Topic: Whaddyacallit #91- SOLVED - Louis Van Dyke's one-off based on a 1941 Hudson

[Ray B.]

Ever seen this ?

Please, respond below and let us know the make and model designation of the car posted here.
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Thanks!

[Ray B.]

Make and model doesn't mean much here. So:
What car in under that body ? Also, eventually, the owner of the car.

[jotage21]

I have a old magazine about this car. Itīs designed after a record car. Itīs American. Iīll look for the magazine.

[Ray B.]

You're on to something.

[Paul Jaray]

Hi, this is built by Louis Van Dyke starting from a Hudson from 1941, inspired by a famous recordman.

[Ray B.]

I thought this one was going to last a bit longer (how many times have I wrote that?)
Louis Van Dyke's car it is, supposedly inspired by one of Henry Segrave's record cars (although I can't find one that looks a bit like that).
Well done !

[Paul Jaray]

and...

[Paul Jaray]

I found new info about this car.
It has got a totally different name and builder...on a '41 Hudson 8 chassis

[Paul Jaray]

I think there is material for another "rare car of the week"!

[Paul Jaray]

In the article below you can read the second part of this car's story.
It was bought at Indianapolis by Roger Barlow in 1947 and dubbed "the Iron Lung Special" by his partner, Louis Van Dyke when He saw it in Beverly Hills...

[Paul Jaray]

...but only at Autopuzzles you can read the name of the builder and the original name given to the car back in the early 40s, and see a pic of this earlier version!

This car was designed by Russ Sceli and hand-hammered by Jarma Nurmi. It used a Hudson 8 running gear and about 400 feet of angle iron for the frame. Sceli was probably inspired by the Chrylser Thunderbolt.
The name of his creation was The Sceli Complex.

[Ray B.]

If the weather allowed it, Paul, my hat would be off to you.As you say, "only at Autopuzzles"!

[Paul Jaray]

I put the pics back at their place.

Geoffrey Hacker is going to write an article about this car.
Please, let's share all you got!

In the meantime, here you are a pic I found in the 2014 Amelia Island auction catalogue, pag.92: