Vanderbilt Cup Races

Much history here that I never knew. Amazing accomplishment with the early-electric automobile in 1901. I see the twin-motors mounted on the rear axle. I wonder if they were powered by Nickel-cadmium batteries. Electric seems the direction today to power automobiles with advanced Lithium-ion batteries.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Had a notion this is Al Riker operating one of his Electric Cars. That might be the Locomobile Factory in the background. There’s a blog here on the website about Al Riker winning a 50 mile race here on Long Island. He was only that entered the race with an electric car. Realize I’m not trying to solve this mystery foto, just leaving some screenshots below.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Howard, The bare-bones vehicle is the Riker’s Torpedo Racer. The photo was taken during the race held on Nov. 16, 1901 at Coney Island. It was the only electric vehicle entered. The driver was Andrew Riker, to save weight the “machancian” didn’t have a seat, he sat on the frame work of the vehicle. Riker came in third, setting the official speed record for electric vehicles covering the one mile course in 63 seconds. The racer still exists today, it is at the Henry Ford Museum. Connection with the Vanderbilt Cup Races ?  The were both held on Long Island ????

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

More accurately it was the Sheep Pens Rd. bridge. Note that it wasn’t paved. It was used primarily to get sheep (and some cattle) to the grazing areas of the Plains and to the pens which were located in the vicinity of Merrick Ave. and Old Country Rd.  A small portion of the road still exists. now known as Westbury Rd. with the eastern terminus at Oak St. and the westerly end in Hempstead Village.

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

Thank you so much for sharing Really valuable information and your experien

From Twenty Years Ago, the Alco Black Beast Reached 95 MPH in England

These are very early bicycle mechanics (1901), working hard towards creating the future of the motorized automobile, while using standard bicycle components

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Another mystery photo indeed!

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

I agree with Brian, it’s the Roosevelt Field highway bridge, photo looking east. Note the 1918 photo below with similar railings. Also the 1940s photo view from on top of the bridge looking in the same east direction, with the landscape now heavily overgrown after 30+ years

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

Additional documentation

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

The location is Coney Island, NY at the Long Island Automobile Club’s Sponsored Race.
Vehicle is the Torpedo Racer which set the world’s speed record for electric cars on November 16, 1901 going one mile in 63 seconds (57 mph).  Held record for 10 years. 
Andrew Riker was the inventor and the driver. 
The vehicle is owned by the Henry Ford Museum and is currently on loan to the Studebaker National Museum. 
Riker eventually went to work for the Locomobile Company and designed the 90 HP car that was entered in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

This feels like a Mystery Foto, Art : ) With the bridge photo, I think he’s likely driving just west of the Roosevelt Field Hwy Bridge. Pretty sure the terminus of the LIMP in 1910 was at Jericho Tpke. Know this section of the parkway wasn’t part of the 1910 course, but maybe he drove west a bit past the Meadowbrook Lodge instead heading north up Ellison Ave, perhaps for a bridge photo?

From Kleiner's Korner: The 1st Automobile on the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course

That’s Andrew Lawrence Riker driving his own Riker Electric Torpedo Racer at Coney Island, NY where he set the world speed record for electric vehicles at 57.1 MPH, a record that stood for ten years. Today, this vehicle can be seen at the Henry Ford Museum. A.L. Riker went on to design the 1906 90 HP Locomobile that raced as #12 in the 1906 American Elimination Trial and #9 in the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup. After some modifications, it became the winning #16 racer in the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup, later being known as the legendary “Old 16”.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Coney Island Blvd see attached files
Reiker
Yes ,the henry ford, a gift as I understand it
not sure what you mean by link, like “tag it” or a connection history wise?

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

Simply amazing. Another great find Roy! Thank you Roy again for exposing these buried gems for all to see and learn from.

From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City

This is a Riker “Torpedo Racer.”  An electric race car built, engineered and piloted by Andrew Riker.  The event was the breaking of a world speed record by an electric car, which was done on Coney Island on a dirt track at 57 mph.  In April of 1900 a version of this vehicle competed on the first vehicle race on Long Island.  A 50 mile race from Queens to Babylon.  It won, and was the only electric vehicle to have entered.  This race was precursor to the Vanderbilt Cup races held a few years later.

From Update: Mystery Friday Foto #48 Solved: The 1901 Riker Torpedo setting the one-mile land speed record for electrics in Coney Island

read your article it is very interesting for me. I hope I will find more articles in the future.

From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Speculating again, I think the Vanderbilts never owned variants of any brand, but only the best in its class. This is a tricky puzzle to solve….

From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Al,
Yes, and let’s assume Willie K lll got that particular car that way, brass plate solved. It still does not not match the Bentley from the newspaper photo for his death. Hence, he was a Bentley enthusiast and maybe had more than one, or two.

From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Greg, How about this possibility. The Bentley in the 1930 Monte-Carlo Rallye, GC 3661, was a “works” automobile. That is… it was not purchased by Kidston but he was hired by Bentley Motors to drive it in the Rallye. Some time after that event the vehicle was acquired by Vanderbilt Jr. and thats how his name got on the I. D. plate.

From Mystery Friday Foto #47 Solved: A 1930s English automobile ID plate made for the son of William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.

Great find, thanks for sharing!

From Greg O's Garage: Newly Discovered 1919 Blueprints of Camp Mills in Garden City