Winner of Goodwood Festival of Speed Award , 1946 Hewson Rocket, is being featured at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville.
The 1946 Hewson Rocket underwent major restoration at Lane Motor Museum just in time to be featured on the display field at the 12th Annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March of 2007. The Cars of Coachcraft were on display during the Amelia Island Concours, and 7 cars were on the show field by this Hollywood, CA coach builder.
After appearing at Amelia Island, the restored 1946 Hewson Rocket was then invited by the Earl of March to be featured during the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed as part of the Cartier Style de Luxe – the world’s most coveted automobile design competition...
At this prestigious event the Hewson was named Winner of Class – 75th Anniversary of the Ubiquitous Ford Flat-Head V8.
In early 1940, Rudy Stoessel, Paul Erdos, and Burt Chalmers opened a small body shop in Hollywood called Coachcraft, Ltd. and began building custom bodies for movie stars and wealthy locals. In 1945, William Hewson raised capital to form the Hewson Pacific Corporation and planned to produce the “Hewson Rocket” and sell it for $1,000. Stoessel fabricated the body shape and Erdos welded the aluminum panels together. Hewson’s idea was to give the body form a very aerodynamic shape with no projections anywhere – headlights covered with glass, tail-light lenses flush, and no outside door handles. Hewson’s capital was depleted by the time the car’s body was finished. Coachcraft kept the car in their front showroom until it was auctioned off in 1959 to a used car dealer in Minneapolis, MN for $650. The Coachcraft organization survived until 1966.
The Hewson Rocket, which has been a part of the Lane Motor Museum collection since spring of 2005, is currently on display at the Museum.
In early 1940, Rudy Stoessel, Paul Erdos, and Burt Chalmers opened a small body shop in Hollywood called Coachcraft, Ltd. and began building custom bodies for movie stars and wealthy locals. In 1945, William Hewson raised capital to form the Hewson Pacific Corporation and planned to produce the “Hewson Rocket” and sell it for $1,000. Stoessel fabricated the body shape and Erdos welded the aluminum panels together. Hewson’s idea was to give the body form a very aerodynamic shape with no projections anywhere – headlights covered with glass, tail-light lenses flush, and no outside door handles. Hewson’s capital was depleted by the time the car’s body was finished. Coachcraft kept the car in their front showroom until it was auctioned off in 1959 to a used car dealer in Minneapolis, MN for $650. The Coachcraft organization survived until 1966.
The Hewson Rocket, which has been a part of the Lane Motor Museum collection since spring of 2005, is currently on display at the Museum.
dderosa says:
02:34 PM, 08/17/07
Oooh, shiny.
billt9 says:
06:51 PM, 08/19/07
It was a bathtub owned by 50 cent's grandfather.
puristsoul says:
03:25 AM, 10/ 5/07
I'll bet most of these got broad sided. It would look even cooler pulling an airstream.