Vanderbilt Cup Races

Beyond my wildest dream that besides those familiar steam and diesel train locos, ALCO made automobiles.  If not too distracting, that might make for a nice slideshow, bring in some train freaks which I suspect there are many in this crowd.

From Why the Alco was Assigned #19 for the First Indy 500 Race

Hi Al:

Thanks! You are the LIMP plate expert. With your permission, I will post the article on the website this month.

Howard

From Film- The First "E-Z" Passes- The Porcelain Plates of the Motor Parkway

Tom & Terrence:

Thanks for the comments. Hopefully one day we will have a place to safety run our cars on Long Island.

Enjoy,

Howard

From Video "The 1965 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Bridgehampton Race Circuit"

Mark:

Thanks for the neat tidbit!

Howard

From Why the Alco was Assigned #19 for the First Indy 500 Race

Hi Howard.

I can tell you the reason the Marmons were given #31 and #32 was because they requested it. It was part of a promotion of the Marmon 32 touring car. Marmon #32 driver Ray Harroun actually started 28th because six of the original 46 entrants either had mechanical problems or could not attain the required qualifying speed of 75 mph in the quarter mile. Four of those dropouts would have been assigned starting spots in front of Harroun, who ended up winning the race.

From Why the Alco was Assigned #19 for the First Indy 500 Race

Howard, Loved the toll plate piece, if visitors to your site want more info on the toll plates check out my article in the Spring 2000 issue of the Long Island Forum magazine.  It can be found in most Long Island libraries. Al

From Film- The First "E-Z" Passes- The Porcelain Plates of the Motor Parkway

It is a sad view to see a museum in such condition, as a car collector myself I’ll visit Long Island Automotive Museum and will see if it can be reopened so that it can bring back memories for people who once visited there with their loved ones.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Hi Howard.  Is there any film of the corner of Willis Ave and Jericho Tpke aka Krug’s corner?

From Film "The 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race"

Great clips Howard. It’s a shame that,the place is gone.I was ten when that race was run.I loved those Chaparalls.Had H.O.& match box versions of them.The now Eighteenth hole is the hole in the heart of many race fans.The sixties and early seventies were the greatest years of racing here.All lost to greed and overdevelopment.Where do we go from here?

From Video "The 1965 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Bridgehampton Race Circuit"

Thanks so much for the memories of Austin Clark and the Long Island Automotive Museum.

I have obtained films of the museum from Walter McCarthy and the Long Island Old Car Club. I hope to post them sometime this month.

Enjoy,

Howard

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Great vid clips. Would love to see more video clips from The Bridge. I can hear the sound on most of the clips would enjoy it more if the music was not overlayed into these clips. Its great to hear the sounds of the cars.

From Video "The 1965 Vanderbilt Cup Race at the Bridgehampton Race Circuit"

Fantastic clip!

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Film "The Bridgehampton Cup Race June 9, 1951"

Yes what a picture, great to see. And agree what is the tow car??

From The Racer on the Trailer at Bridgehampton in 1951

I remember well visiting the Long Island Automotive Museum with my father and a friend in the early 1950’s.  We drove in our 1952 Chevy all the way from Madison, NJ and my friend became car sick.  Fortunately we were near the water on Long Island, so my father was able to clean up the car’s back seat.  I remember the Thomas Flyer well and have seen it since, but not sure where it is now.  Yesterday I was at the Meadow Brook Concour’s in Auburn Hills Michigan and Austin Clark’s name was mentioned several times, which lead me to check the web to find out “whatever happened to”.

From What was the Long Island Automotive Museum?

Did you get the news photo of the Breese from 1915 that I sent earlier. Also perhaps the Kotchan offspring can solve the mystery of the early years of the Brynfan Tyddyn Special.

From Grand Prix Motors Mystery Solved!

Good to see someone has added this information. All I know comes from the book “The Great Savannah races of 1908, 1810, 1911,” apparently published privately by Julian K. Quattlebaum, M.D. (Senior—His son, same name and profession [who removed my appendix], raced sports cars on the Savannah-Effingham Motorway (later Savannah International Raceway and now Roebling Road) when we lived there in the 1960s and were active in the Savannah Region, Sports Car Club of America (now Buccaneer Region).

From Film: The Great Savannah Races (1908-1911)

Nice race Howard !

From Video "The Alco-6 Black Beast Racer at the Second Annual Vanderbilt Autocross"

From Jim Andrews:

Howard,
Thanks for a fun web site and blog. I will be back again. I just listened to your Alco, Old 16 and the Pope-Torpedo. I like the sound of Old 16 starting up the best. But I got to hear Old 16 and ride in it with Jerry Helck at Boston Corners. One of my favorite memories was taking Old 16 and Peter Helck’s big Benz-Mercedes to the car show at the Vanderbilt mansion in Hyde Park. It was raining and the rooster tail off the front wheels would go in your lap when you turned a corner. Old 16 stalled at a red light and as traffic backed up it was great to see David Helck as mechanic jump out, give it a quick crank and hear it take off with a wonderful resonant roar. I don’t remember who was driving, but it probably was not Jerry, his bad knee and Old 16’s clutch did not get along.

Jim Andrews

From Video "The Alco-6 Black Beast Racer at the Second Annual Vanderbilt Autocross"

We are thrilled to have Howard and this magnificent piece of Automotive and Long Island History at our “Great Neck Plaza Annual Autofest”, October 11th, 2009.  Looking forward to seeing up to 150 Antique and Classic Cars on display.  For further information, please call (516) 829-8374 and ask for “Maria”.
Jay Corn
Chairman, Autofest

From New York Times Wheels Blog "1909 Alco-6 Race Car Roars"

In the Seventies I ran a garage in Amenia,NY. One Saturday morning my brother Kevin and I saw Old 16 on the side of Rt 22. We stopped and found it had fouled a spark plug,we pulled the plugs cleaned them. We were thanked for our help and Old 16 took off headed south. We both are glad to have this memory of Old 16 Ed Mistler Jr.

From Old 16 Locomobile: The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner