Vanderbilt Cup Races

Roosevelt Field. 
About 1937.
LIMP runs across top left of photo. One Bridge can be seen.
Auto Racing, Polo, Golf

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Aerial of 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Race at Roosevelt Raceway

As the incoming president of the AACA Peconic Bay Region, I second George Bartunek’s request for you to give a talk on this Chrysler and perhaps bring it to our Hallockville Meet in the fall of 2014.  I also enjoyed your talk to our group on the Vanderbilt Races.  We will try our very best to accomodate your schedule to get you to give a presentation on the this car.
Thanks very much for all you do for this hobby.
Joe

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

From Doug C:

I had stumbled upon your site while doing some historical searches on Long Island.  Your site is a wealth of knowledge. The time and effort put into it really shows.  I can spend weeks playing around with this.  I’ll be sure to order your book as well.  My love for Long Island history has taken me in may different directions but since Ronkonkoma was where I grew up, I always seem to go back to researching there.  Through your site, I found that Petit Trianon and some other sites were in areas I had frequented when I was younger.  Your research inspires me to dig deeper now.  When I retire, I was considering giving lectures on Indians indigenous to the Island.  I’m not sure how many people would be interested but I’d love to share the knowledge.

Many thanks,

Doug

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Highlights and Blog Archives for November 2013

The car will once again be the pride of Long Island.
You should do a photo shoot at the former Chrysler Home at Kings Point when it is complete.
Between Steve’s work, Howard’s money and Walt’s journalism you are producing a great story for the car hobby and HISTORY as well.
Congradulations from your friends at Long Island Sound Region of CCCA.

JIM BARNES

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

This is the 1902 Mors type Z racer with which William K. Vanderbilt participated in the Paris-Vienna race (during which he had to give up after the 1st stage) and the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes (in which he finished on 3rd place). The photo is taken before the start of the latter race, held on July 31 for the first time. Interesting is the fact that the car carries no.76, whereas according to Gerald Rose’s standard work ‘A Record of Motor Racing’ (1908) its number would have been 27. The highest official number in this race was 75, but for some (unknown) reason the car must have been renumbered to 76. Was it maybe a premonition for the world record he would attain with the same car within a week after this race? On August 5 at Ablis (near Chartres) he broke the flying kilometre record with a speed of 122.4 km/hr, equivalent to just over 76 miles/hr!

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt Jr in a Mors at the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes Race

Thanks for the comments. Chrysler’s Chrysler will be in car events throughout Long Island beginning in the fall of 2014.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Restoration looks great. It will be a wonderful and exclusive car to drive and show starting with Pebble Beach.  And then hopefully a homecoming at the Vanderbilt Show on Sept. 14th.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Awesome resto. Vanderbilt museum should be ashamed to let it get so bad. What will happen when it’s done? Seems a shame to hide it away in a private collection.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATES, I AWAIT WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION EACH AND EVERY ONE.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Howard,
Wow, what an incredible restoration.  I can’t wait to see the car when it’s finished.
You must be very proud.
Rog

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Howard, Would there be any chance of you giving a presentation to the Peconic Bay Region and the general public re the Chrysler restoration at the SC Historical Soc. some time this year? Your professional presentation last year on the Vanderbilt races was a hit.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Yes, keep the updates coming.  I enjoy seeing the progress and looking forward to seeing the finished restoration.

Ken

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

More! More! This is fascinating stuff, Howard, and we will not complain if you report on progress more often!

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

If I ever have the money, it would be nice to have a firm like that do some work on my Packard 243!

Thanks for the updates and photos!

Ron

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

The car is, I believe, a Mors, probably 1902 in a city to city race.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt Jr in a Mors at the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes Race

From Ron R.

“Just wonderful, Howard.

What a wonderful story.

FYI,  Humer-Binder repainted my Frazer Nash at one time.  Also fabricated side curtains so that I could drive it to Sebring from NYC in March.  Quite exciting to take the car up in an elevator.

Best Wishes,

Robert

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle VII: Getting Primed For The Finish

Love looking closely at the photos, the enlarging feature is great!

From The Concession Stands of the Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Ariejan and Frank:

Definitely worth more fun research. I believe the original caption was from the National Automotive History Collection at the Detroit Public Library.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

Fascinating Howard. With Consuelo in mind, Ariejan may have a point about Virginia Fair. I too can’t envision Virginia ever actually smiling in Vanderbilt’s public domain, especially during a turbulent marriage. It’s also possible it could have been a rare moment at a rare point in time.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

I really must share my doubts about the solution of this quiz, regarding the lady as well as the dating of the car. As I understand now, this photo was published before in the book “Esquire’s American Autos and their makers” by David Wilkie (1963) with this info, and maybe elsewhere.
Regarding the Detroit electric: in 1909 the side lights had the curved support like on the mystery photo, in 1910 the side light supports were straight. The 1910 Detroit from the Bonham’s auction isn’t a very good example, because the side lights of this car are in my opinion not the original ones and seem to be added later (although they have the straight supports!).
Regarding the lady: of course I studied the facial features of both Virginia Fair and Consuelo Vanderbilt. My conclusion was that the lady cannot be Virginia Fair: she has a more elongated face with rather prononced cheek bones, whereas the lady on the mystery photo has a more rounded face. And than there is the attitude: I cannot believe that the always rather reserved looking Virginia Fair would be photographed in this pose at a racing track this short after her divorce. But I could easily believe this in the case of Consuelo Vanderbilt!

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric