About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
All Content © 2026 VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Great Work! I knew there was something about the building that houses the travel agency, that makes it so vintage
From Then & Now: Krug's Corner in Mineola
Sorry Brian, not me! I’ll leave it to the owner to self-identify. Was seen on Levittown Parkway (not the Motor Parkway) on 5/13 or 5/14.
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
From Aldo Zana:
The mystery is quite simple.
Car: Auto Union Stromlinienwagen modified for the 1938 Rekordwoche (Week of the records).
Driver: Bernd Rosemeyer, winner of the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup
Date: January 28, 1938
Hour: 11.46 am, start of the Southbound run 3. Rosemeyer had only 90” left to live before the fatal crash at about 11.47’30”.
Site: Frankfurt-Darmstadt Reichsautobahn (Motorway), starting point close to the Frankfurt Airport.
Thank you for keeping me in the mailing list.
Enjoy the Sunday.
Aldo
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Art…. I can only guess that’s your car. Unless there’s someone else dedicated enough to pay extra for specific license plates$!
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
Howard you have to buy out that license plate. That thing belongs on your car! You must at least know this guy? I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t be an avid viewer / participant of your site. Someone fess up to this plate!
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
If there’s something to be found,you guys will find it,anyway you can,even getting outside help. That’s something with that car with that license plate,you can run into anything very unexpected,can’t you?
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
Howie. . . . . .looks like it was a great show overall. As an AMC guy myself, were there any cool old Ramblers at the show????
___________________________________________
Howard Kroplick
A couple!!
From Highlights from the AACA Greater NY Region 51st Annual Spring Meet at Old Westbury Gardens
The pictures labeled east of Wantagh Ave…..it’s really hard to tell, the pics are pretty bad but those are not road remnant pieces. That is a small piece of a wall that borders the LIPA path and the LIMP ROW. I believe this is a small piece/remnant of a wall piece similar to those built and still standing in Bethpage, New Hyde park, and Roslyn. This was a former bridge location as wel and the construction of this piece appears to be the same as those others. I’ll get back there to take better pics one day.
Does anyone have any info on this location?
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
Good coverage, guys! Dave….Like you, I bought myself a 2 ft shovel for the exact same reason. Less noticeable, but big enough for the job.
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
I think it’s time to call in Sherlock Holmes.
Rog
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: A Long Island Motor Parkway Footprint East of Jerusalem Avenue In Levittown
The Car-The Auto Union V16 Streamliner based on the 1937 Auto Union Type C. Which raced at Avusrennen…..the car sounds very similar in ideas to the Stutz BlackHawk of Frank Lockhart’s design which ended his life in 1928, or ‘29.
The Driver-Bernd Rosemeyer. Rosemeyer won the 1937 rendition of the Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway in an Auto Union, besting Richard Seaman in second and Caracciola whose Mercedes ended up 24th when it broke.
The day of the Foto-On the day of the head to head LSR match between Mercedes, driven by Caracciola, and his Auto Union he died in the attempt, January 28, 1938 at Frankfurt-Darmstadt Autobahn, Germany at 29 Years. His wife Elly gave birth to a son, Bernd Jr., just ten weeks before his father’s death.
The day between Caracciola and Rosemeyer…..interesting notation of
http://jalopnik.com/the-sleek-streamliners-that-broke-records-and-served-ev-1538151482
http://www.audi.com/corporate/en/company/history/models/auto-union-16-cylinder-streamliner-racing-car-typ-c-1937.html
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Photo is of a specially prepared Auto Union Grand Prix car with a fully streamlined body for speed record attempts on the German Autobahn. The driver is Bernd Rosemeyer. Rosemeyer had won the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island in the road racing version of this car. The photo was taken on Jan. 28, 1938. On that day Rosemeyer had set a class record of 268 mph. His next run that day ended when the car veered off the road at close to 270 mph and hit a bridge embankment, ejecting him from the car and killing him.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
My favorite footprint, now all but obliterated by exceedingly lush foliage, is in the northwest loop of Northern State Parkway and Lakeville Road (the W/B to S/B clover leaf) . No, I never did get around to digging there but I did document it visually: <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy1.html#marc-nsp> (last photo). New locator map at <http://sbiii.com/limpmaps/1930mp3x.jpg> and satellite locator photo at <http://sbiii.com/limpncpx/lkvlnost.jpg>. Go dig, some LIer! Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #22 Solved: A Long Island Motor Parkway Footprint East of Jerusalem Avenue In Levittown
Wow - total blank! Not even vaguely familiar. Oh, well; it’s an Auto Union, at any event (literally AND figuratively). Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Hi Howard,
I’m glad you got my message. The car was Orange !
I will have to look through thousands of pictures to find - but I will.
If I find one or some, I will most definitely forward them to you.
Enjoy the car.
Yours,
Stephen Tunick
_______________________________
Howard Kroplick
Wow! An orange Tucker!
From Video: Going for a Ride in Tucker 1044
This is the Auto Union (now Audi) streamliner that in Oct. 1937 broke through the 400km/h barrier on the motorway between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, Germany. It was driven by Bernd Rosemeyer. On Jan. 28, 1938 he reached 432km/h (268 mph) on a warm-up run. On the following record-breaking run, he was killed in a violent crash. I’m not sure if this photo is of his 1937 or 1938 runs.
His connection to the Vanderbilt Cup is that he won it on July 5, 1937 at Roosevelt Raceway.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Auto Union Streamliner Type C (1936-1937). Driver is Bernd Rosemeyer.
Rosemeyer won the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway.
Might this be Rosemeyers final attempt at regaining his speed record on the Autobahn (January 28, 1938). Unfortunately he crashed and did not survive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVK9F1yO2NY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWa9gvLygng
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Car and Driver:
Custom streamlined 1937 Auto Union 545hp V16 Type C designed by Robert Eberan-Eberhorst and driven by Bernd Rosemeyer
Link to VCR:
Bernd Rosemeyer won the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup race
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-2007-1205-501,_Bernd_Rosemeyer_mit_Vanderbilt_Cup.jpg
Date/Results:
Jan 28, 1938. He was attempting to beat arch rival Rudolf Caracciola’s of Mercedes’ 268mph record on a public road (a streatch of the German Autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt) set less than 2 hours before. During one of his runs, he lost control of the car. The car crashed into the center median then a bridge embankment on the opposite side of the road, while Rosemeyer was thrown from the car and perished on site.
Video of his lifetime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRwFV9hGXtY
At 2:20 into the video, you see almost the same image of the MFF as he gets underway.
Memorial markers: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Bernd-Rosemeyer-Denkmal-2.JPG
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Bernd-Rosemeyer-Denkmal-3.JPG
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
It’s a custom Auto Union on the Autobahn.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: Bernd Rosemeyer's Last Ride
Great coverage guys! Google Earth measured the footprint at Polaris Field to 21.4 feet wide. That’s close enough for me. The road is sleeping down there! I’m pleased it’s in a ball field that’s momentarily safe and sound. How to connect these remaining remnants to Nassau County’s ongoing preservation efforts, to finally tie together this historic right-of-way?
From Exploring and Uncovering the Motor Parkway in the Hempstead Plains (Levittown & Bethpage) Updated
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