What's the origin of "Hooptie" (beat up car)

[yabob]

“Hoopie” was definitely in use in the 60s, and that’s so close I gotta believe they’re related. Answers.com says:

The term may be related to a much earlier term for an old or beat-up car, hoopie or hoopy, which was widespread in the 1930’s-40’s in the western United States. Another source of the word may be “Coupe D”, as in the Cadillac model Coupe de Ville.

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