as Austin and George had a wicked sense of humor and were on full force at the seminars, which on occasion could get a bit risque image wise as Austin liked the female form as much as he liked the look of early trucks! AACA annual meetings were always a highlight of the year and apparently still are Howard with the talk you gave.
Walt G.

From Highlights from the AACA Annual Meeting Presentation "A Tribute to Henry Austin Clark. Jr."