Vanderbilt Cup Races

Amazing video of Vanderbilt Cup Race history on Long Island presented by the Vanderbilt museum of Suffolk County! I will share!

From Video of the Week: Suffolk County Moments in History- The Vanderbilt Cup

Replying to Bill,

I am working on a series of articles for the VCR website, where I have found multiple former Henry Austen Clark cars that are still around today. From car auctions to museums. Most of the prized cars are still around today!!

From The Long Island Automotive Museum Southampton Location Today

So looking forward to seeing this tribute space to a place I so cherished as a child. My son Gram is intent on researching the current whereabouts of many classic cars the collection.

From The Long Island Automotive Museum Southampton Location Today

Nice tribute to the LIAM and Austin Clark!  Thanks for sharing.  And a special thank you to Skip’s efforts to preserve a piece of Long Island’s automotive history.  Great diorama, John - its in a perfect place to show off your skill!  Looking forward to visiting the site and meeting Skip one day.

From The Long Island Automotive Museum Southampton Location Today

I don’t recall what happened to the Clark collection.

From The Long Island Automotive Museum Southampton Location Today

Photo of Howard and the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum team. From right to left: Stephanie Gress - Director of Curatorial Affairs, Howard Kroplick - North Hempstead Town Historian, and Lance Rheinheimer - Director. Quite possibly Howard’s formal acquisition of the 1937 Chrysler’s Chrysler at the museum. This one-of-a-kind automobile has been beautifully restored by the Stephen Babinsky team of Lebanon, New Jersey after a lengthy project involving extensive work throughout.

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The 2012 awarding of the 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.

Howard Kroplick & http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com This is one of the most informative site on American Automotive Racing History. Thanks to all for Keeping American Automotive Racing History Alive! Barney Oldfield, Master Driver of the World & America’s Legendary Speed King’s Great Nephew.

From Gregg D. Merksamer: "Remembering the 1908 Briarcliff Trophy Race"

***WILLIAM Schmidt’s 2nd grade class 1966 - 1967 at Pintail Lane Elementary.

I have the class photo from that class taken in April 1967 with all the names attached if anyone wants a copy.

From Mystery Foto #40 Solved: Pintail Elementary School in Levittown Built on the Motor Parkway

From Art Kleiner;

Would imagine this is the auction that netted Howard the 1937 custom built Chrysler.  Event was held at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. 
That’s Lance Rheinheimer, Dir. of the museum, Howard K. and Stephanie Gress, Dir. of Cultural Affairs of the museum.

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The 2012 awarding of the 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.

I think the event was when Howard’s bid for Chrysler’s Chrysler was opened and declared the winner. The location was probably at the Vanderbilt Museum, Willie K’s “Eagles Nest”. Left to right: Lance Reinheimer, Executive Director of the Vanderbilt; Howard himself; and Stephanie Gress, Director of Curatorial Services at the Vanderbilt.

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The 2012 awarding of the 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.

Thank you for this and many other interesting articles, videos and such about the history of Long Island and automobiles .... I am a teacher and i very often share such things with my students ...  i post your information in their Google Classrooms and i allow them to write what they learned from these very informative historic articles and such to earn extra credit .. they really enjoy learning from this information ... Thanks again

From Hagerty Magazine: Tucker: The man, the machine, the dream

Answers to the mystery photo
Event: Purchase of Chrysler’s Chrysler
Location: Vanderbilt Estate Centerport NY
People: Lance Reinheimer- Director Vanderbilt Estate
        Howard Kroplick- Car collector and enthusiast
        Stephanie Gress-  Curator Vanderbilt Estate
Happy New Year to all

From Mystery Foto #2 Solved: The 2012 awarding of the 1937 Chrysler's Chrysler at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.

This is wonderful!  Thank you!  There are houses from this period here and there in the Wy/DP area. Maybe from this company. The area was populated with “summer homes” without heat. Lots of folks from Brooklyn bought lots here to get out of the city in the summer via the LIRR mainline.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Great Automobile Parkway (aka The Motor Parkway)

wow WOW, WOW!

From Video: 1948 Tucker 1021 sold today for $1.7 million at the Mecum Auctions in Kissimmee

From Maggie Helck: Granddaughter of Peter Helck-former owner of Old 16.

The mystery photo sure looks like the “Old 16” Locomobile and I presume it is from the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Mystery Friday Foto #1: Solved; The Hazardous Woodbury Turn

Art, The free excursions were by railroad. On some occasions the sponsoring realty companies would run dedicated railroad cars at certain times usually in conjunction with an on site live raffle for a free lot.

From A 1908 Aeromap of Lake Ronkonkoma, the Motor Parkway Inn and an Automobile Parkway under construction

Interesting promotional piece, Al.  Thanks for sharing.  Here’s an ad (New York Times, Nov. 15, 1908) for the Babcock company promoting Lake Ronkonkoma inviting all persons responding to receive a free excursion (I presume to the Lake).  The ad mentions “The Automobile Parkway” - wonder if the excursion traveled on the parkway.  And another ad for the Wieckers Realty Company from The Times Union (May 7, 1908) mentioning an “Automobile Race Course”.  As readers of this site know there were various plans to build a course near Lake Ronkonkoma which never materialized. 

From A 1908 Aeromap of Lake Ronkonkoma, the Motor Parkway Inn and an Automobile Parkway under construction

Al, perhaps as the hypothetical map shows once a foreign power(s) made inroads into the western hemisphere, bombers could be assembled and launched from the barbarians to the north (Canada) and the Province of Mexico in the south.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway's Contribution to Military War Games

My grandfather, Charles J Duprez was the NY Times photographer who traveled with the Thomas Flyer during the race.  He photographed the beginning of the race in Times Square to San Francisco where he was sent back to NY City.  He used to talk about the race saying it was crazy cold, too much snow, and that he knew the Thomas would not only finish the race, but would win it!!!!!  Sorry I won’t tell you how he thought they would win….....

From Mystery Friday Foto #52: Solved; The 1907 Thomas Flyer in the Snow

Art, Could never figure out the concern about foreign planes attacking the U.S. prior to WW 11. Up until then bombers had a range of 600 miles round trip which meant only Canada and Mexico were within striking distance of the U.S.

From Kleiner's Korner: The Motor Parkway's Contribution to Military War Games