Vanderbilt Cup Races

I agree with Steve Lucas, #14 the young boy has Austin Clark’s features. Lester Cutting, I’ve seen his name linked to past images of the LIMP. He must’ve done his own explorations and documented the LIMP like we do now.

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

Marty - My lovely wife Fran (of 42 years now!) and I still treasure the 2 reunions we performed at for you, and in between all my doctor appointments would like to come visit you on either a Friday or a Sunday ( Maybe even for breakfast like Johnny Coy did!!).  I’ll contact you!  We hope you are staying well.

Fran & Al Woods

From Update July 20 2021: A visit to see Marty Himes and the Himes Museum of Automobile Nostagia

The celebration and its location: The opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum at the museum in Southampton, NY

The date: August 27, 1948

Who likely hired the helicopter: Art Peck

The automobile: 1910 Buick Model 10

Best guesses for some of the individuals:
#5 Dorothy Hopping
#7 Norris Hopping
#10 Alfred Momo
#11 Bill Spear
#18 Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
#19 Ann Clark
#24 George Duryea
#25 Alec Ulmann
#27 Ken Purdy

The museum was always a favorite place to go during summer stays at my grandparents. Still have all the postcards that I bought at the gift shop…including two of my favorites cars, the 1911 Mercer 35 and the Ferrari 166 ( 004C ). Also have one of a 1966 Lotus Elan owned by James H. Clark.

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

16. My cousin, Jerry Nicholas.
18. Yeah, I know this guy too.
19. My sister, Ann.
I recognize a few of the others as well, but I’m hoping to learn several new names.

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

Brian - the cover picture is definitely not Pintail.  It’s Roosevelt Field. Somehow that picture got onto this mystery photo.

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

I don’t see this is being Pintail Lane School in the mystery photo. It was a small school, as seen in photos in the comments section.

The building in the mystery photo is too big. There are way too many parking spaces. There’s even a plane parked in one spot.

I showed the mystery photo to the president of the Levittown Historical Society. He attended Pintail Lane School. He said this is definitely not the school.

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

I think the photo was taken on August 27, 1948, at the grand opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton, NY. The car could be a 1910 Buick Model 10. Person #18 is Henry Austin Clark, Jr.; #19 is his daughter Cynthia; #14 might be Jim Clark. That’s all I’ve got. Good luck to everyone.

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

I have fond memories of seeing the Chrysler for the first time when it had just arrived at the Vanderbilt museum and I was about 10 years old. Also seeing it stored in the back building of the L.I. Auto Museum in Southampton for some years . I helped pull it out from the basement of the Vanderbilt Museum when Howard bought the car and we towed it up a very steep grade on a chain to get it on level ground to load into a trailer . Car had no brakes so I used a block of wood from a museum display to throw under the left rear wheel to slow it down. Then the wonderful trips to western NJ to the restoration shop where it was restored and the conversations about that going to and from long island to the shop. Then at the photo shoot for the feature story in Hemmings Classic Car magazine with Richard Lentinello ( now Editor/Publisher of Crankshaft magazine that had Howard’s Tucker on the cover of the first issue). SO many stories and being there at the right times over the decades.

From Greg O's Garage; Chrysler's Chrysler at the Merchant Marine Academy Car Show

Looks like Coppola isn’t sending out his Tucker which was used in his film “Tucker?”

From The nine Tuckers to be featured at the "Tucker '48 75th Anniversary Celebration" in Hershey, PA on June 16-18, 2023

That is the youngest picture of “Austie” I have ever seen! Wonderful!

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

Howard,

Congratulations for having a top of the line car and to be aligned with the others is just great !

Regards, Mark Thomas

From The nine Tuckers to be featured at the "Tucker '48 75th Anniversary Celebration" in Hershey, PA on June 16-18, 2023

I saw this car up-close once on a sunny day. I had my camera snapping away. The body surface literally looked like a black mirror throughout the auto. The brilliance of black color is difficult to maintain as its top surface is easily scratched through cleaning/etc. Outstanding restoration/preservation work of this automobile. High Five!

From Greg O's Garage; Chrysler's Chrysler at the Merchant Marine Academy Car Show

Such a daunting assignment for us on this week’s mystery photo.  So as for now, just put me down for trying to guess what kind of car that is hiding behind the men on the right.  I’ll just go with a 1910 Buick model 10 tourabout.

