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Washington, D.C., circa 1922. "Hudson Coach, Connecticut Avenue Northwest." National Photo Company Collection glass negative. View full size.
That's lacquer for you. Looks stunning when it's new.
For some reason, autos in this style remind me of a dapper young man in tuxedo, tails, and a top hat!
The paint finish & gloss on that car is amazing...
You started me looking at the reflection. I upped the contrast and stretched it to better see the photographer, his tripod and two companions.
The car's finish is incredible. Look at the other cars in the distance, chalky and dull. Schmedleymobiles and Putzmobiles they are. Not the noble Hupmobile.
Why does a Hupmobile have hubcaps that say Hudson Motor Car Co.?
[The hubcaps say Hudson Super Six. Because, as you and other sharp-eyed Shorpians have ascertained, this is a Hudson. (I had meant to publish a different photo -- Hupmobile fans will have to wait a few more days.) - Dave]
I threw away all my old $10 bills when the new ones came out, so I guess we'll never know.
If you zoom in on the hubcaps, you will see that this car is not a Hupmobile at all. It is actually a 1922 Hudson Super 6 Coach. This body style was a two door, 5 passenger which sold new for $1,795. Due to its immediate popularity, by the end of 1922 they were able to lower the price to $1625. Hudson pioneered this body style as the first closed car available on the market in the same price level as an open touring car. By comparison, a Hudson Super 6, 7 Passenger Phaeton (an open touring car) sold for $1745. Hudson Motor Car Co. was the world's largest manufacturer of six cylinder automobiles at this time.
An image of the Hupmobile is featured on the back of the old US $10 bill.
The paint finish & gloss on that car is amazing, even by today's standards.
You can see St. Matthew's Cathedral in the background over on Rhode Island Avenue. Dupont Circle is to the left and Farragut Square is down Connecticut Avenue to the right. The car is not on Connecticut proper but just off. I used to work at 1225 Connecticut, which is just about 200 feet away. I think Jack Pry[e] had a car sales showroom right across the street from this shot, back in the 50s. Some of the buildings across the Avenue are still there, including the building with the bay windows. A great section of Connecticut Avenue.
The periodic rumour that the car on the old-style US {$10} bill was a Hupmobile has been strongly denied by the US Mint and the Bureau of Engraving. The original engraver used a composite of many US cars so as not to favour any one manufacturer.
[This information comes from the internet so it may or may not be true]
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