Thread by @iowahawkblog

Ahh, spring returns to the familiar crack of hickory on horsehide. Today's #DavesCarIDService is brought to by the Des Moines Cubs, KRNT, and the Tucker Corporation, who invite you to vote your favorite Cub to win a sensational 1948 Tucker Torpedo!

A the winner is: Bob Borkowski! The lanky outfielder led the Cornfield Bruin Nine with a .296 BA in 1948. Unfortunately, due to production problems at Tucker's Chicago plant, Bob will get a cash award of $2000 in lieu of the car. Congrats Bob!

(the car is worth $1.5M-$2M today)

It's amazing how many of my soft spot synapses are triggered by that image: Iowa, the Cubs, and of course Tucker Torpedoes- so please indulge me in a brief meandering tangent before getting to the car IDs.

First off: Al Couppee. For you fellow Iowa fans, prior to his radio career Al was a member of the 1939 "Ironmen" Hawkeye team where he was teammates with the greatest college football player of all time (don't try to debate me) Nile Kinnick.

Couppee briefly played in the NFL and went on to a long career in sports broadcasting, ending up in San Diego as voice of the Chargers, Padres, and Aztecs, complete with Ron Burgundy-worthy wardrobe. In pic 1 from 1954 he's top right behind all-time Hawkeye great, Duke Slater.

And what of hapless Bob Borkowski, who ended up with a $2000 check instead of a close-to-priceless Tucker? He was promoted to the Chicago Cubs in 1950 where he had a decent .273 season. All downhill after that, a story all too familiar to Cub fans. Call him Bad Luck Bob.

Sports, shmorts, it's time to bring this sucker back around to cars. The 1948 Tucker Model 48 is of course among the easiest car IDs of all time, and the subject of a Coppola film; only 51 were ever made. I've seen 10-12 in person, and had a ride in #48.

without further sports ado, let's get to the car IDs: the '65 Milwaukee Braves are with a squad of 1965 Ford Econolines. OK I lied, I guess this is further sports ado. (ht @Timberati)

https://twitter.com/CirclinTheBases/status/1377394856373329921

This swell photo features a cat exploring the underside of a 1937 Studebaker, with a 1935 Ford to the right.

https://twitter.com/bdill/status/1375937258969300993

Yessir, the car is a 1926 Chevy. As for Grampa's motorcycle, I do believe it's a 1926ish Harley-Davidson Model B, a single cylinder that was mostly for export markets, and kinda rare to see the US.

https://twitter.com/JackSmi12637895/status/1375916812165070848

ALERT: I must to bring an abrupt halt to this car ID thread, thanks to a late breaking old car-related activity. I will resume tomorrow.

Back on the car ID case after yesterday's interruption, and what better way than this Chicago-made Tucker cruising Michigan Ave (I think at Madison), followed by a 41 Buick? As a son of an International Harvester farm, I salute your shutterbug dad.

https://twitter.com/MattfromCary/status/1380917958801768457

Belated happy 90th birthday to Dr. Genova's papa, here as a smilin' lad with a 1934 Buick sedan. Would he happen to be of Italian extraction? Italians with their cars are among my favorite vintage pics.

https://twitter.com/amgenova/status/1378377787988316163

The photographer was too fast for this camera-shy man, bolting from the running board of a 1940 Ford Deluxe sedan. Truck is a 1941 Ford, and I sense this was near a stockyards.

https://twitter.com/greeners79/status/1375814718812790787

another one for my big file of Toddlers Perched Precariously on Radiators, this one on a 1917-23 Ford Model T touring.

https://twitter.com/jgcgsd/status/1375222229722656771

These picnickers appear to be visited by a ghostly uncolorized apparition on the left. The car I am almost certain is a 1931 Chevy phaeton, but the taillight on right gives me a twinge of doubt.

https://twitter.com/flenflyys/status/1375028365590097925

ohhhh, wait a minute- I believe right hand steering indicates the image is actually *reversed*, so I'm gonna say, confidently, 1931 Chevy phaeton.

