Re: 54 convertible

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/7/20 8:05:30

I really don't know just what to make of the odd VN and Briggs numbers on this car, nor of a relatively early 1953 body dash number. I do notice in the two "vintage" photos that it has early 1951 Patrician wheel shell covers which most probably isn't relevant to unraveling the mystery.

If you look at the VN and Briggs numbers of some of the other 51-54 show cars or limited production cars like the Pan Americans, Balboas, Monte Carlo & The Request, they all have standard and typical vehicle numbers & Briggs numbers indicating (no surprise) that they started life as just a standard and completed or nearly completed car plucked from the line and diverting for alteration. So that kind of refutes the thought that it was some sort of "special". As to the thief-proof number being from a year earlier, I've seen this quite a few times but always for a low-volume model that would have had a prolonged production time, for example some RHD cars and some Henneys with VN early in one year have thief-proof numbers from late in the prior year.

So what does all this mean? I haven't a clue but sure would like to see photos of the VN and Briggs data plates.