Vanderbilt Cup Races

We are looking for Postcard(s) showing the Model T Ford Towncar
-Don

From Postcards from the Long Island Automotive Museum (#1-6)

We have so much history here on Long Island, the LIMP is part of it. If You want to see more, come out to the LIEF, Long Island Early Fliers picnic at the Bayport Aerodrome on Aug 14. Thank U Howard.

From First Meeting of the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society

Hi Sam III:

I tend to agree with you that it does not appear to be the Motor Parkway in the background. The concrete posts do not seem to be LIMPish….not enough space between the consecutive posts.

It is possible that the film script identified the road as the Motor Parkway…the Kirbys were driving on Long Island heading to New York City. According to IMDb, the film location was 380 South San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena, California. This was also the TV residence for Batman:

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/wayne-manor-batman-residence/

Howard I

From Was the Long Island Motor Parkway in the 1937 Classic Film "Topper"?

From JJZBullit109:

“Mr.Kroplick is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in the classic car hobby. Your attitude toward people is truly welcoming; most would never allow people to breathe on their car the wrong way. It is a great pleasure to see such a beautiful and important piece of automotive history of an all but forgotten era of motorsports preserved. Cheers”

From Long Island Automotive Update: News, Comments & Events- Saturday, July 30, 2011

From Sam Berliner III:

  “This is the segment of “Topper” where the backdrop may have been filmed on the Motor Parkway. Any opinions?”

Far from being the LIMP, that segment appears to have been filmed in or around Old Westbury-Brookville (or the Hamptons).  There are no LIMP guard rails or property posts.  The fences appear only occasionally, on one side or the other, only, and are private property fences, still quite prevalent in the areas.  The wild reverse curves are also not consistent with the LIMP.

  “Also, can anyone identify the amazing car driven by Cary Grant?”

Without extensive checking, it seems to be a 1936 (or so) Auburn 852 Boat Tailed Speedster.  The V-8 had outside pipes on both sides, unlike a Duesenberg straight 8 with pipes only on the right.

As always, I love what you’re doing; keep on truckin’!

From Was the Long Island Motor Parkway in the 1937 Classic Film "Topper"?

Hi Sam III:

I agree. I have adjusted the arrow pointing to the location of the Meadow Brook Lodge site….south of the Motor Parkway Right-of-Way and currently in the parking lot of the New York Community Bank building.

From Then and Now: The Meadow Brook Lodge in Westbury

From Sam Berliner III:
Re: The site of the Meadow Brook Lodge: I think not, Howard; the lodge was on the south side of the RoW, as you plainly state a few paras. back:  “The entrance to the lodge was south of the Motor Parkway”.

From Then and Now: The Meadow Brook Lodge in Westbury

Thank you so much for this atricle, it saved me time!

From Archives: Drennan Collection

Hi Greg:

Thanks for the information. Great to see you and Deidre at the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society meeting.

Enjoy,

Howard

From Was the Long Island Motor Parkway in the 1937 Classic Film "Topper"?

Hi Marc:

The Black Beast is scheduled to lead the parade! It should be fun.

Enjoy,

Howard

From Exclusive Video: Emerson Fittipaldi Driving the Alco Black Beast During the 2011 Indy 500 Parade Lap

Howard,
We met at Eisenhower Parks Nassau Counties Motor Parkways recent News advent. I was with the Ford Model A Club, and no I wasn’t one of your many passengers. The Black Beast is truly a beautiful piece of machinery. I was wondering if you knew of Lake Ronkonkoma’s upcoming “First Annual Sunday Drive” I know you’re very busy, but the Heritage Society would surely find the Black Beast #8 a special addition to the advent.
Please see attached short cut to their website:
http://thelakeheritage.org/CurrentEvents.html
The person to contact is Ellen and I’ll be glad to give you her number if you email permission.
Thank you
Marc Hillman

From Exclusive Video: Emerson Fittipaldi Driving the Alco Black Beast During the 2011 Indy 500 Parade Lap

Upon looking at the Topper car a little more closely, (after finding it was custom built) I discovered that the Topper car is a much closer match to a 1935 Auburn 851 Speedster than the Cord 810.(The Topper car and the Auburn are almost identical)

From Was the Long Island Motor Parkway in the 1937 Classic Film "Topper"?

“Also, can anyone identify the amazing car driven by Cary Grant?”

