Joe, "hardtop" was a term given to pillarless coupes of various makes. The XA-XC Tudors (another old Ford name for their two-door couples) were often referred to by aficionados (such as bigcol and myself) as "hardtops" due to their lack of a b-pillar. While it made for a gorgeous profile, the doors weighed a ton, and the hinges weren't as sturdy as they should've been. Still, an XA hardtop remains at or near the top of my wishlist.
TO the question... jeez, back to the bible! I seem to remember the car being red or orange with a white side stripe... I find it easy to believe that it was Bill O'Brien... Off the top of my head, I don't know where the car came from originally... will be interesting to see if it's written in anything I've got in the archives back at Swamp Manor.