IML: The Truth About LeBaron (and not Le Baron)

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Chrysler was but one of many firms that contracted LeBaron to build bodies
for their cars.   Although LeBaron supplied many beautiful bodies for the
1931-33 Chrysler Imperial straight-eights, the last catalogued body that
LeBaron built for Chrysler was the 1934-37 Chrysler Custom Imperial Airflow
CW, each with a "Custom Body by LeBaron Detroit" plate.   (They were all
actually 1934-35 models, but they sold so poorly Chrysler was able to
stretch them out into 1937.)  And by the 1930's LeBaron was a subsidiary of
Briggs Manufacturing,  who built bodies for Ford, Plymouth, Packard, and
others.  Chrysler obtained the rights to the LeBaron name when they
purchased the American body operations of Briggs in late 1952.  Ford
purchased Briggs's British operations.  Like most American body builders,
Briggs had no Canadian plants.

Packard purchased bodies from LeBaron with the last catalogued model for the
V-12 series being the 1937 Packard All-Weather Town Car, models 1507 and
1508.   However, LeBaron's very last Packard models were a Touring Sedan and
a Touring Limousine in the Custom Super-8 180 series for 1942, model 2008
(148" wheelbase).

LeBaron also supplied bodies for Lincoln, with the last catalogued being
offered in the 1939-40 V-12 model K series.   For those years (1940 models
were bascially leftover 1939 models with the blue Lincoln nameplates
replaced with black versions) LeBaron built a convertible roadster (model
410), convertible sedan (model 413B), 2-passenger coupe (model 412 - on a
136" wheelbase), and convertible sedan phaeton (model 413A)

No LeBaron bodies were built after World War II.

LeBaron, Carossiers, was founded in 1920 by Thomas L. Hibbard and Raymond H.
Dietrich with Ralph Roberts joining the firm shortly after.  The firm,
though, did not build bodies but just designed them in offices located in
New York City..  Ray Dietrich took a leave of absence from the firm in 1921
while Tom Hibbard left for Paris in 1923 and formed a partnership with
Howard "Dutch" Darrin.   LeBaron's first break came with William Durant
selecting LeBaron in 1922 to design a line of bodies for the Locomobile,
located in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which he had just purchased.   In 1924
LeBaron, Carossiers (body designers) merged with the Bridgeport Body Company
(body builders) to form LeBaron, Inc, with design offices in New York City
and plant in Bridgeport.

In 1926 LeBaron, Inc. was purchased by Briggs Manufacturing Co.   Shortly
after, Ralph Roberts moved to Deroit and set up LeBaron Studios.   This
operation designed many bodies for firms such as Ford (Model A), Chrysler,
Stutz, Graham, Marmon, and other Briggs customers.    The Briggs plant on
Meldrum Avenue was set up to build custom amd small runs of bodies.  This
operation was incorporated as LeBaron-Detroit Company, a subsidiary of
Briggs.   The Bridgeport plant was closed in 1931 and all operations moved
to the Meldrum plant in Detroit.   The Detroit LeBaron plant turned to war
production in 1942 and never built a LeBaron body again.

Also note the spelling  -->  LeBaron.   No space between "Le" and  "Baron".
Never.

The "LeBaron Coachworks" of 1963 was at the Jefferson Avenue assembly plant
and it existed in the minds of the people who dreamt up the name.   Probably
the same people who dreamt up the "Imperial Division".  Both 'firms' existed
only on paper, and that was marketing/advertising paper, at that.  In
reality, the LeBaron series was built on the same assembly line as the
Custom and Crown.  Only the 1960 LeBaron received any special treatment, and
that was due to the rear window.  From 1961 to the end in 1976 the LeBaron
used roof stampings with a smaller rear window opening.  No more filler
pieces and lead filling.  The 1982-89 Chrysler Fifth Avenue actually
received more attention as it used the regular M body roof with an extension
welded on.   Instead of lead filling the gaps, Chrysler used a padded vinyl
roof.  And the E-body New Yorker received the same treatment, by the way.

No Imperial LeBaron, from the first in 1957 to the last in 1976, was
assembled on another line or in another plant separate from the Custom or
Crown models .  The LeBaron seats were installed by the same assembly line
workers that installed the seats in a Custom or Crown.

Sorry, but LeBaron is just a name.  Just like Continental, New Yorker,
Rogue, Champion, or Biscayne.   The LeBaron series cars were more lush than
the Custom and Crown series, but they received no more care or concern than
any other Imperial,  which really was nothing to be ashamed of.

And all 1957 to 1976 Imperial LeBarons are Imperials.   The make is Imperial
and the series is LeBaron.  And that is the way Chrysler sold them, all of
them.

All prewar LeBarons were bodies only.  Thus a Packard Custom Super-8 180
series with a LeBaron body was a Packard.  Period.  The series was Custom
Super-8 180, and the body builder was LeBaron.

There was never a car make called LeBaron.   And "Le Baron" is not the way
it was spelled before World War II when the body firm was in business.  "Le
Baron"  was a Chrysler spelling that they later corrected.  "LeBaron" is the
correct way to spell the name.

Bill
Vancouver. BC



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