Q: Hello Greg, I enjoy your columns very much and right now my wife and I are watching the Topper movie on Turner Movie Channel (TMC). Was the Topper car originally a Cord as it had those special side exhaust pipes? It also featured a custom windshield and the front end looked like a Graham.
My question is what kind of car was the Topper ghost car actually assembled on? Any information is appreciated and we enjoy your nostalgic features. Jim Shanley, Park Ridge, New Jersey.
A: Jim thank you for your recent inquiry about the Topper movie car as I had 11 separate emails come in about the movie the day it aired recently on TMC and three phone calls, including yours.
Let’s start with the movie.
I sure do remember the Topper movie, which starred Cary Grant (George Kerby), Constance Bennett (Marion Kerby) and Roland Young (Cosmo Topper). Hal Roach, best known for his Laurel and Hardy, Our Gang and Little Rascals movies and shorts, produced it in 1937. (All personal favorites.)
To answer your question, the Topper car was at the time the most famous movie car ever to hit the screen. It was initially designed on a 1936 Buick Series 60 chassis and then later underwent a Chrysler chassis and drivetrain update along with exterior styling changes. Topper’s roadster movie car was a combo of several cars built by Pasadena Coachbuilders Bohman and Schwartz to be featured specifically in the Topper movie. Anthony Gerrity, then a well-known designer who worked for Bohman and Schwartz, designed the car.
Not surprisingly, the Topper car was just as popular as the “always out for a good time” movie star ghosts. The roadster did include as you note styling cues from Cord (exhausts) and also from the Graham (shark-like front end). Notable is that the car featured a second hidden steering wheel which allowed stuntmen to drive the car using a wheel hidden from sight. It worked for producer Roach as many times scenes featured the Topper car “with no visible driver.”
After sharing stardom with Grant, Bennett and Young, Mobil Gas purchased the roadster and had Bohman and Schwartz do some needed updates. Originally built on the aforementioned ‘36 Buick “Straight-8” powered Century / Roadmaster chassis, the car received Chrysler underpinnings in 1954, including re-fitting the body and interior on a new Chrysler Imperial chassis powered by a 235-horse Chrysler Hemi V8.
After a few more updates, including rear tail fins and a new front end design, the car was purchased by Jim Brucker as part of his “Movie World: Cars of the Stars” collection in Buena Park, Ca. The car was then auctioned off in 2006 by RM Auctions/Sotheby’s when Movie World closed. It sold for $132,000 and ended up at the fabulous R.E. “Pete” Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, he was the founder of Hot Rod Magazine back in 1948. I had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Petersen prior to his passing in 2007 and he mentioned the Topper movie car to me several times during our talk.
I’ve attached photos of the car as it appeared in the movie, a movie poster and as the Movie World car as displayed at Pete Petersen’s museum. Hope this all helps, as the “Topper car” was such a huge part of the 1937 movie it now gives good reason for all my readers to watch Topper when it appears again on TMC or on-demand anytime.
As for you purists, Cosmo Topper played by Young (and still human in the movie) drove a 1936 Lincoln Model K and is not to be confused with the roadster “Topper movie car.”
Thanks for your letter Jim and kind comments.
(Greg Zyla is a syndicated auto columnist who welcomes reader questions on collector cars, auto nostalgia and motor racing at 303 Roosevelt St., Sayre, Pa. 18840 or email at greg@gregzyla.com).
They didn’t simply “update” the car. They replaced everything from top to bottom.
It has absolutely nothing in common with the original. Different body, chassis, engine, ugly design, etc.
The original movie car was beautiful, but they totally destroyed it!
What a shame. What a terrible senseless destruction of a one-of-a-kind classic beauty!
I’m with B wilson. “Needed updates” my arse. They wanted a street-legal gimmick car so they ruined the original.
Totally agree with your comment and B Wilson a year before! A terrible chop shop made a ugly duckling out of a truly awesome car. Maybe the most iconic car from the depression era movies! Greg Zyla, thanks for the great article!
What a horrible mess they made to a really fine automobile. Maybe if it was a Cord, or Duisenberg, they wouldn’t have messed it up? I just don’t get it. I’ve had many rare cars in my younger years and still have 4 left. The fact they are original and untouched and even pristine original factory paintjob makes them more valuable. I recently sold a ’57 Mercedes Benz Cabriolet that I only paid $1,500 for in ’72. I was told it was the finest original in the US by the MB dealer out of South Florida who was after it for years. Many years ago I had a 300SL Gullwing. Obviously, being almost 50 years ago I had no idea it would be worth millions. I sold it for a quick buck after only 6 months or less. Since i was a kid, the car from ‘Topper’ was the holy grail. I credit it for the dozens of fine cars I owned over the years. It was the coolest car ever featured in a 30’s movie. A truly sad end!
Totally ruined what was a beautiful one off creation! Never should have been touched. Cadillac fins and front end transformation took everything away from the car’s former good looks. Who was responsible for destroying this car?
Hello , My memories ( 1973 ) of the car was that it was indeed built on a Buick chassis but I had remembered it to be a series 80 Roadmaster?? The car at the time was owned by Jim Brucker in LA and was in his Cars of the Stars museum. Someone who might be able to shed more light on the car is Dennis Mitosinka .
PS , I could have bought it for $1000 , but it was described as rough .
I have to agree with the above. The “updated” car is ugly and totally ruined the beautiful car from the film.
This car was originally a Buick and was modified for the Topper movie. It has no Cord parts except maybe the outside exhausts.