Vanderbilt Cup Races

Wild guess: where the parkway went through Melville, and across first Maxess Road and then Ruland Road, east of Route 110?

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

Round Swamp.  1930ish.  Part of 1908 Course.  Bridge over Round Swamp Rd.  Bethpage Toll Lodge.  Botto Bridge.

From Mystery Friday Foto #75 Solved: 1935 Aerial of Bethpage and Old Bethpage

I attended the auction at this estate in 1962 when I was 12 years old with my dad, who turned me into a gearhead with his purchase of a ‘59 jag mark I 3.4 salon.

I begged him to bid on the Type 57 Bugatti, which was missing a wheel. “you will never find a wheel like that” my father said. I BEGGED him to no avail; I watched as the car sold for a hi-bid of $750.00.

I recently found a newspaper clipping of the auction stuck in a similar vintage copy of Floyd Clymer’s book entitled the Fabulous Model “T”.

I wonder where that car is today?

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Here is a link that has additional photos and text about the estate - http://halfpuddinghalfsauce.blogspot.com/2013/09/farnsworth-long-island-home-of-c-k-g.html

From The 1962 "Car Auction of the Century" at the Farnesworth Garage

Now I know where it is, reading the comments. It’s around where the Planting Fields Arboretum is, right? Howard- I just noticed it now, your submit is mystery #73

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Thanks again Frank. That’s almost like what Al told me, but you explained it a little bit more.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Thanks for the interesting presentation—I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was living in Nassau County not very far away at that time but at my young age then I hadn’t developed enough interest in historic cars to think of going to observe the auction.

From The 1962 "Car Auction of the Century" at the Farnesworth Garage

I’m just wondering who this person is. What happen Howard? you’re usually good on things like this. Mystery#70. if anyone is interested

From Mystery Foto #70 Still A Mystery: Is this Dario Resta?

Ted, the actual Motor Pkwy Right Of Way is very close to the constructed bike/hike trail, just across the street. It seems the LIMP right of way is almost always protected from future builders. The actual Right Of Way is on the over extended front lawns of the houses on the north side of Salisbury Drive. I believe that extra space to the street is the LIMP ROW.

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

Fun and interesting when two interests intermingle. I’ve read quite a bit about Farnesworth on Zach’s Old Long Island Blog site for a few years now, but didn’t make this connection!

More info/pics on Farnesworth;
http://www.oldlongisland.com/search/label/Farnsworth

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

I couldn’t even take a guess. All that I know is that it had to be were there’s a lot of property and there’s a lot in Nassau County.

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

It keeps getting more and more exciting - I can’t wait to see her in action - likely first on a new video, eventually in person!

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle XI: Countdown to Pebble Beach-Two Months

Thanks for the thanks Frank. I found out that where the grass seeds weren’t planted. because of cement or concrete being there, isn’t part of the motor parkway from Al. at the meeting last week

From Pilot Section of the Motor Parkway Trail Is Under Construction in East Meadow(Updated:June 17, 2014)

I Have been doing research regarding Madonna Heights - the information I have
from Our Community - Concerned Taxpayers of Wheately Heights/Dix Hills, Inc. Civic Ass’n. Bagatelle Rd. was named for the well-known Bagatelle Nursery in the early 20th Century He bought the castle from the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, and later sold it to an order of Catholic Nuns (Current site - Madonna Heights -
I had heard it had turned into a retirement home for the nuns.  Any light you can shed on this history would be greatly appreciated.

From Was the "Bagatelle" Mansion in Half Hollow Hills Built by a Vanderbilt?

Thanks as always for these great memories.  I am always grateful to those who share them as it was such a wonderful time and I agree there will never be anything like it again.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rog Patterson's Memories of the 1951 Bridgehampton Races

My compliments to Gary Hammond.  Can he please tell us where he gets his eyes checked as I would like to be able to see half of what he was able to in this photo.
Nice job !

From Mystery Foto #73 Solved: A Spectacular 1933 Aerial of Hempstead and North Hempstead

Purely guessing, it’s Willie K’s collection located in Deepdale Estates, taken approx 1920.

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Howard,
Sorry but my earlier response failed to mention where the buildings are located. The estate is on Planting Fields Road in Upper Brookville. Most of the estate buildings have been torn down and the property divided up.

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

Howard, I spent much time in these buildings as a youth; the buildings were built by the estate’s original owner, C.K. Billings. In the 1920s the estate was given as a wedding present to Winifred Bird by her father. The building on the left in the photo was for the automobile collection the one on the right in the photo was for the estate maintenance equipment. When I was a kid in the 1940s Bird’s collection of cars included a Bugatti, two Duesenbergs and several others. They were all auctioned off in the 1950s. The cars in the photo are before my time, probably in the 1920s and I can’t identify any of them.

From Mystery Foto #74 Solved: The C.K.G. Billings "Farnesworth" Garage in Locust Valley

The film is a treasure. On the featured event, the hundred mile race, at the start on the second row inside is a car called the Meyer Special #4. This car was driven by my father, Bruce Stevenson who died in 2007. He co-founded the Bridgehampton races with Austie Clark. Originally it was an MG event starting back in the late 40s, which eventually became an SCCA event. My father often talked about the races in the late 40s and early 50s in Bridgehampton, Linden, NJ and of course, the granddaddy of them all at the time, Watkins Glen. They were an extraordinary group of gentlemen. Just back from WWII, they were this country’s greatest generation and knew how to get things done and enjoy their efforts immensely. There will never be another generation as vibrant.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rog Patterson's Memories of the 1951 Bridgehampton Races