The Hollywood is the work of legendary California designer Alex Tremulis, and this crisp example of a 1940 "Convertible Coupe" belonging to John Beerkle is as nice an example as you will see. To be honest, I'm not positive what the differences between the Convertible Coupe and the Hollywood were, I note the lack of the continental spare on this one and only one tail light). These models appeared in 1939 and featured the improved "three main" engines (see technical page) outside doorhandles and roll-up windows. Also, the Deusenberg/LeBarron sweep is gone on these models which were derived from the coupe with the top chopped off. (Tremulis was a customizer in Beverly Hills). Tremulis had the car completed in ten days and apparently drove it from California to Butler. He reported that the car cruised at 75-80 (?!) got 42.5mpg and handled better than an MG-TC he had years later. (Hey, so maybe this is really America's First Sport Car like Roy Evans said?)


Love that red piping on the canvas work. The four chrome strips on the rear fender, as compared with the more commonly seen three staggered horizontal ones, I think indicate that this model had the three main engine in it.


By placing some driving lights inside and below the main lights John has done a very tasteful job here of trying to ameliorate the unfortuanate migration of the headlights to the outside of the fenders. I do not think this treatment was part of Tremulis' design and apparently just happened in the factory somewhere. Odd when you have two of the best designers of the age working for you that stuff like this happens, but, everybody wants to be an artist, right?

SNAPSHOTS BANTAM