Vanderbilt Cup Races

From Paul Lewis Bancel:
Lingotto. Now that is cool!

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

Wow, great info. I was asking because there is a dedication plaque at the park specifying a death of a child drowning at the sand pit. There is a sign on one of the fences of the town park saying property of Nassau county so the county must have put up the fence around it before the town took over the property. The wooded area behind the park is a storm basin. Would love more info on this and St George Lake. Also I can’t find any info on Theodore Brown who owned the 16 acres sold to Long Island motor parkway. Was the land just used for farming prior to being a sand and gravel pit? Thanks!

From Sam & Dave’s “Excellent 2019 Vanderbilt Day”- #4 Albertson

FIAT, autos, Lingotto Italy, test track on roof, 13 fiats competed over the years, 04,05,06, 09. For a while they had a factory in upstate NY, on the Hudson (Credit Hemmings)

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

Greg, The “flying field” at Idle Hour might be related to WW1. At the time the Govt. acquired several large properties on the Island and built temporary flying fields. Among them was the field built on the Belmont estate in North Babylon. Vanderbilt did offer Idle Hour to the Govt. for a convalescent hospital for returning soldiers. Perhaps that was the outcome for the flying field scenario.

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

Mystery Foto #7… The factory in the photo was built by FIAT, construction starting in 1916. And, of course, they built automobiles there from 1923 till 1982.
Today it is a modern complex with concert halls, theater, a convention center, shopping arcades and a hotel. This factory is located in Lingotto, a district of Turin, Italy. The unique feature of the factory is a test track on the roof of the building. In this building when it was a car factory the raw materials arrived on the ground floor of the five floor building and as the assembly process proceeded the vehicles moved up floor by floor and arrived at the top floor test track when completed.
As for its link to The Vanderbilt Cup Races let’s just say that many FIAT built race cars competed in the early Vanderbilt Cup races.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

That is the Fiat automobile factory in Turin Italy. Opened I believe in 1923. Note the roof of the plant is a speedway. Connection to the Vanderbilt Cup Races is that in 1923 it was the site of a Vanderbilt Cup Race, (sort of). It was organized by a mostly unknown relative, Guglielmo del Vandabilta. Don’t recall the winner of the race but the prize was a 32 inch tall sterling silver wine glass.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

It’s amazing how many airfields there were on Long Island. There was one south of Target in Sayville when I was young. The Aerodrome in Bayport has some history behind it.

From Greg O's Garage; A Flying 'Feild' at William K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour

The factory was heavily damaged during WWll.  Now a park.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

FIAT - auto manufacturer
Lingotto,Turin - Italy
Auto track on the roof - meant to test FIATS rather than for speed trials
FIAT built many autos driven in numerous Vanderbilt Cup Races.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

Maryann, did you happen to notice the flying field post?

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

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

Hi Maryann-
Thank you for the kind offer!
Maybe my choice of words weren’t the most clear. But yes, I was trying to convey that Warren & Wetmore did the bachelor’s wing at the mansion, not the Palm House.

And also yes, I follow the OHS FB page regularly and happen to enjoy it very much!

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

Nice work!  OHS (Oakdale Historical Society) has some of the information and pictures you were able to find.  Contact us at above address and we will be happy to help you out.  We also maintain a Facebook page - Facebook.com/Oakdale Historical Society - that may be helpful to those who want to know more.  One little correction, the Palm House was never used for bachelors.  There WAS a bachelors “wing” added to the mansion, and the conservatory was changed to a Turkish room for entertaining, a big hit at the time.  The Palm House was built in its stead for Vanderbilt’s orchids.

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

- Pirelli, Tires
- Italy
- Banked track on roof
- supplied tires?

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

As part of the original property was also the area with many buildings for chicken coops. Now they are private residences called the “artist’s colony”.

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

Thanks for the compliments everyone!

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

great history of the Vanderbilts.

the restaurant on bay would be fun to report on. their fun boat spot now
serving great meals.

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

FIAT factory in Milan with test track on roof…Mystery Photo #7

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

I believe it’s the FIAT facility in Italy with the test track on the roof.

From Mystery Friday Foto #7 Solved: The former FIAT Lingotto Factory in Turin, Italy

Best and most informative now and then photos of the estate ever ! Great job Greg.

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings

Excellent photos and history of the estate. I certainly hope the vacant structures are repurposed soon. Nice work Greg!

From Greg O's Garage; W.K. Vanderbilt Sr's Idle Hour Estate and Outbuildings