"Dear old pedalbike" here with Jim, Bob, & Drip, along with the notorious "Screwballs Inc." (Duck, Hal, Eldon, & Bill) is not a pedal bike at all, but a circa 1930 Indian 101 Scout.

https://twitter.com/HazeDoran/status/1374876113063735298

quick motorcycle ID cheat code: Indian motorcycles of the era are distinguished by the quarter-elliptic front spring above the fender. BTW Burt Munro's famous "World's Fastest Indian" started off as a 1920 Indian Scout like the one above, but continually modified for 50 years.

These old timey rubberneckers are piled on tour bus with a chassis from a circa 1908 Reliance, which eventually became GMC. Dig the tour guide's megaphone.

https://twitter.com/HazeDoran/status/1374748613104988160

This 1950 Buick Super sedan is parked on a block offering everything a gentleman needs: gawk at those new RCA TVs, a trim at Sanitary Barber Shop, a pack of Luckys from Diamond Smoker, finishing off with a few Dawsons at Highland Tap.

https://twitter.com/GFAC207/status/1374410050425352200

These girls are bundled up for a ride in what I strongly believe is a 1937 Oldsmobile sedan.

https://twitter.com/PaulRSchmidtTM/status/1375085873369350147

The family was off to soak in the scenic vistas of America's Great Plains in a 1966 Plymouth Fury II station wagon.

https://twitter.com/PaulRSchmidtTM/status/1375087543658614792

This is a tough one, but the runabout's chain drive seems to indicate either a 1907ish Locomobile or Winton.

https://twitter.com/TaughL/status/1375119401104650247

Note the always-hilarious "mother in-law seat."

This'd be a 1915-19 Ford Model T roadster. I recall stopping at Pioneer Village many moons ago, as a boy en route with my family to California on I-80 for our big once in a lifetime Disneyland vacation.

https://twitter.com/joelnorthwall/status/1375127072545370123

1961-62 Rambler convertible, and looks like Gramps brought his transistor radio to the beach as not to miss any of the ballgame.

https://twitter.com/206Now/status/1375165943316238336

A somewhat snowy 1953 Ford.

https://twitter.com/TomAuggie/status/1375185126682980356

yipes, this one is surprisingly tough. After some research my best guess is a circa 1917 Hupmobile Model N, but not at all certain.

https://twitter.com/seanrude/status/1375199737067024391

I believe the cowgirl is leaping a 1927-28 Willys Whippet cabriolet (ht @dustinb87).

https://twitter.com/historydailypix/status/1375930700394856448

And now onto the spotted-in-the-wild speed round of our program. Roadster body here is a 1926ish Buick, engine Cadillac 472 or 500. Is this in NH? Seems I got a New England sasquatch tourist trap hot rod request before but this one is different.

https://twitter.com/2921DoveSt/status/1375230174493618182

Here's the other one, maybe the New Hampshire Wolfman upgraded his hot rod.

https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/1320022125793726469

circa 1950 Mercedes 170S.

https://twitter.com/paulcvet/status/1375515028036591616

1938 Cadillac V16 convertible coupe.

https://twitter.com/ABoleynGirl/status/1375798867334197249

A lot going on in this pic from Des Moines: A ToteMotel sleeper camper on a 1966 Chevy Impala SS wagon; a 1965 Impala across the way; and peeking in at left a 1970 Chevelle SS.

https://twitter.com/cliffbarker/status/1375831682763390982

It is a 1938 Chevy, and pretty sure it began as an ambulance or hearse (I think Henney or Superior body). So yeah, I guess it's a 38 Chevy delivery, in a macabre way.

https://twitter.com/gabram/status/1375836117589663746

Ignore the Ferrari prancing horse logo, it's a 64-68 Rambler American 4 door sedan. Or, I dunno, some supersecret rare Ferrari I am unaware of.

https://twitter.com/sideoutpar/status/1375861569247084544

That's it for today, I will close with this twist on the thread starter: while in 1948 KRNT couldn't give a free Preston Tucker car to a baseball player, 72 years later Kia gave a free car to baseball's Preston Tucker. *Twilight Zone Theme*.
mlb.nbcsports.com/2020/05/17/pre…

And now you know.... the rest of the story.

Happy Motoring!