Re: IML: Spanish or American 1966 Imperial Limousine

[Chris Hawkins <imperial1966@xxxxxxxxx>]

Actually, the serial number in the ad: Y353220916,
indicates the limo started life as a 1965 Lebaron,
thus it is a Spanish built one.

All 1964-5 Ghias have serial numbers starting with
9343.... usually followed by several zeros since they
were among the first 20 cars off the line.  

Chris H.



--- PAUL WENTINK <randalpark@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> 
> I think your friend is right. The information on OIC
> web site pretty 
> much confirms it.
> 
> Paul W.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mopar37206@xxxxxxx
> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wed, 12 Dec 2007 9:55 am
> Subject: IML: 1965 Chrysler : Imperial Limousine
> 
> 
> 
> I looked at buying that car when it was advertised
> for sale in 
> Hemming's back in the early 90's.  It was being
> offered by Bill 
> McCloskey of Silver Spring, MD, and priced around
> $14K.  There was 
> documentation and placarding on the car in Spanish
> and the story I was 
> told was that the car was built for Gen. Franco, but
> never used because 
> it was not armored.  Later in the 60's Chrysler took
> the car back and 
> placed it with a Washington, DC area dealer to
> sell.  The buyer was the 
> chairman of Mutual of Omaha who owned the Washington
> Redskins at the 
> time.  The car was kept in DC so that at any time he
> could fly in and 
> be driven to a game or other affair.  It was brought
> up from its 
> parking place once a week and washed so it would
> always be at the 
> ready. 
> 
> A friend of mine insists that the car is a
> Spanish-built car, but I 
> believe it is Ghia built.  It has some '64, updated
> to '65 bits 
> including the dash and grille opening, and as you
> see, sports a '66 
> grille.  Note the '64 LeBaron script on the front
> fenders.  I believe 
> that the Spanish limousines built by Barreiros were
> based on '66 
> LeBarons and have slightly different side windows.
> 
> I remember the car having a gray broadcloth interior
> that showed some 
> water stains due to leaks from the frequent
> washing.  The rear-facing 
> jumpseats are a departure from the usual Ghia
> practice.The car also had 
> its original black lacquer paint showing many cracks
> as well as a few 
> patches that had flaked off.  We went for a short
> drive in the car--I 
> sat on one of the jump seats--and I remember
> thinking that the interior 
> wasn't all that warm and inviting.  That austere
> luxury was, however, 
> correct for the period as I have the brochure for a
> '63 Roll-Royce 
> Phantom limousine that is similarly restrained. 
> 
> As far as the front compartment, it was normal for
> the driver to have a 
> more plain interior for his work environment.  I
> recall that even the 
> throwover door handles were upholstered in leather
> to tone it down from 
> the color-keyed plastic insert. 
> 
> It was at the yard in Silver Spring that I first saw
> the '55 Crown 
> Imperial that I later came to own.  I was told that
> it was Mrs. 
> Eisenhower's car, tho I've come to learn that she
> had a Derham-modified 
> Crown.  I remember seeing all the rust and badly
> pitted potmetal and 
> thinking how it was too far gone for me to restore,
> as badly as I 
> wanted one at the time.  There are pics of the two
> Eisenhower Crowns as 
> modified by Derham on the OIC site.  Unfortunately,
> the captions are 
> not correct.
> 
> Greetings of the Season,
> 
> Roger
> 
> '55 Crowns x2
> 
> 
>
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