Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was born in Humble, Texas in 1905 to Howard R. Hughes, Sr. a wealthy businessman and inventor, traits that were obviously passed on to the impressionable young boy. Over a life and career spanning decades, Hughes, Jr. would become a controversial Hollywood mogul, record-breaking aviator, business titan, engineer, investor, and, unfortunately, misunderstood genius and recluse upon his untimely death in 1976.
His tastes and habits varied over the years from Hollywood starlets to sleek airplanes and specialty automobiles. For your consideration today, I give you Howard Hughes' personal 1954 Chrysler New Yorker outfitted with a state of the art air purification system - in the 1950's at least! - slated for sale at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, Arizona Auction running from January 11-19, 2020. Let's take a look.
The Car
The 1954 Chrysler New Yorker was an upscale luxury sedan personally owned and customized by Hughes himself. It's powered by a 354 cubic inch V-8 with a three speed automatic transmission. Hughes' car is finished in Glacier Blue with a blue interior in excellent condition. It's been recently serviced and has 1,685 original miles on the odometer. That's insanely low for a 1954 car!
What's Inside
Beyond it's pedigree, a unique element of the car, that Hughes requested himself due to his well known eccentricities, is the air purification system installed in the trunk. The system thoroughly scrubs and cleans outside air before it's piped into the interior. The system was ahead of its time and reportedly cost more than the car itself! You can see some of the apparatus inside the trunk in the above picture.
Hughes' Legacy
Hughes' legacy today is as mixed as his life. He created fantastic airplanes and Hollywood movies, contributed significantly to the war effort, and took a successful business operation left by his father and turned it into an even bigger conglomerate, all in his own inimitable style. So if you're interested in scooping up a bit of that Hughes magic, head on over to Scottsdale next month. Expect bidding to be brisk! Buckle up.
Sources: Barrett-Jackson and Smithsonian Magazine