Vanderbilt Cup Races

I knew I had something on this one and I stuck to it and finally was right. I should do this good with every mystery. Ya Art,wouldn’t it be great if Howard had it? Ha Howard are you thinking about it?

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

From Ariejan Bos:

The racer is the 1905 Premier developed for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup trials. Premier’s racing involvement started in 1904, when Carl Fisher drove his Premier Comet with varying success at different tracks. In 1905 Fisher commissioned a new racing car to participate in the Vanderbilt eliminating trials. Geo E. Weidely of the Premier company designed a car with a 4 cylinder air-cooled engine with overhead inlet- and outlet-valves actuated by a single overhead camshaft. In fact except for the valve operation it was identical to the engine used in their pleasure cars, but increased in size to reach the desired 100hp output. The car is described in full detail in The Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal of October 1905. All efforts however were in vain, because despite some promising test runs the car appeared to be too heavy, even after extensive drilling of the chassis and after a change of the final drive from bevel gear drive to chain drive. This was done not earlier than 10 days before the actual race, evidenced by a Premier advertisement in The Motor Way of October 1905.

What happened to the car next is unclear, though several photos of Barney Oldfield in this Premier exist: two of these would have been taken in Chicago, 1906, the other clearly was taken in Indianapolis and must be of a much later date (see below). From 1904 till and with 1907 he always raced his famous Peerless Green Dragon and I can’t find any proof that he did actually race this Premier. 

Some Google research turned up Mr. Saliers as a racing driver. In 1903 he drove an Oldsmobile in the first car race of Houston, Texas. (http://www.motortexas.com/doc.aspx?id=the-first-automobile-race-in-houston.1271) He didn’t own that Oldsmobile, so if he owned the Premier seems doubtful. Certainly he must have had the intention of racing the Premier, but I couldn’t find his name anywhere in the official racing annals. It seems however to make sense, that his photo was taken after the 1906 Oldfield photos.

The Indianapolis photo with Oldfield was apparently taken during the 1916 Indianapolis 500 Mile race, the last one during World War 1. In this race a team of 3 Premiers competed, of which the tail of one can be seen on the right side of the photo (compare with the 1916 Premier photo from the blog of The Old Motor). Also the letters PR(EMIER) can be seen painted on the wooden fence behind the cars. Did Oldfield, the Premier factory or Carl Fisher own the car at that moment? Oldfield didn’t have a relation with Premier at the time, he himself drove a Delage during the race, so it seems to be more a moment of nostalgia. Or had it something to do with the fact that he had planned to retire from racing after the Indy race? Also another photo turned up, apparently at the same event. Is this Carl Fisher at the wheel?

The car is now on display in the Indianapolis Hall of Fame Museum, where it is kept in the condition as seen on the photo with Oldfield at Indianapolis.

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

Identify the race car and its manufacturer
1903 Premier racing car- Premier Automobile Co, of Indianapolis
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/index.php/blog/article/saturday_may_30_2009_the_premier_vanderbilt_cup_race_that_never_raced

How was this race car connected to the Vanderbilt Cup Races?
The Premier had been built specifically with the intention of challenging Europe’s finest racers in the first (1904) Vanderbilt Cup

What was the earliest month and year that this photo was taken? Provide a rationale.
According to this website; “the plaque describing the car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum is in error. The car was not constructed in 1903 - there was no Vanderbilt Cup in 1903. It was constructed probably in early 1905 in anticipation of that year’s [1905] race.”
http://www.firstsuperspeedway.com/photo-gallery/carl-fishers-vanderbilt-cup-premier

Where is this race car today?
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum

Bonus: The back of the photo reads “AJ Saliers, Houston, Texas”. Provide any information of AJ Saliers and why he was sitting in the race car.
Good question! Still looking…

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

I’m out on this one!
Didn’t have the time to look into it for too long, but it looks like all I could quickly find was A. J. Saliers was a driver for G. W. Hawkins driving an Oldmobile during the first auto races in Houston on Tuesday, November 24, 1903.  He hit a dog and ran off the road into a curb. The Olds suffered a bent axle and was out of the race.
I don’t think this mystery photo is that Olds, nor could I say if it is related those races either.

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

Not too much from on this one besides A. J. Saliers. 

A. J. Saliers was the driver of an Oldsmobile at what was listed as one of the first auto races in Texas, held in Houston on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 1903.  The race was five miles for “Light Machines, Stripped”.  Organizers included G. W. Hawkins, M. J. Lossing and S. H. Hart. 

Unfortunately (for a dog and for Saliers) the car ran over a dog in the the first lap, bent an axle and left the race. 

Might this be a photo of Saliers in the Oldsmobile which as mentioned above and noted in Kleiner’s Korner documenation needed to be stripped of engine covers and fenders and thus the date would be Nov., 1903? 

And knowing Howard, might it be in his Roslyn garage or somewhere in route there?

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

The brochure gives a sense of the man-and his devotion to the hobby and how the hobby had evolved.  Thanks to Mr Hammond and to Mr. K for sharing. One wonders if the museum Henry Austin Clark Jr. founded can be resurrected; Those of us having visited Gilmore or Auburn Indiana or the AACA museum know there is a market.

