Greg O’s Garage: Long Island Motor Parkway Plates mounted on vehicles
Here are several of the only known photos of the Long Island Motor Parkway license plates mounted on vehicles.
Among the most sought-after pieces of Vanderbilia are the porcelain Motor Parkway license plates. From 1912 to 1937, an estimated 7,400 Long Island Motor Parkway license plates were manufactured including 6,700 regular plates and 700 golf club plates. However, there are only 90 known surviving plates, representing 1% of the total produced. Placed on the front of the car to notify the toll lodge keepers that the driver had a paid yearly pass for the parkway, these early Motor Parkway plates can be considered a precursor to the modern EZ-Pass.
Please forward any additional images of mounted Motor Parkway license plates to [email protected] .
Greg O.
This red/white dated 1928 plate #789 seen on a 1928 Chrysler Crown sedan 72 series.
This 1928 Chrysler carried the flight crew for the first successful East to West Transatlantic flight made from April 12 to 13, 1928.
These two red/white 1930 plates numbered 1000 seen here on this 1929 Rolls Royce Phantom and 1929 Lincoln Model L about to be loaded on the ship. Photo forwarded by Dave King.
1929 Rolls Royce Phantom
1929 Lincoln Model L
Red/White 1930 plate #421 on this 1930 Cadillac V16.
P.100 Images of America The Long Island Motor Parkway
With the authentic plate in the archives of the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium, the museum did place a reproduction of Willie K's 1937 #100 plate on the 1928 Lincoln in the museum garage.
The lucky owner of this 1931 V-8 Cadillac had not one, but two Parkway plates on the front of his car at the 2011 Cradle of Aviation Museum Car Show. These two plates have been added to the database of Motor Parkway license plates.
Comments
I see a familiar face standing immediately behind the fellow in the red shirt. One I see in the mirror every day! The Cadillac was ( may still be) owned by my friend Paul Memi of Brooklyn. It was sold new to someone in Oyster Bay who lived just north of Northern Blvd. and west of Rt. 106.
Greg, So far unable to add anything about who the two #1000 Motor Parkway plates were issued to. Do know that four #1000 plates were issued that year. First thought that the license plates on the two vehicles were from England, not so. Anybody ?
The Rolls Royce, being right hand drive, would appear to be Derby, not Springfield. Beautiful car even though I have a personal preference for the latter (with the American ‘pipe’ bumpers and ‘drum’ headlights. P1’s were and are wonderful cars, with superb engineering, IMHO.
Congratulations Howard your name and Tucker 1044 appear in Peterson’s November 2023 issue of Hot Rod Magazine page 32 as in little deuce coupe.