Vanderbilt Cup Races

Guess the drivers didn’t mind their clothes becoming dirty. EVERYONE wears their best for these events.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

I’m going to guess the 1904 AAA race. Looks like Willie K behind the wheel. This car is too advanced for the first auto race in 1895. No clue on location, likely macadam road surface, it could be Long Island. Great stumper mystery Howard, can it be solved?

https://newsroom.aaa.com/about-aaa/aaa-timeline/1902-1909/

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Sorry, Frankl Dad was a daredevil driver but not THAT crazy - no crashing through fences or bouncing across fields (it was I that did the latter).  Funny, now I clearly remember the Flushing stretch - there was a long row of low Tudor-style stores, with diagonal-pattern roof shingles, right up against the roadway on the south side of No. Blvd., probably out around {?} Murray Hill.  Your linking the W. C. Fields movie reminds me that there were other films shot on the LIMP; 1937’s “Topper” comes instantly to mind - the Flying Wombat segment.  Uh, oh; that was the custom ‘36 Buick Roadmaster roadster.  See the 26 Jul 2011 blog.  The Wombat was the Phantom Corsair on a ‘37 Cord 810 chassis and was in 1938’s “The Young at Heart”.  Both cars were bodied by Bohman & Schwartz.  Well, ONE of those films was supposedly shot on the LIMP.  I’d like to post (or see posted) a full list.  Sam, III

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

*Race, Date, Location, & Date:  Newport Automobile Races - Aquidneck Park, Newport RI - 8/30/1901

*Auto, Make, HP, Driver:  Mercedes “Red Devil” 35 HP, owned by William K Vanderbilt Jr

*Winner:  Willy K won the 2 main races. 5 mile for gasoline vehicles 12 HP +, and the 10 mile for all 6 classes of vehicles.

All answers thanks to the 12/21/2009 Blog here.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

The saying that Walter Chrysler bestowed upon a ‘lazy person’ has much truth to it. Sometimes a hard worker can become very fixated on their task and wear themselves out. Good Leader’s know who to seek out for certain tasks.

We always like to know your recollection’s, Sam III. Your father expressing his disgust to Chrysler is priceless! I hope the company reimbursed him in some way.

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

This photo is from a series of 16 automobile races for various classes of motorized vehicles held at Aquidneck Park (horse racing) in Newport, RI on August 30, 1901. Depending on the class, the length of each race varied from 3 to 10 miles. The races were sponsored by the National Automobile Racing Association with Willie K. as president. The car in the photo is Willie K.‘s 35 HP Mercedes (nick-named “Red Devil”) driven by him. Since he won 3 races that day (the 11th. and 15th. at 5 miles and the 16th. at 10 miles), I’m guessing this is from the last race.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

The September 1900 Newport Race Rhode Island
First Vanderbilt Cup trophy
William Vanderbilt driving a Daimler was winner
There were 13 races, each 5 miles, and Vanderbilt won 3.
He drove a French Daimler Phoenix, 23 horsepower, to speed 100 mph.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Thank you Howard,
Excellent !

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

This is the Rhode Island Automobile Club 10 mile race held at Aquidneck Park, horse track, Newport, R.I. August 30, 1901.  The car pictured is the custom built 35 hp Mercedes called the ‘Red Devil’ and the driver is William K. Vanderbilt. This car and driver won this race at an average speed of 33.7 or 33.9 mph depending on which article one reads.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Thanks to Art Kleiner, Paula S., and son Jeff, a view of the parkway in the opposite direction, taken about the same time as the 1951 article, but from the nearby Roosevelt Field bridge.

From Newsday, November 15, 1951: Motor Parkway Pioneered U.S. Auto Travel

Sam - that is neat! That was my next question but you answered it - which car was that rolled down the Motor Parkway with you in it? Wish I had the opportunity to do so too but was born too late. Sounds like it was a wild and unforgettable ride! The link below is the closest I can now get to it.
https://youtu.be/XnUZBGSvKWQ

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

The current Deleware plate is dark and narrow with about the same proportion as your Lost Tucker Factory Plates

From Update: Automobilia Magazine Interview: The Search for Two Original Tucker License Plates

Interesting article about Creedmoor and the use of the Motor Parkway.

