IML: 1965 Chrysler : Imperial Limousine

[mopar37206@xxxxxxx]

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