Chasing classic Cars

harry54

This is a great show... The host also owns an original Italia and a Muntz.



http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=317775



http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/02/automobiles/collectibles/02LOVE.html



http://www.f40.com/aboutus.php?action=photos



10th photo looks like an italia

[Deleted User]

I don't get this show on my cable but I was at my sister's for X-mas and was lucky enough to catch a couple episodes. I really enjoyed it. These guys are really knowledgeable. Goes to show you that timing is everything when buying a car as is who you know. Many cars are sold before anyone knows about them being available.

Harry- hope you had a great X-mas!

Unknown

During his life, Ray Robinson took his Italia to several Hudson National meets. The car Wayne bought is the only Italia I have ever seen. More important to me, Ray was a wonderful man who shared his car with all who were interested. That sharing extended to sitting in the drivers seat and later a ride in the car. I will never forget that ride!

oldhudsons

The most original one I ever saw belonged to one J. J. Contus who was the original owner of Italia #25. He was an aeronautical engineer for North American Aviation in L. A. He even went to the factory while his was being made to make sure it was "done right". My now deceased wife spotted it by accident when he was driving it to work which he occasionally did - it was very low mileage, this would have been in the '60s, & I believe Fred Roth now owns it.

He said his buddy bought the last one built, #26 (as I recall they ordered them at the same time) but after taking delivery moved to Florida, driving the Italia there. He lost touch with his friend thereafter.

At one time most of the Italias were in the L. A. area & I think several of them are no longer in the hands of HET members inc. 2 in the San Fernando Valley. One of them I found on a used car lot on Firestone Blvd. in central L. A. It was in exc. low mileage condition with the exception of a '55 Chevy V8 which had been installed by the original purchasing San Francisco dealer! I called my buddy Herb Malone, who I knew was interested in buying one, but his wife answered the phone & decided to buy it for Herb for a Xmas present which she did after promising me to keep my big mouth shut(as I recall they were asking the astronomical sum of $4000 for it, LOL)! June kept the Italia for some time before selling it (she sold off most of the rest of his Hudsons shortly after his untimely death) - I believe a lawyer owns it now, or at least did.

The Carl Mendoza Italia lingers in a San Jose warehouse whose owner got it in lieu of rent. When I saw it it was in nice condition as I recall. In the same garages Carl had a '46-7 C8 conv. in exc. original condition (later stolen, trailer & all, in the Bay Area & never recovered) & the '28 Hudson conv. sedan, Murphy bodied, that Eldon is now restoring.

oldhudsons

The other Italia in the Valley belonged to Freddy Crassweller (don't remember where Fred got/found it). He started restoring it before being killed by an explosion in his home & his widow had it finished by a professional restorer. She later sold it to a handicapped man who couldn't drive but had a one time HETer & car collector come over & take him out for a drive in it occasionally.

Park_W

http://www.f40.com/aboutus.php?action=photos



10th photo looks like an italia[/QUOTE]



It IS an Italia, and standing at its right side is owner Ed Souers, current HET Vice-president.



Re the Chasing Classic Cars show, do I understand correctly that Fred Roth isn't the host? That means there are two guys who own both an Italia and a Muntz Jet. Amazing! (I saw Fred's collection a couple of years ago ... very impressive).

oldhudsons

When I was a teenager living in Indiana my parents would rent a "cabin at the lake" for a week, our summer vacation. We went to various lakes but one year we stayed at a lake whose name I can pronounce but not spell, at Culver, Ind. On the e. side of the lake were "cottages" of very wealthy people, mostly not from Ind. (I remember I was told one of them belonged to the Eli Lilly family from Indianapolis), but I digress. While on a walk by myself I remember looking down a driveway & saw a pair of new Muntz Jets, both with Illinois plates; one was purple, don't recall the color of the other. I've always wondered if that was "Madman Muntz'" place?

I'd never seen one before but had read articles & seen photos of them in the auto mags of the period.

oldhudsons

About 10 years ago I went to a junkyard auction in central Calif. In it was a '40 H8 coach with o.d. (wouldn't have bought it if it hadn't had the o.d.) which I bought & I remember there was a pretty beat up Muntz Jet in it, about the only REALLY interesting car of the approx. 100 or so.

The '40 H8 ch. is still in my old stomping grounds, Escondido, Calif., but I have no idea who bought the Jet or it's fate.

hudsontech

The Robinsons were wonderful, typical Hudson Club "family" members. Hazle is a wonderful, and special, lady and, tho I miss all my New England Hudson family, she is one I really very much miss not seeing at Carl Webers meets.



I remember the first time I went to CT to Ray's meet back in the 1970's. I was having trouble finding his place, so stopped at a local garage that was open to ask for directions. The fellow knew where Ray lived and gave me the needed directions.



Hazle had the greatest laugh when I told her that when I had stopped for directions, the fellow looked puzzled for a second when I gave him Ray's name - then he said "Oh, yeah, that's the guy with all those old Fords!!!"



Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN