Here’s a coach built car that’s a real head scratcher. It wa

Jun 27 (edited)

Here’s a coach built car that’s a real head scratcher. It was owned by James Scripps Booth and the notes on the photos seem to imply that he designed the body, but there are some things that make no sense. It’s said to be built on a 1917-1919 Hupmobile but it looks more like a 1924 to me. The body looks more or less standard with the exception of the fenders and aprons. It also says that the chassis was by Bohman and Schwartz, which also doesn’t make much sense. They weren’t in business until the early 30’s so this car had to have been fairly old at the time.

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Jun 27, 2026

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Replies (8)

· Jun 28

Interesting car Travis. Do you have a deep enough scan to read the plate? Definitely something from the 1920s and zero relation to B&S.

· Jun 28

I can zoom in close enough to read the numbers and see that it has the look of a 1919 California plate. That’s strange. The hood looks a bit too square to be a Hupmobile model R from that time, though the louvers were similar. I wish there was a view from the front to better identify it. But I certainly can’t see how Bohman and Schwartz would have had anything to do with it.

· Jun 28

Cape tops are cool and very rarely seen. 1920ish looks about right for the date.

· Jun 28

Have never seen a car with that type of top mechanism. Designed for just the back passengers? Looks like a deployed parachute, Wondering if the effect was noticeable driving with it up or down.

· Jun 28

When cape tops were in style, nobody was driving fast enough for the aerodynamics to be an issue.

· Jun 28

Travis, that is a fair point about the Cape Top. Mostly gone by 1922 as the cars got gradually faster.

· Jun 29

Definitely some big wheels on there. They look like the Budd discs which I think went up to 24 or 25”.

· Jul 1

Wheels are huge! With today's rage of large diameter rims it would be a big hit.