About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
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Recent Comments
Howard, Among the nine automobiles sold that day was another Bugatti, a roadster, I think 1928-1929. It sold for a thousand dollars more than the Type 35 That one also went to a Long Islander. Wonder what that one is worth today.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
So the origins of this sign post isn’t related to the course in Douglaston at all. Better off the post found it’s home in North Hills, think it would’ve been forgotten/lost if delivered to the Links Complex. Say you set the all time record of solving a mystery here, Al : )
From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign
Howard, Got the answer. When the Links Condominium complex was built, the post was ordered and was to be placed at the old Links Golf Club entrance from the Motor Parkway. FedEx mistakenly delivered it to the North Hills Country Club turning it over to the greens keeper. The greens keeper thought the sign maker made a mistake painting Links Club on it. So….he took upon his self and repainted it…North Hills CC. After the sign dried he put it in the back of is truck. He then called the club’s president where to place it. The president figured the club’s historian ordered it and told the greens keeper, o k,... put it in front of the club house. On the way to the club house, the sign,... without the greens keeper knowing it, fell out of the truck near the 13th green. The greens keeper assistant, who was following him in another cart and who was going to do the actual digging, not told where it was to be placed, saw the sign on the ground, said to himself….ooo kaa, I guess this is where it goes. The greens keeper,... figured there was a change in plans, shrugged his shoulders and muttered, OK by me. SOLVED.
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Howard Kroplick
Al, nice try…very funny!
From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign
My first impression, this is an updated version of the original road marker. This sign doesn’t appear old.
From The Mystery of the North Hills Country Club "Vanderbilt Pkwy" Road Sign
Two new Bugatti images have been posted from The Brumos Collection.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Then& Now images of the Farnesworth Garage have been added to the post.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Howard, Another aspect of the sale that might be of interest is that it was held 22 years after Bird died. He was killed in a plane crash on June 4, 1940 piloting his own plane , a 4 passenger Beechcraft, no one else was aboard. I got a hunch one of the reasons he purchased the Billings estate was because it came with a 20 car garage.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Came across this nice photo of Joe Seymour and his mechanician within the DPL website.
From Mystery Foto #36 Solved: Joe Seymour Driving the #8 Thomas During the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
1925 Bugatti Type 35B valued around 5 million today.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
It’s a Bugatti Type 35, late 1920s-ish, small 4 cylinder possibly supercharged. Very popular race car at the time.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Third reply, Mystery Foto #28…One more pic of the Charles Addams Type 35 at Bridgehampton.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Addendum to my earlier reply to Mystery Foto #28… Another Long Islander who owned a Type 35 Bug was cartoonist Charles Addams (The Addams Family). See attached photo of his black Bugatti which appeared in his cartoons at least once shown on a trailer being towed by a hearse.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
What a glorious close-up shot of that Grumman Goose. I can see why the PW Seaplane Terminals have become a new obsession for you.
From Beutenmuller Family Collection: The People of the Port Washington Seaplane Terminals
Mystery Foto #28… The photo shows the 1925 Type 35 Bugatti, Chassis #4487.
It was bought new in 1925 by Wallace Bird of Locust Valley (or Brookville).
Eventually sold to Henry Austin Clark of Southhampton for $1750 in 1962.
As for value, the car was sold at a Gooding an Co. auction in 2017 for $3,300,000.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Jan H.
Great profile. My kind of guy!!
BTW Hershey is shut down as you probably know.
This thing won’t kill us but not going away until a cure is discovered, manufactured and delivered to all. 2023 earliest guess.
From Newsday: Frank Castagna (1928-2020) A Slice of Americana
Terry Dunne:
My father was a field engineer in construction who used to work for Frank Castagna…. my father would have been a hundred. Can’t believe that he was actually older than Frank. He certainly did build up Long Island to be what it is. Terry
From Newsday: Frank Castagna (1928-2020) A Slice of Americana
1925 Bugatti T35.
Wallis C. Bird, 1925. Mrs. Marjorie Bird inherited in 1940.
Some claims that the car was still in France in early 1930s.
Henry Austin Clarke, 1962. Bought $1,750.
Unknown new owner, 1980.
Estimated current value, in my opinion unknown.
Brumos Museum in Jacksonville, Florida, 2017. Bought $3,000,000/3,300,000.
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Well, it’s clearly a Bugatti, probably a 1925-31 Tipo 35-39. I’d guess a 35C. Sam, III
From Mystery Auto #28 Solved: 1925 Bugatti Type 35 Owned by Wallace Bird and Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
Art, The photo captioned, officials at Manhassett (sic) hill,....I think thats Spinney Hill which is east of Lakeville Rd. descending to where Northern Blvd.,Community Dr.and East Shore rd. converge.
From Kleiner's Korner: Part 5 - Motorcycling on Long Island Roads
Gary, If Chapple and Baker are….” making the ascent of Manhasset Hill”, .... Whitney Pond would be on the right of them. Also, Belcher Hyde got in wrong labeling it Mitchell"s Pond. Payne Whitney purchased the pond from Charles T. Mitchell in 1903.
From Kleiner's Korner: Part 5 - Motorcycling on Long Island Roads
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