Vanderbilt Cup Races

My dad bought this Bugatti from a owner of a garage in Massachusetts. Apparently Otto Kahn’s son had ignored the storage costs of this car and my dad bought it for only 500$. Unfortunately he loaned it to a friend while he was involved with WW2. When he came back his friend told him that the car was destroyed in a hurricane . Easy come easy go.

I spot a number of well-known Long Islanders.  Here’s one of them - Frank Gulden. My Grandmother, Mary Ryder, worked for the Gulden (Mustard) family; Frank Gulden (1878-1961), lived at 111 Hilton Ave, Hempstead in 1925, w/wife & 4 children; in 1930 was Pres. w/son Frank, Jr. as VP of Gulden’s Mustard; Company started c.1862 by Charles Gulden (1843-1916), Frank’s father.

Extensive and interesting list Greg, nice work!

Greg, There were two categories of plate holders. The Season Ticket purchasers and the Official Pass receivers. This group did not pay to use the Parkway, they included political figures, Police officials, Fire Chiefs, etc. Remember, the Parkway ran thru several different municipal jurisdictions.
Toll collectors could tell who was who because of the numbering system. For example, in 1928 plates numbered between 1000-2000 were reserved for Pass holders and in 1929 Pass holders received plates numbered between 700 and 900. I member seeing at least one list at the Vanderbilt Museum headed pass holders Hope this helps.

That’s great Gary! Didn’t know the Guldens were Long Islanders. My only claim to fame is growing up friends with the Fox family in Great Neck. They were responsible for Fox’s U-Bet.

The Bugatti was stored in a garage near the water in Stony Brook in 1944 and was flooded by that years hurricane.  It was red.  The friend was in the army and when he came home was told the car was scrapped due to the flooding.

Greg, To make things a little clearer regarding the Season Ticket purchase. The term is a little misleading as it was good for a given calendar year. For most of the Parkway’s existence the cost of such a ticket was around $50.00. The purchaser received a small paper ticket and one plate. If an addition plate was requested ( with the same number) it cost the buyer an additional 25 cents.

Wow! 50$ in 1930 is equivalent to about 833$ today. Al, I’m assuming the paper ticket was proof of purchase and kept in the vehicle at all times. Please clarify. Any photos available of such paper ticket? Great details as always, thanks!

This is great! A lot of prominent figures of the time.

The fundamental problem with LIMP is it was part of a massive one upping contest (by the Vanderbilt grandchildren) that squandered the Vanderbilt fortune that Cornelius and William Henry worked so hard to create. Massive disrespect to their sacrifices.

Yet this is a topic rarely discussed—how come?

Frank, There is a picture of a Parkway paper season ticket in the Spring 2000 issue of Long Island Forum magazine. Your library most likely has a copy in their reference section.

Eric, My spin on your one upping comment is that it started with Alva Vanderbilt, Willie’s mother.

Eric,
Al, as always, is correct. Willie K’s mother Alva, had an insatiable will to build extravagant estates and was to a certain degree, the beginning of the end. By that time, the later generations were better at spending the fortunes of the Commodore and William Henry, rather than working hard to maintain it. Willie K, and the rest of the 4th+ generations simply furthered the spending spree watering it down to next to nothing today. The preface of the book, ‘William K. Vanderbilt ll A Biography’ written by former Vanderbilt Museum President Steven Gittelman gives a little insight to this.

Greg, Willie wasn’t a reckless spender. In fact he lived well within his means. He didn’t have “real money” until his father died in 1920 receiving an inheritance of $20,000,000 plus dollars. In 1931, during the Great Depression, he took deliver of the yacht Alva, I believe it was the largest yacht in the world at the time… and promptly went on a seven month cruise around the world. He died in 1944 leaving an estate of more than $36, 000,000. Let’s do the math. $20,000,000 in 1920… $36,000,000 in 1944, living the high life in between… The next generation didn’t fare that well because the inheritance tax at the time was 90% .... thats not a typo.

I was surprised to see on this list a Jerome Trepel. I believe he was a cousin of my grandfather’s. My grandfather and all four of his brothers were florists in Brooklyn and Manhattan from late 1800’s to 1960’s. I think Jerome was also a florist out on Long Island.