Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi all
  Thought you lost me. Always keeping up with you. I’m somewhat answering this mystery., very easy, give away. The 2.vehicles are Mercedes’~Benz, that’s it.
                                                              Stay safe, be well. Ted

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

Here is a picture from Willie K.‘s own photography albums (courtesy of the Vanderbilt Museum) showing the accident I had described above at Deepdale in Dec., 1906.  However as Willie K. notes, the car was a DeDietrich.  The articles above indicate it as a Mercedes.  Possibly this photo is a different accident as the car does not appear to have gone into Lake Success while the above articles state it did.  What do you think?

From Kleiner's Korner: Three Accidents Involving Motor Parkway Celebrities

The car is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. It was built to compete with Ferrari on the sports-car racing circuit. A coupe version of this car recently sold for $143M at auction, making it the most expensive car ever sold.

The hauler is a 1955 Mercedes-Benz transporter, nicknamed the “Blue Wonder.” It was used throughout the ‘55 racing season, but M-B withdrew from competition at the end of the season due to the catastrophic crash at Le Mans that destroyed a 300 SLR and killed its driver.

The original Blue Wonder was scrapped in 1967, but M-B built a replica in 1993. It is currently on display at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Jay Leno owns another replica built by a Swedish enthusiast.

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

I was the one who took that painting down many years ago when it was getting renovated
I think senator Bernstein was the client

From Update: The Hunt for the "Godfather" Train Painting is Over

I meant to send a photo of the 300SLR Uhlenhaut coupe in my earlier response. Here It Is.

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

Mystery Foto #23…the race car on the hauler is a 1955 Mercedes 300SLR. This and a few others like it were built for the World Sports Car Championship held back in the mid 20th century. The 300SLR is significant because a sister car to the one shown here, the 300SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe sold at auction recently for $145 million dollars (135 Million Euros) making it the most expensive car ever sold at auction.
The ultra cool hauler is a 1950 Mercedes know as the Blue Wonder. The company only built one and it was destroyed back in1967. However, Mercedes did commission a recreation at a cost of over $2,000,000 which is at the factory museum in Stuttgart.
As a footnote, I was attending the 12 hours of Sebring back in 1959??? and in the days before the race as cars and people gathered at the track,  John Fitch was there with one of the Uhlenhaut coupes. It was not entered in the race but simply there to show it off. So I did see it person, Wow, what an amazing car!!!

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

Very interesting to this baseball fan.

From Kleiner's Korner: Baseball Great Ty Cobb's Connection to the Vanderbilt Cup Race

The hauler almost appears a Buckminster Fuller design. It’s the 1955 Mercedes Benz Blue Wonder racing car transporter, the fastest in the world.
Summoned by British Colonel Michael McEvoy from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, Rudolf Uhlenhaut was tasked to build a small racing car for an officer he once knew pre WWII days.
The same racer on board the transporter is Uhlenhaut’s Mercedes Benz prototype 300SLR coupe (Super Light Racing), the engineer, developer and father of the racer, among other racers.
At retirement in 1972, Uhlenhaut never owned a car and required hearing aid in old age.
Significant because the racer likely has been located and up for sale. It should be preserved as significant improvement in automotive design during the 20th century.

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

The vehicle that is being hauled is a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300 SLR.  The vehicle was created to demonstrate the power of what Mercedes could do.  The vehicle was capable of achieving 186 mph.  A 300 SLR competed at Le Mans in 1955 with historically tragic consequences.  On lap 35 the Mercedes collided with an Austin Healey, became airborne and crashed into the crowd killing 83 people and injuring over 100.  On May 5th 2022, a coupe version of this vehicle (only one of two built) was sold for $142 million.  The hauler in the picture is the “Blue wonder”, Mercedes’ race car transporter truck.  The original was crushed in 1967 but a replica was built in 2001.  It is now displayed at the Mercedes Benz museum in Stuttgart Germany carrying a 300SLR on its back.

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

Car make and model :1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196 S.

Why it was made: to be bad to the bone and to be raced at Le Mans in 1955 as well as other endurance races that are apart of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship.

This Roadster is one of “brothers” of the hard top 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut coupes that broke the world record for the most expensive car ever to be sold. Beating out the Ferrari gto by A long shot.