From Mystery Friday Foto #21 Solved: Celebrating the opening of the Long Island Automotive Museum on August 27, 1948

From Long Island Facebook Page

Nancy Twible
Thanks for the history!
Reply11h
Marie Daly Neil
Top contributor
Thanks for sharing!! I never knew that!!
Reply11h
Warren Bauer
Stunning vehicle!
Reply11h
Tom Fabbricante
Wow great story, and car, and estate!!!!
Reply11h
Vicki Simenson
Great post !
Reply11h
Christine Trotta Mais
Awesome story! Beautiful vehicle!
Reply11h
Nancy Calabrez
Top contributor
those wonderful cars ....
Reply11h
Judith A Pope
Great history! Thank you.
Reply11h
Suzanne Rofrano-Moshy
Very interesting
Reply11h
Holly OBrien
Beautiful
Reply11h
Warren Smith
Beautiful car!
Reply11h
Christopher Cusumano
Was the Mariners Chapel organist from 78-10 and spent happy times inWiley Hall where there used to be a pipe organ
Reply11h
Steve Giovanelli
..... maybe we could see a few pix of the motor & interior?
Reply11h
Greg Oreiro
Author

Steve Giovanelli
May be an image of 1 person and van
Reply10h
Greg Oreiro
Author

Steve Giovanelli
No photo description available.
Reply10h
Steve Giovanelli
Greg Oreiroawesome!
Reply10h
Mary Olympia
Beautiful car!
Reply10h
Paul Cornwell
Always made me jealous when my Mom told me her first car was a 1936 Ford Coupe.
Reply10h
Steve Cymbalski
More history on the car? From daughter’s ownership forward?
Reply10h
Greg Oreiro
Author

Steve Cymbalski https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/.../chryslers_chrysler
Vanderbilt Cup Races -
VANDERBILTCUPRACES.COM
Vanderbilt Cup Races -
Vanderbilt Cup Races -
Reply9h
Steve Cymbalski
I saw a rolls royce car show at kings point decades ago
Reply10h
Kathleen Brennan Miceli
Vic Piano
Reply10h
Georgia Diane
Thanks for sharing this story and history!
Reply9h
Marie Fields Levy
Are any of these sites open to the public to view?
Reply9h
Paul Bjorneby
Marie Fields Levy the academy is open on weekends to the public. Don’t know the exact hours, but you can call them. Also the sporting events, football, basketball , etc… are open.
Reply9h
Marie Fields Levy
Paul Bjorneby thank you Paul
Reply5h
JimBarbara Harrison
That is so cool!
Reply9h
Joanie Alvarez Mazzella
Spent many happy times at Melville Hall as my mother worked at Kings Point 85- 15????????
Reply9h
Stacey Drake Richardson
Had my wedding at Kings Point! Beautiful campus and the academy is fantastic!
Reply8h
Mary Terilli-Weigang
Stacey Drake Richardson my husband graduated from USMMA and our daughter also had her wedding there. Absolutely beautiful!
Reply6h
Steves Offthecouch
Gorgeous car
Reply8h
Daina Kencis Ferlin
Beautiful car! We have a 1940 Plymouth Coupe!
Reply8h
David Belding
Oh yes the Walter P Chrysler estate.
Reply5h
Mike Sanchez
So the daughter brought the car over?
Or is it yours?
Reply1h
Greg Oreiro
Author

Mike Sanchez As far as we know of the history of the car, daughter Bernice had the car for years and it made its way to a doctor in the 50’s. In 1959, the doctor donated the car to the Vanderbilt Planetarium and museum. It sat there until 2012 when it rediscovered by my boss who was there for other business. He then bought it from the museum and restored it to the winning Pebble Beach concours condition it is in today.
Reply1hEdited

From Greg O's Garage; Chrysler's Chrysler at the Merchant Marine Academy Car Show

Thanks for the compliment, but I’m even amazed now myself 😊

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize

Ariejan - A quick search on the site here produced a comment of yours, almost 10 yrs ago. You were aware of Pietro Bordino back then, too. You’re an excellent researcher : )

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize

I found a list of drivers and mechanicians in the 26 November 1908 issue of Motor Age. All Fiat mechanicians appeared to be Italian, as was the case with the Itala participants. Which made sense of course. DePalma’s mechanician was Bordino, who would become a famous racing driver himself.

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize

Know Mystery Foto #2 is solved, but below is a few images of Ralph DePalma for comparison. Absolutely him, but no luck with his passenger/mechanician.

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize

The first photo was the most straightforward: it shows on the left the winning Mercedes with Ralph DePalma at the wheel during the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup (Santa Monica, 26 February). On the right the Mercer of Barney Oldfield, who would end up in second place.
The other photo was slightly more complicated, but shows Ralph DePalma during the 1908 American Grand Prize (Savannah, 26 November), where he would finish on 9th place in a Fiat. The uploaded photo shows that the head gear and goggles of both driver and mechanician are identical. Wagner would win the race on another Fiat.

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize

... wonderful photos this week!

From Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Ralph DePalma in the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race and the 1908 American Grand Prize