Railroad tycoon W. Gould Brokaw was no stranger to the early racing
scene, as a Vanderbilt Cup competitor and serial buyer of enormous,
powerful cars. He even held race meets at his Great Neck, Long Island
estate, Nirvana, and once challenged Barney Oldfield to a series of
one-on-one races at $1,000 per race. His cars included a 200hp Benz, at
least two huge Renaults and a front-wheel drive Christie built for the
'07 French Grand Prix.
An always controversial, Gatsby-esque figure,
his interests extended to America's Cup and speedboat racing (his
Niagara IV was among the fastest yachts in the world), horses and
shooting sports. But he also a softer side, as evidenced by several extraordinary cars he commissioned over the years.
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