Six Degrees of Automotive Separation – H.C.S.

Ah, I knew that my trip to Hershey would be productive, especially when it comes to finding a good candidate for the Hemmings Six Degrees of Automotive Separation Challenge. Hanging out in the car corral was this rather nice H.C.S. touring car. Without much information about the car or a seller anywhere near it, it appeared as if the sellers were doing their best “I put it up for sale, but nobody seemed interested, dear, so we’ll just have to hold on to it for another year” schtick, and I don’t blame them.

But we don’t need to know much about this particular H.C.S. to make the marque the center of this week’s challenge, which will be of the fox-and-hound type. That is, whoever responds first gets to suggest another automotive company to connect to H.C.S. in six degrees or less. Whoever successfully answers that challenge gets to suggest another company to connect to H.C.S., and so on and so forth. As always, a connection consists of one company sharing parts with, owning, or merging with another company.

Now, considering H.C.S. came about because Harry C. Stutz wasn’t allowed to attach his name to another company (but nobody said anything about his initials!), we’re going to bend the rules a little bit this week and allow the use of Mr. Stutz as a connection between two companies. Bonus points, however, if you use his connections to other, non-eponymous companies.