Photos Courtesy of Kustomrama and Ed Moore

It was guys like Nick Dunkavich who gave early hot rodding the image it deserved. It was about staring at one’s project vehicle, one hand holding a sketch of what was envisioned, the other clutching a cutting torch ready to go to town; it was about crafting a work of art that could be driven.

The Hupmobile in 1956.

This “Hupmobile,” as it was called, was once upon a time a 1940 Buick Skylark with little in the way of style or power. It was the early ’50s, and Dunkavich, owner and operator of Nick’s Auto Body in Meriden, Connecticut, had to have his very own hot rod.

In 1956, the car made a grand introduction at the Hot Rod & Custom Car World’s Fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts. It sported all new hand-formed side panels, along with 1940 Plymouth bumpers and a deck lid from a ’49 Dodge.

It was red on the body and white on the quarter panels, making for a standout two-tone aesthetic that was a big hit at the show. A rebuilt V8 made 101hp capable of pushing the vehicle to over 100mph.

The Hupmobile in 1959, now painted Aztec Gold and looking more unified in its aesthetic.

Three years later, the Hupmobile dropped jaws once again. Now a lustrous Aztec Gold, it packed a bigger punch with a 3/4 race engine from a 1948 Mercury, stroked and bored 3 3/8-inches, and topped with Edmund heads and an Offenhauser manifold. Chassis and suspension mods increased its handling and ride quality too, making those lazy cruises around town all the more enjoyable.

The car went off the radar after it was sold by Dunkavich to a dealer. Decades passed before the Hupmobile made its way to Ed Moore in 2011, who restored the car with a five-speed tranny, 12V electrical system, new dash gauges, Zephyr taillights, and new front seats. Truly, it wound up in right hands, as you can see from these recent pictures.

We tip our hat to Mr. Moore and his impeccable job with keeping this roadster from passing away. Check out more about this car and its history by visiting Kustomrama.