As for the transport truck it’s name is “The Blue Wonder” and j-Leno

From Mystery Friday Foto #23 Solved: A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR W196S on top of the Mercedes-Benz "Blue Wonder" hauler

Interesting debate regarding what to call the new invention. It calls to mind a newer invention, the computer. We call it a “computer,” meaning a device that does calculations. The French call it an “ordinateur,” meaning a device that follows orders (the program). Both are appropriate names, but their meanings are different.

From Greg O's Garage: The first Automobile Publication; The Horseless Age Part 2

I first thought that was the Mustang III in the photo. Never suspected Challenger III was nearby on the same floor. Great shot!

From Updated with a film: Ford Custom Car Caravan (1962-1966)

Much thanks Gary Hammond for clarifying the Motor Parkway House. The bridge under construction should be Nibbe’s farmway bridge, approx 0.14 miles from the hotel, as seen in the photo. If this is the Powell bridge, I’m now confused. What am I missing. HELP!

From Mystery Friday Foto #22 Solved: The Powell Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Bethpage under construction circa July/August 1908

This is looking north in Central Park/Bethpage NY. Workers are building the LIMP and the future HWY bridge at Powell Ave. This section was ready in September 1908, so maybe this in 1907. That’s the Motor Parkway House to the north & west. Gary Hammond has discovered that a Mathias Romscho managed this building in 1910. I was trying to figure out how long this building resided, but not sure if it was demolished or renovated up until the present. I screenshot 3 maps below.

From Mystery Friday Foto #22 Solved: The Powell Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Bethpage under construction circa July/August 1908

I am by far one of the least qualified people to do this, but I am a history and Vanderbilt enthusiast and I took on the challenge. I am guessing that the photographer is pointing slightly northeast, with the Vanderbilt park slightly to the right. The road going under the bridge would become or already was Springfield Boulevard. The building is probably 223-11 Kingsbury Avenue. Im not sure how to date a photo like this, but from a 1954 aerial photo and when the parkway was built, I would think that this is in 1908.

From Mystery Friday Foto #22 Solved: The Powell Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Bethpage under construction circa July/August 1908

I believe this is 1908 Bethpage looking north at construction of Motor Parkway’s Nibbe farmway bridge (Map below).
The Motor Parkway House was a hotel/Inn once located on Powell Avenue and built during Motor Parkway’s construction in 1908. The hotel aimed to accommodate parkway travelers reaching the mid-point between Fresh Meadows, Queens and Lake Ronkonkoma, Suffolk. I don’t know if the hotel was successful. Nearby was Richard and Ellen Foran’s Hot Dog Stand and Halfway House Tea Room located at intersection of Broadway and Motor Parkway.
Powell Avenue is approx 750ft / 0.14mi from where Nibbe’s bridge once stood. The distance in the photo corresponds. The hotel appears located on the west side of Motor Parkway in the direction towards Broadway.

.https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/thursday_april_30_2009_the_motor_parkway_house

From Mystery Friday Foto #22 Solved: The Powell Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Bethpage under construction circa July/August 1908

I’ve seen this “proposed loop” motor speedway map before.  I know its in the Hempstead plains, (present day Levittown), between Newbridge rd and Wantagh ave.  However, south of the constructed Motor Parkway, (just south of the grandstand) but north of the Central extension Stewart railroad is an out of place east/west road or right of way that did not make any sense to me.  I’m now assuming based on the further information included in this post that this was part of the 10 mile straight away track that was also proposed with the loop track.

From Kleiner's Korner: Long Island's Other Proposed Motor Speedways

This is the Powell ave bridge in Central Park (today’s Bethpage).  It was classified as a “highway” bridge since the Motor Parkway went under it.  It is one of the original bridges built for the 1908 Vanderbilt cup race, so the photo was probably taken in the summer of 1908.  The photographer is facing north and the building to the left is the “motor parkway house”.  This may have been used as sleeping quarters for the workers.

From Mystery Friday Foto #22 Solved: The Powell Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge in Bethpage under construction circa July/August 1908

Thanks for the kind words Brian.

From Greg O's Garage: The 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course in Motoring and Boating

Great piece of work, Dick Gorman. You’re very talented!

From Greg O's Garage: The 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race Course in Motoring and Boating