From Remnants of Long Island Motor Parkway Discovered in Queens

Oh, hey; this reminded me that my father’s (Sam, Jr.‘s) last job, before he became one of of NYC’s leading funeral directors (along with his father, Sam, Sr.), was as a construction supervisor on the Chrysler Building’s foundation.  That may have been for Godwin Construction.  He was a Chrysler owner almost his entire life.  He bought a big Nash (later part of AMC/Chrysler) 8 roadster ca. 1930 after the owner went out a window in the Crash, bought a giant Pierce Arrow roadster as a second car for Mom, who had to take her road test in it on the fierce W. 116th St. hill, drove Dodges to ‘41, tried a ‘49 Chevy as a second car, despised it, then tried a ‘50 2-speed Powerslide, dumped it almost instantly, and stayed with Chryslers ever after.  Dad had a brand new Hemi block split and wrote directly to Walter in his fury, even though I assured him WPC was dead by then.  Oh, I come by that fixation honestly!  It was the new ‘37 or ‘38 Dodge in which he drove me on the LIMP just as soon as he heard it would close down; he did things like that on the spur of the moment and I rode standing up in the back seat hanging on the the braided rug rope for dear life.  I even remember that we drove out on No. Blvd., through old Flushing.  Bet he ran Dead Man’s Curve at full tilt, too!  I love the connections and recollections the blogs drag out of me and the other LIMPers.  Thanks, Howard.  Sam, III

From Buick Bugle: How are Chrysler and Buick Connected?

-Identify the automobile race, its date, location and length.
August 30,1901, half-mile Aquidneck Park horse track near Newport, Rhode Island -5-mile heats and a final 10-Mile Race

-Identify the automobile, its manufacturer, HP and its driver
1901 35-HP Mercedes “Red Devil” owned and driven by Willie K.

-Who was the winner of the race?
From VCR; “The “Red Devil” won the 5-mile heats for “Gasolene Vehicles developing more than 12 Horse Power”. In the final 10-Mile Race, not surprisingly, the “Red Devil” out-powered the winners of the other classes and won the championship, averaging 39.0 miles per hour.”

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Mystery Friday Foto #30… This photo was taken at the 1901 Newport Automobile Race, held on August 30 at a horse track called Aquidneck Park. The car was a 35hp Mercedes owned by William K Vanderbilt, jr. He called it the “Red Devil”. He was the the driver of the Mercedes and won both races that day… winning the final race at an average speed of 39mph… faster than I would have imagined that long ago.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

Frank Femenias’s LIMP map is marked at every 5 miles. Some ‘stops’ are at 5 mile points:  Wheatley Hills Golf Club, Half Way House Tea Room, Ronkonkoma Lodge.

From Newsday, November 15, 1951: Motor Parkway Pioneered U.S. Auto Travel

I can swear that’s Willie K’s profile behind the wheel. If this photo was taken early in the morning, photographer is facing SW but where? More research is in order.

From Mystery Foto #30 Solved: Willie K's "Red Devil" at the 1901 Newport Automobile Races

JeRita is correct! I constantly see horses within Motor Parkway construction photos along the LIMP; sometimes captured merely standing by, or participating in more arduous tasks that would be too strenuous for humans. The horses definitely played a role here, in the parkway’s completion. 

From Documenting the Location of the 1908 Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the Motor Parkway

The film was made by Graphic Films according to the end credit. This company was founded in 1941 by Les Novros, a former Disney staffer who worked on Snow White and on Fantasia. Graphic Films made several films for the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

I couldn’t help but notice. “Allegro” was also the name of a small car made in England by British Leyland in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s. Today it is considered one of the worst cars ever made.

From Ford Styling Film:Two Automobiles That May Have Influenced the Design of the 1963 Mustang III