MTFCA Forum

The seats in the crash look like velvet. Must have been a nice car.

I like the fire truck behind it where they cut the windshield to put in a bell.

The tree looks rather undamaged compared to what's left of the car, so there must be more to the story then what can be seen. For the size of the tree and damage to the car, I would think it would be sheared off or uprooted. Might have been a limo, even then the distance from the front wheels to rear is pretty long.

Not velvet.

Mohair, which was very common.

The original mohair upholstery in my dad's unrestored 1927 Hupmobile below.

i see damage to the fire truck,i think it pushed the car into the tree. i think it is a dodge. charley

The fire truck is an Ahrens Fox. It has right hand drive, and a midship pump. Most Fox's had a piston pump mounted in front of the motor.
The windshield is a "Cambridge " windshield, which was simular to side curtains, used in cold weather.

As an air ambulance helicopter pilot, I went to a lot of car vs tree accidents. The tree always wins, and you have to go pretty darn fast to knock over a tree, even one that small. In about 2008 we responded to a crash to find a new Volvo sedan wrapped around a tree that size. The car was in the process of rolling when it hit the tree with the middle of the roof. The car was folded in half, front and rear bumpers were about 1 foot apart. The teenage driver had the tree in his lap. Cops estimated his speed was in excess of 70 mph. Both femurs were broken, extrication took over an hour, but the driver (the only occupant) survived. The tree was only leaning a little bit. Cars of that era would be going slower and look worse after a crash, so it doesn't surprise me that the tree was intact.

Thanks Erik I never new what that material was called. Your dad's Hupmobile is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for posting the pictures.

Well, that is ONE way to get a good look at the upholstery?
Dodge is a possibility I think? But I was thinking General Motors. Most GM cars for a few years late '20s to maybe '32 had that ugly panel at the bottom of the radiator shell. I never could figure out the reason for it. If the radiator doesn't go that far down? Why make the shell that long? Cadillac, Oakland/Pontiac, and Oldsmobile, all did that. (Chevrolet some, but not quite so much.) This car does not appear large enough for Cadillac, and the shell lacks the distinctive styling that Oakland/Pontiac had those years. So I was leaning toward Oldsmobile. A good friend many years ago had a '28 Olds. If Olds, this car would be a year or two newer than his.
Just my thoughts on it.
I am not quite as familiar with Dodge of that era. I do think they had a similar lower panel for a short time?

I love the upholstery in so many cars of the late '20s. Simply plush, elegant, and VERY comfortable!
Nice Hupmobile by the way!

Erik, would you be so kind as to post a front and rear photo of the Hupmobile ?
They are such a seldom seen car anymore ! Thanks.

I think it may be a 1929 Studebaker President. The radiator shell looks very much like the picture below, particularly the oval crank hole / cover and the panel in the lower part of the shell.

Dan