Vanderbilt Cup Races

I grew up in Fresh Meadows. So knowing Queens, the potholes are a dead give-a-way. The location is in Queens. But where? The Fresh Meadows extension was completed in 1926 (the cornerstone of the 73rd Ave overpass); it was Black Stump Rd. way before my time. The Motor Parkway sign indicates “now open” and the realtor sign states “Flushing.” which I’m assuming meant downtown Flushing, not the “town” which extended from Corona to the Little Neck border with Nassau County. I grew up near the remnant of the old Rocky Hill Rd (between Francis Lewis Blvd and Bell Blvd.) Rocky Hill in my time became 47th and then 46th Avenues. The buses I used took the road to downtown Flushing. So my guess is that the road is Rocky Hill Rd., looking northbound, at what was then the terminus of the Motor Parkway in 1924, before it was extended to Fresh Meadows in 1926 to meet up with the newly built Nassau (Horace Harding) Blvd. I don’t remember the name of the realty company. I also surmise that the sign is not a sign on the road, but is something that was superimposed on the photo either by the City of New York to provide a tax photo or by the Motor Parkway staff.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

The 1956 Packard concept car -Tell me Lincoln didn’t copy the tail lights of this 1956 Packard for 1957, Lincoln/Mercury the roof line and retractable window in 1958, Pontiac front on 1967 Grand Prix and hidden headlights on a host to follow, . . . and the door handles for 1957/1958 Imperial, the Lincoln Opera Window, Chrysler’s revolving front seat, Thunderbirds full length console, etc.

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part II

I was 16 y/o in 1964, and the ‘64/‘65 was close enough to where I lived in Fresh Meadows that my friends and I would take our bikes to the Fair. I remember vividly the Chrysler “turbine” car. Demonstrations were run in a pit that looked something like a bobsled run where one could look down at the car as it “whooshed” by. The future looked pretty cool back then.

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part II

I’m going to take a wild guess that this is the entrance to the LIMP off Rocky Hill Road. The toll became $1 in 1917 so it would have to be after that date, and probably before the western extension (eventually to Fresh Meadows) was started in the mid-1920s. I leave the details to the experts.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

Somehow seems appropriate to see Mr. Shelby in #16!

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Jim Rathmann and Carroll Shelby at the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Hello everyone. Not totally confident with my guess, but here goes. I’m thinking this is the LIMPS final western terminus at Nassau Blvd in 1928. By this time period, the toll price was $1.00; and the Motor Pkwy sign advertises this amount. The large LIMP sign that will be on the E/S isn’t constructed yet, nor the booth that will be in center of the LIMPs roadway. Maybe Nassau Blvd was run down a bit at the time, perhaps the 170 sign is some type of roadwork marker. After searching Quinlan-Terry & Johnson, an old article came up about local mansion owners in this area asking to have apartments constructed on their property. This real estate firm suggested converting their mansions into apartment buildings. I ‘ve read the LIMP is 44 or almost 48 miles, the sign states 45 miles. If this isn’t what I’m guessing, I won’t be shocked. Good luck to all.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

Love this incredible photo (pot holes and all)!
In the process of identifying its location. Good luck everyone.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

Apparently near Flushing in Queens, according to the realtor’s sign.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

I don’t know the location, but did know Vincent Seyfreid. Vince was an amazing historian, that used original local newspapers as a primary source for information. When many libraries were transferring their newspaper collections to film, they were throwing away the bound newspapers they had saved for decades. Vin rescued these and stored as many as possible in the basement of his house in Garden City. When I got to know him after I became Floral Park Village Historian (we would attend APHNYS meetings here on long island) he offered to give the newly formed Floral Park Historical Society the bound copies of our local newspaper that dated from the 1920s he had rescued 30 years before. He thought it pretty neat that I came to collect them with my wife and little son in our 37 Packard super 8 limousine. Before he sold his house and moved to Franklin Square he called me to come over and gave me a solid brass ceiling light fixture that he told me came out of one of the first electric trains to run on the LIRR (ca 1909) he had obtained many many decades before. I was taken aback by this kind gesture of friendship . Vince was a Historian’s Historian. I found a few images of trolleys in the Floral Park Village archives and copied them and gave them to him thinking it would be another view of material he already had, and he was thrilled as one showed a trolley car he knew had run down Jericho Tpke. but he had never been able to find a photograph of in all his years of research.
Howard, like you, he truly cherished the information, photographs etc. that he had collected over the years and shared them with many many people in his books.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

Only a guess.  Rocky Hill Rd.

