Topic: Whaddyacallit #408 - Frank Hershey's design for a production Hewson Rocket

[Ray B.]

No. Not very well-known maybe, but once head designer for a famous coachbuilder.

[streamliner]

...and would that coachbuilder also have been located in California?

[Ray B.]

It sure would.

[storekeep60]

Was this person involved with aircraft design/building as well?

[streamliner]

How 'bout Fageol?  Looks similar to his streamliner....

[Ray B.]

It's not Fageol. I don't have time to check storekeep's question. All I can remind you is that this designer "was not very well-known maybe, but once head designer for a very famous California coachbuilder."

[Otto Puzzell]

Hey, Ray - great to see you. I hope you're on the mend!

[Ray B.]

Some new plumbing, seems to function well. Thanks for the welcome.

[Paul Jaray]

Philip Egan was from California...
Alexis de Sakhnoffsky ?

[Ray B.]

Not him either.

[Ray B.]

... this designer "was not very well-known maybe, but once head designer for a very famous California coachbuilder."

Unfortunately, there is one famous website where this could be found, but it doesn't seem to function these days. But surely there must be other places.

Let's send this one out to hyper-space, in the meantilme.

[streamliner]

Frank Hershey?

[Ray B.]

Goddamighty, how did you find it?
That's him indead, and the coachbuilder where he was at a time head designer is Murphy.
I had this puzzle for a magazine and it must have been very hard to find. Two points, one for the car, one for the designer.

There was another design proposal by Strother McMinn. I'll post the pic later.

[streamliner]

I didn't find it...  In this case it was more a process of elimination of the other top designers of their day.  Strother MacMinn did come up as a possibility several times, but he didn't fit the bill.  I can't wait to see his interpretation...

That's one of the best things about this site.  The tangents that you go down tracking down clues and images, the names of cars and designers, all the histories and stories to go along with the cars:  It's all there at your fingertips.  It's a forced education in the evolution of the automobiles and the people that made them.  You can't help but learn about 15 - 20 other cars as you chase clues, and you can't help but get a whole new perspective and respect for some of the most trivial of design elements that most people take for granted.

This was one of the best puzzle experiences I've had, and I have to share it with you guys.  After it was clear there was nothing! on the net, I called the Lane Museum to see what they knew about the Hewson Rocket's designers, but the conversation quickly turned to their various other cars and histories.  They also put me in touch with Coachcraft's Bill Stoessel, son of Rudy, Coachcraft's founder, and builder of the Hewson Rocket. We spoke a couple times for hours just on cars, designers, and the golden era of the custom builts and one-offs.  He, in turn, put me in touch with Bob Knee, one of "Dutch" Darrin and Packard's most noted authorities.  Again, after many long conversations and great  stories, by this time the Hewson Rocket was long gone, but a whole new group of outstanding people and fellow autoholics had been established. 

   Thanks for posting this one!!!!

[Otto Puzzell]

I didn't find it...  In this case it was more a process of elimination of the other top designers of their day.  Strother MacMinn did come up as a possibility several times, but he didn't fit the bill.  I can't wait to see his interpretation...

That's one of the best things about this site.  The tangents that you go down tracking down clues and images, the names of cars and designers, all the histories and stories to go along with the cars:  It's all there at your fingertips.  It's a forced education in the evolution of the automobiles and the people that made them.  You can't help but learn about 15 - 20 other cars as you chase clues, and you can't help but get a whole new perspective and respect for some of the most trivial of design elements that most people take for granted.

This was one of the best puzzle experiences I've had, and I have to share it with you guys.  After it was clear there was nothing! on the net, I called the Lane Museum to see what they knew about the Hewson Rocket's designers, but the conversation quickly turned to their various other cars and histories.  They also put me in touch with Coachcraft's Bill Stoessel, son of Rudy, Coachcraft's founder, and builder of the Hewson Rocket. We spoke a couple times for hours just on cars, designers, and the golden era of the custom builts and one-offs.  He, in turn, put me in touch with Bob Knee, one of "Dutch" Darrin and Packard's most noted authorities.  Again, after many long conversations and great  stories, by this time the Hewson Rocket was long gone, but a whole new group of outstanding people and fellow autoholics had been established. 

   Thanks for posting this one!!!!

We should frame this and hang it in the AutoPuzzles offices. 

[Ray B.]

Thanks to you both, guys. Otto, you're right.
I'll post more of this article later.

[Ray B.]

I don't know how come no editor (and particularly myself) saw this: streamliner was still a rookie when I gave him two points for this puzzle three hours ago. This, added to the 27 points, made him reach 29.

I just realized this and made him an expert.
I don't know if he has solved any rookie puzzle since he passed 20, but if so, none of his points should be substracted in my opinion. It's the editors duty to see that this doesn't occur.