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
From Art Kleiner:
From the Peter Helck Family Collection comes this letter from friend Al Nagle indicating purchase of a set of the Locomobile postcards.
From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race
The course was at Roosevelt Field (Raceway), Garden City.
From British Movietone News: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
How do you account for the loss of HP and torque? Is the engine worn out, worn out piston rings, etc.? That would surprise me.
From TheDrive.com: There's No Dyno Run like an Original 1948 Tucker 48 Dyno Run
Where was this course? Merrick Ave - so I assume in Nassau. But where was there enough room for a course like this?
From British Movietone News: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Your Fairchild Aerial Survey photo of Northern State Parkway under construction from its temporary terminus of Jericho tpk is earlier than 1939, since that strestch of Parkway was opened in Dec1938
From Mystery Foto #97 Solved: Rare Wooden Long Island Motor Parkway Sign (1933-1938)
Art, Regarding the Bagatelle Nursery map. There is more to it than the Nursery being adjacent to the Parkway. In 1927 the Parkway sold two parcels of land totaling around 270 acres to Dr. H. B. Baruch, the owner of Bagatelle Nursery for which he paid $54,000. Some of the acquired acreage was separated by the Parkway. As a condition of the sale Dr. Baruch requested and received permission to build a bridge over the Parkway at his expense. So. besides highway bridges, Parkway bridges, farmway bridges, a farmway underpass, we can also include a nursery bridge.
From Kleiner's Korner: Part V - Motor Parkway Maps and More
From Art Kleiner:
Brian - I found the picture of Crawford on-line in “The Garden City News”(gcnews.com) of July 17, 1995. The story was written by John Ellis Kordis and was actually an account by Crawford’s boyhood friend, Ned Scott, of how they got to see Charles Lindbergh taking off from Roosevelt Field in 1927. Here’s the link. Enjoy!
https://www.gcnews.com/articles/eyewitness-to-history/
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
Nice photo of Crawford which looks to be Opening Day of the Garden City Chamber of Commerce, Art. Probably found within a local history book?
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
Great stuff Art! This will take time to sort through.
From Kleiner's Korner: Part V - Motor Parkway Maps and More
Mystery Friday Foto #23… Here is my take on the driver photo. I will say it was George H. Robertson, who raced and won the 1908 Vanderbilt cup. He stopped racing because he was injured in practice for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup. In that practice session he allowed a news reporter to ride with him. The panicked reporter clutched at Robertson at exactly the wrong moment. Robertson suffered arm injuries in the resulting accident which meant an end of racing for George.
Later in life George was the publisher of a newspaper called the Roslyn News.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
Same picture as above, except the Simplex banner isn’t shown and minus Elsie Janis’ autograph (Brooklyn Life, 1906). And more of the complete story behind the picture session from Automobile Topics, 1906. Elsie Janis out and about (The Automobile, April, 1906).
From Vanderbilt Cup Race Drivers on the Broadway Stage in 1906
George’s involvement with Roslyn and picture of son Crawford.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
George Robertson, 1905, 1906 American Elimination Races, 1908 VCR (Winner)
Left racing due to arm injuries incurred during practice for the 1910 VCR.
Son Crawford Robertson lived in Garden City.
George became publisher in 1929 of several local papers, including the “The Roslyn News”. He also spearheaded the fundraising campaign in 1930 to clean up Roslyn Park, now named Gerry Park.
Picture taken mid-late 1940s.
See photos indicating George and family lived at 36 Superior Road in 1930 in Bellerose (Floral Park) and his occupation as newspaper publisher. In 1940 he is listed as head of sales with a razor manufacturer and Crawford as sales engineer for an air conditioning service.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
Tough mystery. I’ll keep trying.
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
-Identify the driver and every Vanderbilt Cup Race that he was associated with.
George Robertson drove in the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup American Elimination Race, crashed during practice for the 1906 race, and won the 1908 race.
-What was the reason that he stopped racing?
From VCR.com;
“Robertson’s driving career came to an untimely and abrupt conclusion at the scene of his greatest triumph during practice for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The decision to allow a news reporter to ride with him proved disastrous. When the panicky reporter clutched at Robertson at exactly the wrong moment, his life was changed forever. Arm injuries suffered in the resulting accident meant the end of race driving for George Robertson.”
-In which Nassau County village did the driver’s son live?
His son Crawford lived in Garden City.
-Associate the driver with the Village of Roslyn.
From VCR.com;
“
In the summer of 1929, George H. Robertson, winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, became head of North Hempstead Press and publisher of The Roslyn News, The Nassau County Sun and The Williston Post. While viewing the swamp, he remarked it was “an ideal spot for a public park” and started a fund-raising campaign.
Robertson discovered that former Roslyn resident Alice Hicks had established a trust fund for a memorial center for Henry Bergh, founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He convinced the Hicks’ executor that the “memorial centre” be built in Roslyn Park rather than New York City. Robertson also “corralled officials from the Town of North Hempstead and local organizations” to pay for the other elements of the park.”
-What was the likely year when this photo was taken?
Just an educated guess knowing previous images; 1940
From Mystery Foto #23 Solved: 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Winner George Robertson
And the winner . . .
From British Movietone News: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Some photos of the race from the Oct. 27, 1936 issue of “Motor”.
From British Movietone News: The 1936 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Art, Motor Age got it all wrong regarding the bonds.
From Helck Family Collection: Long Island Motor Parkway Inc. $1,000 Four Per Cent Gold Bond
Great story Howard. I remember waking up Sam to see that. My wife almost killed me.
I have you beat though. I was at game 6 of the 1986 WS. I still have the ticket! I have to meet Mookie one day and have him sign it. Might be worth something.
I so glad A Rod didn’t buy / partner w someone to buy the Mets. He might be the only thing worse then the Wilpons! Dolan might be worse.
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Howard Kroplick
The most amazing Met game ever!
From Off-Topic: Nine Years Ago on June 1: A New York Met Memory
Article describing the $1.7 million bond placement and prominent investors. Note the change in the route decided upon. From “Motor Age”, Feb. 11, 1909.
From Helck Family Collection: Long Island Motor Parkway Inc. $1,000 Four Per Cent Gold Bond
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