From Mystery Foto #6 Solved:The Western Terminus of the Motor Parkway at Rocky Hill Road Circa 1917-1924

Fantastic cars! Thanks for sharing this.

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part II

This would be the Pat Clancy Spl. Driven by Billy DeVore in the 1948 500. It finished 12th. I believe 1948 was the only race it ran.

From In the Indy Formula One Garage: The 1939 Maserati Racer that Won the 1939 and 1940 Indy 500 Races

Norm James worked on the exterior of GM’s Firebird III and my former colleague, Suzanne Vanderbilt,  worked on the interior. Mr. James award winning autobiography - Of Firebirds and Moonmen -  features his struggle overcoming a physical disability, the history of the Firebird III and his design for rovers for moon explorations for GM’s Defense Labs. He subsequently designed mass transit and aircraft. James will be recognized with an award in NYC in March for his design work on GM experimental vehicles. He lives and works on the West coast.

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part I

June 15, 1960 (2 days prior to my still intact marriage) at Roosevelt Raceway,
Jim Rathman and Carroll Shelby.
The ‘36 and ‘37 trophies were made by Cartier.
Rathman was the ‘36 Indianapolis 500 winner, and Shelby had won the 24 hour Le Mans in 1959.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Jim Rathmann and Carroll Shelby at the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Mystery photo

Drivers.  Jim Rathman. Carroll Shelby

Ratthman won 1960 Indy 500

Shelby teamed with Roy Savadori to win the 1959 24 hours of LeMans drivingforAston Martin

The revival of the Vanderbilt Cup race was held on Sunday June 19 atthe Roosevelt Raceway

The trophy from Tiffany and Co. New York

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Jim Rathmann and Carroll Shelby at the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I remember seeing the Firebird II at the GM Motorama in the Waldorf Astoria.  Every year, my buddy and I went to NYC to the Walforf for the show.  The attendance was free.  We got to see all the show cars, the beautiful models (women and cars) and the new upcoming cars from all the GM divisions.
Roger

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part I

Identify the correct name of the race that they were promoting?

• The Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race

What was the location and date of the race?

• The grounds (parking area and access roads) of the Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, NY; on Sunday, June 19, 1960.

Who manufactured the trophy?

• Great question.  The original 1904 William K. Vanderbilt trophy was made by Tiffany & Co. and the 1936 George Vanderbilt trophy was made by Cartier but the manufacturer of the 1960 Cornelius Vanderbilt cup has completely eluded my research.  I look forward to finding out.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Jim Rathmann and Carroll Shelby at the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

-Identify the two drivers and their greatest victories
Jim Rathmann (left) - winner of the 1960 Indy 500
Carroll Shelby (right) - winner of the 1959 LeMans

-Identify the correct name of the race that they were promoting
Cornelius Vanderbilt Cup Race

-What was the location and date of the race
Roosevelt Raceway, Garden City
Sunday, June 19, 1960

-Who manufactured the trophy?
Still researching.

Photo taken June 15, 1960

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Jim Rathmann and Carroll Shelby at the 1960 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The Cantrell family built woodie type bodies for over 40 years. Many of these cars were used on large estates on Long Island. After 1958 a son continued his father, Joseph’s interest in boats. Recently I read that much of their factory archives had been given to the local Historical Society.

Also don’t forget Brewster who built many of the Sptingfield Rolls Royce bodies. Their last factory still stands. The assets of these 2 companies became part of Inskip Motors. Many of the well to do familys on Long Island bought or had customized motor cars from them.

The Springfield MA connection is rich in this period’s history. They have a large museum devoted to local manufacturing history including Indian Motorcycles.

From New Series Long Island Auto Manufacturers & Body Builders #1:Bell & Post Motors of Farmingdale

The orange Lincoln Indianapolis was restored by Sussex Motor and Coachworks in Matamoras, Pa. when they were in business. Jim Cox owned the shop (his wife was Beverly Rae Kimes) . It was quite a restoration, that owner (at the time) Tom Kerr of Pa. had done. New curved windshield had to be made , a lot of moldings to mount it back in the car also had to be created from scratch. I believe all body panels were steel, not alloy. There was a write up of the car in AQ after it was finished too I believe. Tom Kerr is a friend and it was odd he owned this car, as he is really a pre WWII Packard enthusiast. It was a very rough car that had been apart for many many years, and the restoration came out great.

From Concept Cars That Never Made It Part I