Turns out, that’s a trick question! My first thought was that must be a model of Cord I’ve never seen, (since no other manufacturer had such beautiful styling like that in the 30’s) but I guess I was wrong. Here’s the info on the car from IMDB;

“The fancy finned-back car driven by the Kerbys was custom built by the Bohman & Schwartz Co. using a 1936 Buick Roadmaster chassis. Originally the producers had in mind to use a coffin-nosed Cord, but it wasn’t large enough. In the custom-made Buick there were special compartments for camera equipment, etc. The Buick resembles a Cord, but the supercharger pipes on the side were just decorations (a Cord comes with an actual supercharger). After filming the Buick was bought by the Gilmore Oil Co. and was used for promotional purposes for many years. It was updated in 1954 with a Chrysler Imperial chassis and drive train. The car driven by Cosmo Topper is a 1936 Lincoln Model K.”

From Was the Long Island Motor Parkway in the 1937 Classic Film "Topper"?

Dear Howard. Thank you for posting the Fresh Meadows article. I was five years old when my family moved into a new house in 1953 on the other side of the expressway. Before the War, a golf course and farms. After the war - all filled in, with Francis Lewis Blvd. as well. I can’t remember the number of times I took my bike on the Motor Parkway.

From The Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series: #1 North Hempstead Turnpike Bridge in Fresh Meadows

In the spring of 1983 I was 16 years old and got a job as a busboy in Wheatley Hill Golf Club.  I saw old maps there leading the parkway south over Hillside Ave.  The next Sunday morning, I went to church early, and set out on my bicycle following the parkway and the power lines south.  From the south I saw the LIRR bridge.  I went around and approached it from the north.  I climbed dangerously out on a barbed wire ledge from the parking lot of 1 Old Country Rd.  Down under powerlines through brush to the base of the bridge.  I climbed the side wall from the north end.  I remember my knee was scraped and bloddy.  As soon as I stood on the bridge I swore it swayed.  So to test my theory I jump up high and let myself stomp down.  No doubt, that bridge moved.  Unlike the LIRR LIMP bridge in Albertson which was 100% solid.  I remember the steel side walls of the bridge being lower that Albertson.  In Albertson I could lean against the side, and my center of gravity was far below the steel side walls.  Here, I was too afraid to even go near the edge.  The were pot holes where I could look down and see rebar.  My clearest memory was the south side.  The motor parkway and the cement sidewalk (as I used to call them as a kid) extended off the bridge, but the land underneath was gone.  So the roadway was just hanging there.  The blacktop part had seperated from the sidewalk.  The sidewalks extending further away from the bridge than the road part, before sagging with gravity.  A train was approaching from the east.  As it came close, the conductor or that trains eyes and mine locked, until he disappeared under me.  The entire brigde shook.  I did not have to be a genius to know I was in a place that was unsafe.  I climbed down, made it back to my bicycle, and headed home.  I remember I stopped by the bridge in Albertson on the way home.
About two weeks later, my dad and I were in the car as my mom was shopping in the center just oppostie Voice Rd on the eastern side of Glen Cove Road.  I told my dad to take a ride, I wanted to show him something.  We drove down Voice Road, back behind the building at the far northern end of Voice Road to where we could see the bridge.  There was a work crew taking it down.  I used to joke with friends that I was probably the last person to climb on that bridge before it was dismantled. 
Thanks to you and Ron for the pictures. 
Your Fan
-joe o

From From the Ron Ridolph Collection- Demolition of the Mineola LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Hi Gene:

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Stay cool!

Howard

From Garden City Patch: Article & Video "Black Beast Wins Indy 500 ... Sort Of...100 Years Later"

Hi Walt:

Thanks for the information!

Howard

From In Search of Alcos: The Missing Alcos Last Seen In California

HOWARD, THAT WAS GREAT I WATCHED IT WHEN TO FIRST SENT IT AND JUST WATCHED IT AGAIN TODAY. i WILL HAVE TO FORWARD IT TO ALL MY FRIENDS
THANKS
GENE

From Garden City Patch: Article & Video "Black Beast Wins Indy 500 ... Sort Of...100 Years Later"

Howard…just wondering…

can I change my e mail contact to

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

so much easier to share then with my son gram. He looks forward to your signature on his !ndy 500 program. We watch the winning lap endlessly. Priceless experience…the car…the lap…your excitment…

From Update #4: Damage to the Old Bethpage Village Restoration Motor Parkway Bridge

There is a lot of sage advice in the article, particularly when it comes to how long it takes to restore a car and about “doing your homework/research”, being patient to buy a car and restore one, and not letting your ego over ride your brain. 
The value mentioned for the yellow 1934 Packard is more then optimistic to say the least, if anyone would pay that for it then there is a bridge in Brooklyn I’d like to sell to them as well.

From Images from the Milhous Collection and Tips on Car Collecting