From: Geoffrey R. Hacker [mailto:geoffrey@grhacker.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 01, 2008
Subject: 1935 Starliner Tear Drop Car - Found
Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been fascinated with the tear drop cars of the 1930’s. This was partly due to the fact that Buckminster Fuller was one of my parents professors at SIU in Illinois. In fact, I met “Uncle Bucky” when I was 3/5 years old several times. He designed one of the most famous teardrop cars called the Dymaxion.
As for the tear drop cars, as far as I know, few survived. Several beautiful examples are owned by Lane Museum, and the Dymaxion is out West in a Reno Museum (formerly Harrah’s). A gentleman named Paul Lewis built a teardrop car both in the 1930s and 1970s (here called the Fascination). Other cars that survived were similar to teardrop cars and beautiful in their own right - like the Stoudt Scarab. So…I’ve been collecting pictures and articles knowing that I would never find one for my collection.
All that changed this week. I happened upon a tear drop car built in 1935 in Michigan. Several years ago it was brought to Florida for a restoration, and just this week, an opportunity presented itself to purchase and bring to my home in Tampa Florida..
Attached are some pix of this car. The dorsal fin originally went further up the car - making it even more interesting. I just got it home today, and of course am very exciting.. Thanks for letting me share this exciting find, and have a great day.
Sincerely,
Geoff Hacker
The Starliner was made by Robert Gougeon of Bay City Michigan in 1935: