Vanderbilt Cup Races

in the 60’s i took my bike on the old motor parkway from lakeville road cutting through great neck HS and continued east.  i followed the lilco power lines that wen through peolpe’s back yards,som put blocking cyclone fences with gates that i either had to lift my bike to get through or open the gate as lilco raeally did not allow such blockings.  i ended up in the golf course and rode home after hitting hillside ave. your pictures brought back a great memory as i could never do that today on a regular bike (folding electric bike maybe), plus a lot of the road don’t exist between lakeville rd and williston park or could it be done again?

From Motor Parkway Pavement Rediscovered in Albertson/Williston Park -Updated June 27, 2017

I remember growing up in glen oaks villagein the 60’s, that there was a cement bridge support on the east side of Commonwealth Blvd that had a date of 1923. It was located where the queens children hospital driveway is now.At Little neck Parkway there was an underpass of the motor parkway remnant in the early 1960’s.I used to pass it when walking to the PS186 school.Great memories.

From The Expansion of Union Turnpike and the Relocation of the Motor Parkway East of Winchester Boulevard

From Steve Tremulis:
I’m pretty sure this is car #1046 taken on March 24, 1956 at Sebring. This is the car that was reportedly driven by Alfonso de Portago down the backstretch and timed at 131.8 miles per hour. Nick Jenin also confirmed the reports several years later. It’s also the car that eventually got the partial chassis swap for an Olds V8 in the front.

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

From Mark Lieberman:

The car is #1046
The picture was taken at Sebring in 1956.
The car is the Tucker ‘48 not the Torpedo.

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

Tucker Torpedo (only 50 made). The photo was taken in Florida, there is more than one FL plate parked in the lot. Appears to be around the ‘50s but the photo quality is too good. This may be a more recent auto show.

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

This photo of the Tucker was taken in 1956 in Florida. Might be at Sebring. It has the F oval plate indicating it could be owned by a French National maybe from Palm Beach.

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

Ah….I see one is a trick question. 

“The car is called the “Tucker ’48” (for its model year). It was only called the “Tucker Torpedo” as it was being designed and promoted. Therefore no Tucker Torpedos were ever built.”

I’m looking through the gallery and I don’t see a tutone.  So I’ll stick with my last chassis #.

http://tuckerclub.org/tucker-gallery/

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

I got not much more than this photo of Tucker #1043.

http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Tucker_48_-_1043

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

Looks like a 1958 Florida license plate so let’s assume 1958 and Florida as date and place. The plate number begins with “10” which at the time indicates Broward County where Ft. Lauderdale is. The owner of the Ft. Lauderdale Fairgrounds was a Nick Jenin who also owned 10 Tuckers and other Tucker parts and pieces in the 1950’s. Although “Tucker Torpedo” is on the rear bumper, that reference was only for early design and promotional use and not production so I’m thinking that Jenin built a Tucker from parts and painted it to suit his own preference. Chassis number may be unknown. Mostly all guesswork but that’s all I’ve got. As to the badges - no clue.

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

From Hugh Nutting:

Hi Howard.  I am not sure if more than one of these was built. Somewhere I have a magazine article of one that was in Texas in the 1960s. The body framing and jigs were used to build one for a 1935 Packard chassis for Alan Ladd. It was not finished until the spring of 36 and had 36 bumpers. When I was at Art Center School in 1961 a student friend found it and cut a deal with the owner to get ½ interest in it. We got it to run and took it to a Packard Club picnic. I saw it advertised in Hemmings a few years later as a restoration project.  Hugh

From Six More Amazing Automobiles at the Swigart Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, PA Updated

Re the Verrill Wolf wagon. I knew Tom Verrill. He lived here on long island and was an engineer at Republic Aviation. He rented a room in Farmingdale at the home of Curt and Ann Purdy (who were Cadillac owners of cars in the late 1930s) . All of those mentioned as well as myself were members of the Vanderbilt Cup Region AACA. I used to see and talk to Tom at the monthly meetings. He always had a cigar in his mouth, was a really nice guy and was very tall and thin. He also had a great passion for unrestored original Cadillac cars of the 1928-29 era and had a great 1929 club sedan with side mounted spare tires as well as a totally original 1929 convertible coupe. I found an original color sales catalog for him for the cars he owned. That original convertible eventually became part of the collection of Ed and Paul Memi of Brooklyn who were also good friends. Tom didn’t talk much about the Wolf Wagon - not sure if he still owned it when he belonged to the Vanderbilt Cup Region when we were active in that club in the late 1960s early 1970s.

From Six More Amazing Automobiles at the Swigart Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, PA Updated

Howard:

Thanks for posting this! I have wondered for some time where the Deusie Gentleman’s Speedster was hanging out. Definitely worth a visit to see that!

Best,
=rds

From Six More Amazing Automobiles at the Swigart Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, PA Updated

i remember in the 60’s going on it with my bicycle starting on lakeville road, cutting through great neck high I ended up riding on the old motor parkway that LILCO put their power lines on.  It ran through people’s backyards (occasionally people blocked it with cyclone fences with gates forcing me to lift the bike over the fences or open gates)and eventually i ended up at the golf course .  i remember the road ended at Hillside Ave.

From Renovations to the Wheatley Hills Golf Club Uncover the Motor Parkway in East Williston

i first saw a yellow duescy at the Plattsdeutch Resturant in Elmont NY about 10 years ago at one of their car shows held on their property.  i remember the elderly owner telling me about the auto lubrication system. i did not realize nor was told about the double-overhead cam motor with 4 valves per cylinder. I just was amazed at the huge size of the straight eight! very advanced for it’s time.

From Six More Amazing Automobiles at the Swigart Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, PA Updated

This is a Tucker Torpedo. I dont know the difference between regular Tucker and the Torpedo The location is in Florida, based on same plates parked in same lot. 1950s. A two tone Tucker…..Hmmm. Could be an attempt to next generation Tuckers? Waiting to find out….

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

Last Sunday the Troopers were out at OBI writing ticket after ticket for missing front plates, etc.  There were a few problems in the past weeks with burnouts, speeding and some joker charging admission.  Let’s all behave like gentlemen and preserve this great Sunday daybreak tradition.

From 2019 Long Island Cruises (Updated: July 26, 2019)

Tucker #1046.
March 1956, Sebring, Fla.
Tucker ‘48 Sedan… The “Torpedo” name was added by the owner at the time, Nick Jenin of Ft. Lauderdale. The car is now fully restored and resides here in CA.
The “F” badge is Florida, but no idea on the others.. possibly car club emblems or travel related (Jenin owned a resort hotel in Ft. Lauderdale and also ran the Blue Island, Illinois Raceway with his brother at one time).

From Mystery Foto #26 Solved: The Two-Tone Tucker 1046 in 1956 at Sebring, Florida

Wow that’s cool. Unheard of that a private golf club like this would honor history like this. The club deserves credit for this.

From Renovations to the Wheatley Hills Golf Club Uncover the Motor Parkway in East Williston

Excellent post. Someone told me about this location after the post detailing the LIMP remnants east of Roslyn Rd. This location was on the list (very small list) of remaining spots to investigate in hopes of uncovering more LIMP locations.

Is the club going to pave over this? Or leave it as is?
___________________________________________________

Howard Kroplick

Dave, the club is leaving this area as is and will honor the Motor Parkway with a new historic marker.

From Renovations to the Wheatley Hills Golf Club Uncover the Motor Parkway in East Williston

Fantastic photos!
It’s as close as you can get.

From Mystery Foto #25 Solved: The Westbury Road Motor Parkway Bridge in East Meadow in 1908 Updated: 6/29