Subsidized a bit by the town or the county with revolving exhibits from many top collectors on L.I. the old museum could become a must see on the vineyard tour circuit.

From Henry Austin Clark, Jr: "Why Save Old Cars?"

Howard, is the location of the old museum south of sunrise highway at the intersection where patio.com is (just before the left turn continuing onto 27 before the duckwalk vineyard and the diner on the right), and can anyone visit the ruins ? Mike

From Henry Austin Clark, Jr: "Why Save Old Cars?"

All that I could find was that AJ Saliers was a driver for G.W Hawkins,a leader of the racing event committee,driving an Olds(stopped down) on Nov.24 1903 a 5 mile race,the first big race in Houston and he hit a bird dog ,ran off the road,bent an axle,was out.If nothing else I gave a little something more about Saliers.I know that the Olds isn’t the car,I think it’s a horseless carriage By stripped down,means no fenders or engine cover,to cut down on the weight

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

We save old cars because we like them, we care about their history, and our history, because they have character that few modern cars have.

A side note; right now the SS United States, flagship of this country, is tied up in Philly, decades after being pulled from service.  In some weeks it may be sold by the conservancy that owns it, for scrap, unless they can raise enough money to keep the great ship afloat until plans to put the ship into museum and hotel service get underway.  So why preserve this ship?  The Big U is the fastest liner ever built, still holding the trans Atlantic record.  It was built both as a super safe liner and troop ship, carried many dignitaries including a few presidents, and was far better built and designed then any of today’s floating hotel barges that roll around in a breeze and hopefully don’t break down and go adrift in the Gulf Of Mexico.  This great ship is part of our nations history and needs to be saved.

From Henry Austin Clark, Jr: "Why Save Old Cars?"

Carl Fisher’s commissioned (1903-1905?) year is debatable, Premier Racer for the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race but exceeded the weight limit for the race. Built by Premier Motor Car Company. air cooled, 900 cu.in., 2320 lbs.  on display at Indianapolis International Motorspeedway Hall of Fame. Looks like AJ Saliers drove a Oldsmobile Hawkins in the first ever auto race in Houston, TX. in 1903, but ran over a bird dog which put him out of the race, not quite sure if this is the race that he ended up sitting in the Premier Racer?

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

Two questions:
1) What happen to the side view mirrors?
2) Why move front license plate from passenger side to driver’s side?
Thanks, I still love the car.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Then & Now: Pre-& Post-Restoration

Kindly put my name down to purchase one of the first books certain to be publish regarding one of the finest custom/coach built bodies, the Chrysler’s Chrysler.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Then & Now: Pre-& Post-Restoration

I might be able to work on this one and come up with something,I’ve got some ideas on this one

From Mystery Foto #41 Solved: The 1905 Premier Racer That Was Not Allowed to Run in the American Trial

I’m still stumped. These bridges are east of Deer Park Ave and in an earlier post it says: “The Motor Parkway Bridge over Deer Park Avenue was the most easterly bridge built in Suffolk County.” Were they ever built?
Here is the post:
<http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_friday_foto_21_can_you_identify_this_long_island_motor_parkway_aeri>
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From Howard Kroplick

Wayne, good point. These bridges were planned but never built.

From A 1910 Blueprint of Two Long Island Motor Parkway Bridges in Commack & Brentwood

The dog was going after the photographer! Lol. Calm down doggy, here’s a bisquit.

From Mystery Foto #24 Solved: The Commack Spur of the Long Island Motor Parkway- Updated 1/30/16

Things sure were simpler in these times. Imagine submitting these plans to a building department today! RIGHT!!!!

From A 1910 Blueprint of Two Long Island Motor Parkway Bridges in Commack & Brentwood

I think this is only one bridge not two. I think Wicks and Commack Road are the same road. The title on the drawing says “OR” and I think that refers to the two different names of the same road. Also It would be amazing if two bridges had exactly the same measurements.
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From Howard Kroplick

Thanks Wayne. Checking the Motor Parkway map, the blueprint was likely for the bridges on Commack Road (Commack) and Wicks Road (Brentwood).

From A 1910 Blueprint of Two Long Island Motor Parkway Bridges in Commack & Brentwood

You can,t show enough of this car,can you? There’s just too much to show,isn’t there? This car will probably last longer than you now I’m sure.

From Chrysler's Chrysler Then & Now: Pre-& Post-Restoration

What a show that was. Great pics. Congrats again and tell John he looks great. Miss you all. Hope all is well after all that rain we got. Everything is fine here,it missed us,luckily it shifted and just rained a lot,about 3 days.

From The Spectacular Automobiles of the Hemmings Motor News Concours d'Elegance

Dave, you’ve brought up some good points. I thought I saw a cornerstone through the foliage at the Mayan Ruins site but struck out after sifting and zooming in. Of course nothing beats being at the actual site (Private property). Will keep posting any extras discovered.

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent Motor Parkway Adventure” VI: Garden City