This car has always interested me... Although originally built for someone else in 1940, the little roadster is mostly known as the James Wong Howe car. Wong Howe was an two-time Academy Award winning cinematographer that is still known as one of the... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
The design sketch that was made for this car used a 1940 (perhaps 1939) Mercury as a base. Take a look at the shape of the fenders both front and rear, and the rear wheel opening, and grille clearly show all the Mercury elements. For some reason they did however start with a 1940 Ford... and that might be the reason why they extended the front fenders.... !!!
I think that thing showed up at the Leadsled Spectacular in Springfield Missouri in 86 and no oone even looked at it.
I saw that at an NSRA meet at Columbus in the early '90s, it had a Dodge 318 in it at the time,...you could tell from miles away it was a Coachcraft car!
Seems to miss the mark IMO. Must've been an amazing amount of work to come up with something that is just sorta ok. Looks much like this one, built for the son of a GM exec in 1941... The roofline is just as bad, but at least the fenders flow a bit.
Good call, Big A, sometimes making a change just for change sake an't so good. Thats what i think of every time I see a Lincoln pick up truck or a Cadillac truck, they remind me of the "family truckster"
I prefer the '40 Ford custom to this, just having more doesn't usually make me like a design better. Guess I normally go for cars that are simple, subtle, and clean. Both are good examples of Coachcraft's outstanding craftsmanship and custom design abilities.
Craftsmanship maybe, but not custom styling (again, that's just my opinion). Well, I was thinking cut-down doors might help it, but that yellow version is a bit extreme. They should have taken some styling cues from a Jag XK120 or maybe an MGA, I think it needs some curves.
These two have always been my favorites among Coachcraft's work. Probably in part because they were among the first customs I ever saw -- both were featured in Trend Book #101, "Custom Cars", the first book I saw on the subject. Notice that in this picture of the Solomon/Howe car, the top looks as if it's body color rather than fabric covered (probably just a lighting quirk). Notice also in the later pictures of it with blackwalls, that the rear window has been changed to oval -- not an improvement, in my book. I also find it interesting that these two cars, which are 95% custom sheetmetal, use stock '40 DeLuxe headlight doors. I like them very much, but it's funny considering the number of people that have changed their mild custom '40s to something else.
Tony, I think they created a complete new top. The original is rather high above the windsheild and has very elegant round side window openings. The newe top has the oval rear window, like you mention, but also lacks the height above the windsheild, and has much lower not so round side window openings. This car has also made a huge impact on me. I saw it in a different book (Automobile and Culture) and everything about it just seamed perfect to me... then and now.
Spot on - thanks for the rear 3/4 picture - shows the amazing work on the front fender extension. The one side view doesn't look as smooth as I thought it was. What a neat car.
Thanks, Rik, I see the differences in the side window and overall height that I had overlooked before. Personally, I think the original top is more consistent with the overall shape of the car. Apparently the later owner attempted to improve the car's shape in his view -- but I don't think he succeeded. Edit: I just realized that the car has been lowered significantly from its earlier form, too -- notice where the skirts and front wheel wells fall on the wheels & tires. Anyway, great car (sez me).
In its original form, this is one of my favorite all-time customs--or whatever you want to call it. There's just nothing wrong with it; it doesn't need anything. I hope some day to see it totally restored--raised back up, and with a better top--on the cover of The Rodder's Journal. That would be sweet.
Wescotts makes a channeled 39 conv. I have never seen one but it might be close to the coachcraft. IT DOS'NT HAVE RUNNING BOARDS THE FENDERS ARE CLIPPED AND THE HOOD IS SECTIONED.
Hey, This would have been a neat trick given that Malcom Sayer had yet to lay pencil to paper on the Jaguar XK 120-150 series, and the bloaks@ Morris Garages & Pressed Steel couldn't even have dreamed of the MGA when the two Coachcraft Fords were built. Most all of Coachcraft's design influences came from French and Italian coachbuilders, not Harry Westergard or Sam Barris. Swankey Devils C.C. " Meanwhile, back aboard The Tainted Pork"
Big A ... while I respect your right to have an opinion on the Paul Plannette 1939 Coachcraft Mercury Roadster, I'm kinda wondering how you would expect the guys at Coachcraft to take styling cues from a Jag XK120 (built from 1948 to 1954) or an MG MGA (built from 1955 to 1962)??? ... the Paul Plannette "door-less wonder" was built in late 1939 & early 1940! ... and btw, (like Ryan stated) the Soloman / Wong-Howe car was built in 1940. 6:10 PM Edit: D'Oh!!! ... I see now that pimpin paint beat me to it ... I was double checking my facts before clicking the Submit Reply button ... and got side-tracked reading about the XK120's & MGA's!
Styling clues for XK120, MGA, and several other postwar sports cars came from BMW's designed and raced 1939-1941 (yes 1941 long o/t story) These were basically unknown outside a small group of racers in Europe till after the war. Trust me I know waaaaaay to much about them.
I really, really like the windshield frame, especially where the outer pillars meet the cowl. Honestly not a fan of all of coachcraft's stuff, but they always nailed those fat fender roadster windscreens. The windscreen seems to be the nemesis of a full custom fat fender roadster, they're either way too big or way too small. Balance is rare.
Nice car that I'm looking at and reading about for the first time. If it was to be restored at some time I guess the question would be to what date? Early top or second top, I like the looks of the second one. Could be camera angles but the windsheilds look different.
Customs are for the owner, you either like them or you don't. I personally don't like 40's cut up that way, but that is me.
Great photos Derby... never knew the car was white as well. I have to find my copies of the Street Rodder article on this car again to see what the date of it was. I wonder if the car was first white and then redone in the dark red, or the way around. Do you know anything about how the car is doing now?
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