In 1954 J.G. Mullaly, Ford Motor Company’s special events
manager forwarded the idea of giving special attention to the youth
with a display of FoMoCo based custom cars and hot rods at their
famed Rotunda. In its heyday the Rotunda was one of the most
visited tourist destinations in the United States, on par with the
magic of today’s Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in
Washington D.C.
Ford Motor Company originally built the Rotunda, designed by Albert
Kahn, for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, which opened in May of
1933 and ran for two years. Known as the Century of Progress
Exposition, more than 40 million people visited. After the fair
closed, Ford had the Rotunda disassembled and moved to Dearborn,
Michigan, where it took 18 months to rebuild on a site directly
across from Ford Motor Company's Central Office Building, Ford's
headquarters of the time. Constructed of a steel framework, over
which Indiana limestone was attached, the building resembled a
stack of four gears, each decreasing in size toward the top.
Mr. Carlisle Carver wrote in his “World on Wheels” column for the
Lansing (MI) State Journal on March 10, 1955 that “Hot Rodders are
helping the Ford Motor Company put on a custom car show in the Ford
Rotunda, Dearborn, beginning March 15, and continuing through March
27. The show is being assembled around 13 custom conversions and
five street roadsters.” It is offered that with the growing
popularity of the GM overhead valve engines, Ford realized it
needed to pay some extra attention to keep the focus on Ford
products here. It is really wonderful that the FoMoCo realized the
custom car and hot rod movements were really important. This car
was displayed next to Ford’s FX-Atmos futuristic experimental car
they debuted at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show, and was on display at
the Rotunda at the time of the custom show.
What makes the 1933 Ford Five-Window Custom being offered so
special is that, not only has this hot rod been documented for over
60 years, this machine was one of the 13 invited to participate in
the famous Rotunda Custom Show in March 1955 and won the
Sweepstakes Award at this esteemed event. The builder, Oliver Hine
of Charlotte, Michigan utilized parts from no less than 25
different cars in the construction of this renowned hot rod and it
gained the nickname “Hine’s 25 Varieties” as its reputation grew
and subsequently would appear on the cover of the April 1959 issue
of “Rodding and Re-Styling” magazine, as well as appearing in the
1959 “Hot Rod Annual.”
Mr. Hine built this machine over the period from 1951 into 1955 and
was raced in 1951 and ’52 by Oliver Hine and although racecar was
its intended original purpose, Mr. Hine rethought the project and
decided to make it a show car instead. The main design element was
the distinctive Brewster radiator shell and grille (shortened
seven-inches) and he envisioned every other design element flowing
seamlessly from there. Other components consisted of 1937 Chevrolet
front fenders that were modified to properly fit the grille. Mr.
Hine had to stretch the frame to accommodate the 1950 Cadillac V-8
engine, so he employed pieces from a reported five different cars
to make the frame complete and configured to accept the additional
workings.
The hood was custom fabricated from .065-thick aluminum to join the
radiator shell and grille to the cowl. The chosen body is a 1933
Ford Five-Window Coupe channeled four-inches over the frame and
extended to accommodate a full size spare tire on the back with the
fuel filler coming out of the center. Mr. Hine was not sure he
liked the car with Ford bumpers, so he made nerf bars for front and
rear to fit lower and show off the grille and rear spare tire
carrier.
Mr. Hine would go on to show this spectacular car many times,
winning 32 first place awards and, impressively, 21 Best of Show
awards from these 31 events. To further show the importance of this
rare one-off, Mr. Hine and his 1933 Ford won the Best of Show award
at the Detroit Auto Rama in 1955, 1956 and 1957. He would drive the
car to Detroit for this important event. The Sweepstakes Award at
the Ford Rotunda would also be won in 1955.
Mr. Oliver Hine would pass away in 1985 having never sold his
special car. His wife wasn’t certain what she wanted to do with the
Ford, so it sat around until her later years when she gave it to
their son, Jack Hine. Unsure of what he was going to do with it,
Jack Hine would have it repainted in a jade tone and the car was
brought to the current owner (a longtime family friend) so he could
execute some repairs on it. The current owner asked Jack Hine if he
could purchase the car with the intention of restoring it back to
the way it was when his father owned it.
With the friendship in mind, Jack Hine agreed that the current
owner should be the one to get the car and restore it. So the deal
came together in 2001 and in 2008 the teardown began to restore it
back to the spectacular form as presented. In 2011 Mr. Hine’s 1933
Ford Five-Window Custom was completed and it was entered in the
Detroit Auto Rama where they received the Preservation Award. The
car would go on to be voted in the top 100 cars in the nation by
Street Rodder magazine for 2015. Mr. Hine’s wonderful creation was
also displayed for over a year in the Gilmore Museum in Kalamazoo,
Michigan.
The car is described as being “a piece of art as a car to drive.”
Along with the stunning good looks it features the 1950 Cadillac V8
engine with tri-power carburetion, dual exhaust and Offenhauser
valve covers on display in a meticulous detailed manner: a 700R4
automatic transmission and an Oldsmobile rear axle complete the
running gear. The interior is also tastefully and painstakingly
presented in and appropriate brightwork details that add all the
more. A Continental-style rear spare, bullet-shaped headlights and
taillights, chromed wire wheels, whitewall tires, Lakes-style pipes
and great color make this a real head turner that comes with 60
years of documentation. Newspaper articles and many car magazines
from over the years are part of all of the documentation that will
be included with the sale of Mr. Hine’s “25 Varieties” 1933
Ford.
The hot rod culture in the 1950s grew. Hot rods, custom cars and
street rods became very popular as young men with spare money and
knowledge of mechanics turned cars into individualized stylish
rides. Appreciation of the original machines from this era has now
reached its own new heights and Mr. Hine’s multi-show winning
masterpiece is the perfect means to experience the history for
yourself.
Please note, this vehicle will be offered for sale only at the Central Pennsylvania Auto Auction, July 14th and 15th, 2017 in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. For more information contact us at (800) 248-8026 or visit www.cpaautoauction.com.
