Paul Dunstall Performance, 1968

Paul Dunstall started modifying Nortons in the late fifties and became a licensed manufacturer of Norton Dominator-based race bikes in 1966 after purchasing the contents of the Norton Race shop. For those of us who couldn't afford a complete race bike, or were overseas, he also supplied go-fast parts for Nortons and BSAs.

 

Auburn Rubber Toy, GM Aerotrain

Another one of Auburn's cast rubber toys, this time a model of the GM Aerotrain, about 10 inches long. Except for the freight trucks, it's actually a pretty good rendition. 
 

1971 Impala

Longer is Better...

German dairy equipment

 Only here for the drawings....

Monday Mystery 2, Kradkurbelwellenanlasser

Thanks, Andre

The name is self explanatory....

 It's a motorcycle crankshaft starter and looks looks like quite the wacky device,  is it to start the motorcycle or to start the truck? Possibly both options?
 

Monday Mystery, German tool logo

Here's an ordinary pair of pliers made in West Germany, what I presume to be a stock number; 62-8 brings nothing up on Google, neither does the logo on the back of the pivot. This looks like possibly a pair of pliers crossed with a screwdriver, and some text which might be TO O LS, too bad about the corrosion. Any guesses as to the manufacturer?

 

Savannah Road Races

After problems with spectator control during the 1906 Vanderbilt Cup on Long Island, the race was cancelled for 1907. Some forward thinking people in Savannah, Georgia saw a chance to have race in their city. They set up an race event run on public roads in spring of 1908 as a test and a showcase. When it was run successfully they attempted to get the Vanderbilt Cup race run in the fall, this failed but they contacted the newly formed Automobile Club of America and secured an even bigger race, the International Grand Prize race which was run on Thanksgiving weekend 1908. There was a Light Car race run as a support class and everything was well organized and run. The event was well attended and the event was considered to be a complete success.

Convicts hard at work doing track prep, banking the curve.

 

There was no Grand Prize race held in 1909, the Vanderbilt Cup was run in conjunction with the American Automobile Club's Gold Cup race on the newly constructed Long Island Motor Parkway. The race suffered a spectator fatality and several injuries, making it apparent that racing could not be organized at that site and the Gold Cup race was cancelled.  The Savannah Automobile Club immediately lobbied for and got the race for 1910. A new course was laid out, and the whole city worked to get everything ready. Once again everything worked as planned and races ran successfully, this time David Bruce-Brown won in his Benz. 

1910/1911 course

David Bruce-Brown in the winning Benz.

By now, Savannah was becoming known for hosting multiple successful racing events and the city finally got the Vanderbilt Cup as well as the Grand Prize race in 1911. once again everything worked as planned and everything went off without a hitch.

Bruce-Brown's Fiat runs hot while being serviced.

Ralph Mulford winning the Vanderbilt Cup.

Bruce-Brown winning the Grand Prize race in a Fiat this time.

And that was it for the Savannah Races. The city had run all their races very successfully, but the thought was that there was nothing to be gained by doing it again. The huge amount of work in planning and running of the events as well as a growing local resistance to the disruption and magnitude of the events put an end to the races. Everyone was content to say, we done good, let's move on. 

Julian Quattlebaum, The Great Savannah Races, University of Georgia Press, 1957, 1983

Sidecar Sunday

RM Sotheby's auction

 

Safety first

   The Vanderbilt Cup was held on Long Island between the years 1904 and 1909. It was very popular with a quarter million spectators attending and only 16 police officers per mile to control the crowds. Here fans have taken up residence on buildings, fences and a telegraph pole to watch Louis Wagner corner on his 110 hp Darraq.

Ratchet action Speed Wrench

This wrench was based on 1973 patent number 3762244 for a wrench with ratcheting action accomplished with the shape of the jaw rather than moving parts. In other words, they lock while turning one direction and slip the other. The name SW seems to stand for Speed Wrench, not much info on the company name Specialty Tools Inc. mentioned in the patent.