Re: 1952 Patrician - Derham or Henney?

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/4/26 17:48:30

Stephen, thanks for contributing to our thinking about this vehicle. But perhaps you didn't read some of the early posts both here and on PAC Forum about this car - a major difference between 52 and 53 is that there were no factory-offered LWB cars in 1952. As to a builder's plate, that's what it's all been about since the first post - there is none. Just the Briggs BDN and the VN plate, both for a standard 1952 Patrician.

No Derham formal was cataloged in 1951 and 1952. We know that several exist including the White House car. Whether these were factory-sponsored "specials" or standard Patricians that owners subsequently took to Derham for "the treatment" remains to be determined - perhaps a combination of both occured. A review of the Board of Director's Meeting minutes, where such special were almost always discussed prewar, leads nowhere. They were too preoccupied with steel shortages, labor problems, impending Korean war shortages of critical materials, and just plain survival. Mr. Neal is digging into this more than I am, I'm pretty much just focused on the LWB car in NJ, the alleged Champion Spark Plug car.

I look forward to any other information or suggestions you may have.