Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2016/3/27 15:20:47

The top of the line Crown Imperial limousines were a special order model custom finished by Derham, an old line custom body outfit in Rosemont near Philadelphia.

They got cars from Chrysler and repainted them completely then trimmed and finished them to the customer's specifications.

The modification of the rear doors would be typical of the custom work they offered. They made ambulances and cars specially modified for clients confined to wheelchairs and with other disabilities.

Chrysler tooled up the limousine body that was built as a Dodge, DeSoto, Chrysler and Imperial. They sold about 20,000 of them between 1949 and 1954. This helped amortize the tooling and held costs down.

The new 1949s were late to be introduced, in fact some 1948 style Chryslers were sold as early 1949 models. The limousine body was the last to be ready and the 1949s were only sold for 3 or 4 months before being replaced by the 1950s.

The Packard method of combining the 2 door and 4 door body shells plus new roof and door stampings, was a very clever and efficient way of producing a limousine body. And far from obvious to the eye.

If Packard had offered a series of limousines and 8 passenger sedans on 200, 300 and 400 chassis they may have sold enough in total, to bring down the cost. The sight of Packard limousines on the street cannot have hurt their prestige even if they were in funeral,for hire and airport service. And they could have made the top of the line jobs more competitive with Cadillac and Imperial.