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HH56

Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

#21

Forum Ambassador

...but with the exception of one other visible feature. Know what that was?

Handgrip and maybe a retractable footstep at the rear??

Posted on: 2016/4/1 13:30

Howard

Leeedy

Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

#22

Home away from home

Quote:

58L8134 wrote:
Hi Jfrom@Kanter

"There was one very special 55 Imperial Derham limousine made for the Eisenhowers with no C pillar , resulting in hardtop styling for the rear compartment. It also sported a sunroof so Ike could stand up and wave during parades."

And, here it is. It was written up in Car Classics magazine 20+ years ago.

Derham's stock and trade by the 1950's was largely applying padded formal tops and partition windows to luxury sedans as they did for Packard. Various Cadillacs, Imperials, Lincolns and even Buick Roadmasters are extant or have been documented with their work. A few more involved projects such as the Continental Mark II convertible show car were done but increasing rare as time wore on.

Steve

And since we are on this beautiful LWB Imperial and while Derham gets credit for having done it... there were 3 other Imperials being done at the same time. These were the Parade Phaetons and guess where they were done? (hint: it was in Detroit on East Outer Drive)

For the record, Derhams LWB and formal creations often came with a padded top. Note that the Imperial in the Car Classics article didn't have one, yet had hardtop-type side windows treatments. With all due respect to Derham, this stuff alone took some serious engineering. Now... who else was doing this kinda stuff about that same time? And who else had a monster steel press that could make seamless long steel roofs that needed no padding to hide the cobbling?

Posted on: 2016/4/1 13:32

Leeedy

Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

#23

Home away from home

Quote:

HH56 wrote:
...but with the exception of one other visible feature. Know what that was?

Handgrip and maybe a retractable footstep at the rear??

When the bubble top was added, it needed a place to be stowed when not in use (the full convertible top was still in place and could also be raised). To make room in the trunk, Creative Industries added a continental kit spare on the rear and extended the rear bumper farther back. This development was originally intended to also serve as a step for SS agents to stand, but that aspect was never fully developed and would not be seen until the new JFK car was built.

Posted on: 2016/4/1 13:42

Rusty O\'Toole

Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

#24

Home away from home

$Rusty O\'Toole$

Quote:

jfrom@kanter wrote:
he 14,000 or so 49-54 long wheelbase Imperals, Chryslers, Desotos and Dodges were manufactured in-house by Chrysler's Briggs body division. Derham made some one-offs for Chrysler and Imperial divisions and of course some on request for individual owners both on standard and long wheelbases.. The 250 approx 55-56 catalog long wheelbase C-70 8 pass sedans and limousines were likewise made in-house by Briggs. There was one very special 55 Imperial Derham limousine made for the Eisenhowers with no C pillar , resulting in hardtop styling for the rear compartment. It also sported a sunroof so Ike could stand up and wave during parades.

In 57-65 and possibly later, factory offered Imperial limousines were constructed by Ghia of Turin Italy. At no time did Derham ever produce more than a handful of Imperial limousines per year, all were retail sales.

We have a LWB 55 Imperial in our restoration shop and it has none of the traditional Derham features, it's just a longer Imperial.

My understanding was that Chrysler built the Dodge, DeSoto, and lesser Chrysler limousines and 8 passenger sedans in house, while the Crown Imperial limousine and 8 passenger sedans were completed by Derham to prewar custom car standards. They also did special modifications, and built complete custom bodies to order.

Posted on: 2016/4/1 20:01

Leeedy

Re: Postwar LWB Market Production

#25

Home away from home

Quote:

Rusty O\'Toole wrote:
Quote:

jfrom@kanter wrote:
he 14,000 or so 49-54 long wheelbase Imperals, Chryslers, Desotos and Dodges were manufactured in-house by Chrysler's Briggs body division. Derham made some one-offs for Chrysler and Imperial divisions and of course some on request for individual owners both on standard and long wheelbases.. The 250 approx 55-56 catalog long wheelbase C-70 8 pass sedans and limousines were likewise made in-house by Briggs. There was one very special 55 Imperial Derham limousine made for the Eisenhowers with no C pillar , resulting in hardtop styling for the rear compartment. It also sported a sunroof so Ike could stand up and wave during parades.

In 57-65 and possibly later, factory offered Imperial limousines were constructed by Ghia of Turin Italy. At no time did Derham ever produce more than a handful of Imperial limousines per year, all were retail sales.

We have a LWB 55 Imperial in our restoration shop and it has none of the traditional Derham features, it's just a longer Imperial.

My understanding was that Chrysler built the Dodge, DeSoto, and lesser Chrysler limousines and 8 passenger sedans in house, while the Crown Imperial limousine and 8 passenger sedans were completed by Derham to prewar custom car standards. They also did special modifications, and built complete custom bodies to order.

This is yet another train that may never be stopped... but a simple way to de-rail it is to get ahold of the 1956 private customer prospectus brochure for Creative Industries of Detroit. Of course this brochure is so rare, I've only seen two of them in my life. Creative went way out of their way to prevent the general public from knowing their stealth activities for the big (and little) car companies. But they did what they did... even if nobody knows it even to this day in the 21st century.

If you read this brochure closely... and look at some of the small illustrations closely, a lot of the stuff that people think GM, Chrysler, Ford, Briggs, Derham, Dietrich and a lot of others (yes, including Packard) supposedly did... well, let's just say... they didn't. It's like the line in the movie about Roswell when the guy says, "You know what they say about those little green men in flying saucers? Wellll? They ain't green!"

Posted on: 2016/4/1 21:17

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