A Hupmobile Aerodynamic and a Car ID Test

It is almost a given that when archaeologists stumble upon the remains of a literate society, they have a limited number of written words to decipher.  To be fair to our ancestors, carving symbols into stone or making your own paper is exhausting work.  Today, the entire experience has changed completely.  Craigslist ads like this one, which consists of a brief description of a stunningly rare 1935 Hupmobile Aerodynamic and a smattering of pictures of other interesting and rare automobiles, make me think of the poor digital archaeologists of the future.  Will these inquisitive souls scratch their heads and wonder why a society that enjoyed full use of the limitless internet would use so few words to describe items for sale?  Can you help identify the cars in this interesting stash of collectibles?  If so, get a sheet of paper and number it from 1-11.  Your quiz begins now.  You can place your answers in the comments if you would like to be graded by your fellow readers.

The first car is a freebie.  Here, you see a rare 1935 Hupmobile J-521 sedan that the seller has begun to restore.  These Raymond Loewy-designed Hupmobiles are seldom seen and are one of the more impressive Art Deco designs of the time.  We are told that it is all original and is complete including the hard-to-find headlight lenses, hubcaps, and taillights.  As you can see from the picture above, the interior has been impressively restored, complete with new interior wood and floors.  An interesting mention in the ad is that the engine is stuck.  The cylinder head has been removed but doing so has not changed the engine’s rotational status.  One would think that the engine would be restored before the interior, but perhaps the seller is more comfortable with starting inside.

The second car is a mystery to me.  The styling cues seem to be from the late 1920s.  Zooming in on the radiator shell’s badge doesn’t reveal much due to the quality of the picture.  It is obviously an orphan make, such as a Hudson or a Nash of some sort.  It also looks restorable, with the only glaring issue being the missing running board.  The creepy mannequin will have to go though.

Car number three’s formal lines and overall size give you a Rolls-Royce vibe at first glance.  However, this is no Rolls.  Looking at the car closely reveals a large set of brass headlamps, large wire wheels, cycle-style fenders, and a golf club door from when a set of golf clubs didn’t require a cart to haul them around.  Is this a Diana?  If so, there are supposedly just 18 surviving examples of that short-lived make.  Could this one be #19?

Car number four is a “Bathtub” Nash of some sort.  What year and model do you think it is?  The car appears to be riding on a fresh set of whitewall tires and is currently tagged.  Given the reputation these interestingly styled vehicles enjoy as comfortable driver-level collectibles, it makes sense that the seller would keep this one in good shape to serve in this capacity.

Can you identify the year of car number five, which is a Nash Metropolitan hardtop?  Stripped down to the body shell for what looks to be an excellent paint job, this little imported Nash seems to be on the road to complete restoration.  These diminutive little cars were an interesting experiment for Nash, and they came in a variety of fifties colors.  This salmon-colored example should be a stunner when finished.

Car number six is an early fifties Pontiac hardtop of some sort.  These cars were close cousins to Chevrolets and were known to be smooth runners with their inline six or inline eight-cylinder engines.  Can you tell us the year and the trim level on this car?

This rusty but likely restorable Packard is our seventh car to identify.  The ship’s wheel and badge suggest that this is a Packard Clipper.  What year do you think it is?  1955?  1956?

Above for our eighth entry is a Corvair convertible.  These are some of the greatest values in the collectible car world today.  While the drivetrain location and configuration are unusual by American standards, those in the know still call these the “poor man’s Porsche.”  Can any of you pinpoint the year of this car and its trim level with just one photograph?  With a little spit and polish, is this car close to being back on the road?

Car number nine is an Edsel station wagon that, while rusty and disheveled, still has a lot of life left in it.  There are more than a few of you looking lustily at this old wagon and imagining yourselves behind the wheel after getting it running and finding some tires.  Wagons have surged in popularity over the last ten years, and this one is definitely worth the effort to get back on the road again.  Do you know enough about Edsels to tell us the year and model of this one?

We have a few writers here at Barn Finds who are walking encyclopedias when it comes to foreign cars.  We may have to consult them for car number ten.  With just a side profile to work with, it is hard to be completely sure on this one.  Any guesses or should we ask for help?

Finally, our eleventh car may not be a legitimate car at all.  Is this little beastie a pint-sized reject from the movie Maximum Overdrive or was it a legitimately marketed car at one point?  If so, why?  Would you drive this one?  Would you do so in an area where your friends might see you?

So, there is our lineup.  If you want to play, place your guesses in the comments for each car from numbers one through eleven.

If you are in the market for a 1935 Hupmobile Aerodynamic sedan or any of the other cars hinted at by the seller, then they are all for sale on Craigslist in Oxnard, California.  The price on the partially restored Hupmobile is listed as $15,000 or best offer.  As for the rest of the cars, a phone call to the seller may be your best bet.  Thanks to T.J. for racking up a heck of a find!