Hop Up Magazine in the fifties

WHEN A SUBSCRIPTION FOR 12 ISSUES COSTS $ 2.00

In the July 1952 issue Hop Up magazine featured the Barris built Ralph Testa 1950 Mercury convertible in a three pages article.

In that same issue custom car and hot rod enthousiasts could buy a new subscription on the magazine for only $2.00 for the next 12 issues. Or even at cheaper rates if they subscribed for two or three years.

And on top of that you could also pick one of four 5×7 inch glossy photos. Two hot rods and Two custom cars. Those where the days when both custom cars and hot rods still had equal space devoted in the magazines.

You could pick the Longman 1932 Ford Roadster, the Eddie Dye Model A Roadster, the Larry Ernst Chevy Custom, and this Ralph Testa Convertible photo. This scan from the Original Hop Up photo was made from the photo part of the John Williamson Collection.
The original photo of Ralph’s Mercury was taken by Jack Campbell, who was not related to other famous custom car photographer Marcia Campbell.

Makes you wonder how many of these original give away photos survived and are still around today.