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1940s vehicle registration records in Arkansas?

Started by Steve Matthews CLC 19505, April 24, 2009, 07:43:42 PM

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Steve Matthews CLC 19505

I admit right up front the futility of my cause.

I own a '41 Sixty Special, which I bought in California; I do not know the car's history prior to the 1980s.  I'm not particularly interested in recreating its entire ownership record but I really would like to know who purchased it first, and where it first resided.  According to the Cadillac build sheet, the car shipped on October 29, 1940 on the account of Lone Star Cadillac here in Dallas, but under shipment information states "Truck to Little Rock."  I assume that means the Cadillac dealership in Little Rock (or another dealer in Arkansas) purchased the car from Lone Star, which at that time was both a distributor and a retailer.  I was unaware Lone Star's region was that large.

Anyway, I would like to locate a source for vehicle registration records from 1941 in Arkansas.  Hey, you never know.  Has anyone attempted to do this or have any suggestions?  To date, I've contacted the state's vehicle records division, the state Historical Commission, Historical Society and the library in Little Rock to no avail.  Anyone know the name of the Cadillac dealership in Little Rock during the '40s?

Ironically, I would be better off if the car had come to Dallas.  The Dallas Public Library staff tells me they have Dallas County vehicle registration records from 1941.  I haven't gone over there to look.  Their records list everything by license plate number, but the information includes the car's VIN and the owner's name.

I would appreciate any guidance before I give up on this.

Thanks-



Bob Hoffmann CLC#96

Steve & others trying to do this. Last time I checked it was 2009. You are attemting to get info from almost 70 years ago. Except in rare cases, that info is LONG gone. There is NO reason for states to keep it. What difference does it really make?  Just imagine some well-to-do family buying that car brand new & enjoying it. That's what I do. Sorry to burst your bubble. Bob
1968 Eldorado slick top ,white/red interior
2015 Holden Ute HSV Maloo red/black interior.
             
Too much fun is more than you can have.

Mike Josephic CLC #3877

Steve:

Unfortunately for you, I have to agree with Bob on this.

I've "been there, done that" and I can tell you unless you are incredibly lucky,
you will not be able to find those records.

Reasons are many:

1)  Most states throw their registration records out after a number of years (California after 20)
2)  Most all of these original dealers are long gone.
3)  Cadillac kept no records of shipments to dealers during those years, just to the
"distributor" for the area -- that network is defunct for about 40+ years.  No records exist
as to the dealer that was the ultimate destination.  Your build sheet (more properly (Cars Built
Log Sheet) will only show a "code" (example) such as LA for the Los Angeles area distributor.

If it's an unusual car in any way, you might try searching the local Public Library, the Chamber
of Commerice to get period dealer info which could give you some idea where it may have been
shipped to.  You may find some newspaper clippings of the era that will give you some
background info (yes, I've done all of this and more before finally giving up).

Anyway, good luck and enjoy your car!!!

Mike

1955 Cadillac Eldorado
1973 Cadillac Eldorado
1995 Cadillac Seville
2004 Escalade
1997 GMC Suburban 4X4, 454 engine, 3/4 ton
custom built by Santa Fe in Evansville, IN
2011 Buick Lucerne CX
-------------------------------------
CLCMRC Museum Benefactor #38
Past: VP International Affiliates, Museum Board Director, President / Director Pittsburgh Region

wm link

Start with the library and look for 1940 phone "directorys"...that will get you your dealership name. Little rock could have drawn customers from a few hundred miles on a car that special. Hot springs had great wealth and you might start there. Once you narrow it down to a city you can checlk local newspapers for hints. Look through the car for ANY hints of a location...oil stickers, tags, receipts ect.  By the way...I was shown an image from 1910 (reported) of a family with an automobile. you could NOT tell what kind of car it was...it had a license plate but could not read it....that ment, however the picture was from at LEAST 1912.  I found that the car was  1909 Haynes ( who could guess that) thru MVD record book in a state capital museum. The license fee was $10 (very expensive!) and the car was $5k new...also VERY expensive.   

Tom Hall 7485

There was a distributor in Little Rock, AR for 1941 model year, Madison Cadillac Company.
Your car was shipped into another distributor's territory for delivery.  This is somewhat
unusual, unless you also have a diversion notice.  I think maybe you did not get all of
the paperwork from GM Heritage Center.  They have preserved some diversion notices for
1941. 

I think you will find something of interest in next month's Self-Starter on this sort of thing.

Does the order number start with "LR"?  Or, does the order number start with "DAL" or
"EP"?  The former indicates billing to the Little Rock distributor.

Sometimes a consumer will order a car for delivery elsewhere in anticipation of a
move of the household, travel needs or as a gift.  Or, it may suggest a dealer trade.

What time of year was it when the car was delivered?

This one is intriguing but especially difficult.
Tom Hall, CLC Member 7485, Lifetime member since the mid-1990s.

Steve Matthews CLC 19505

Thanks everyone for the responses.  Sure it's not necessary to know, but still fun to look.  Given the rarity of a 60S in that period, who knows who might have bought it?  We've traced the ownership all the way back on both our '55 Olds and our '61 Chevy truck and enjoyed doing it.

Tom,  in the top left corner of the invoice by Order it says DAL 6503.  Below that on a separate line the first two digits are smudged (almost looks like XX over them - the second digit might be a 5) then a space then 7313 S (So...XX 7313 S).  The next line says ACCT OF which is where it states Lone Star OldsCadillac Co Dallas Texas.  Lastly, under SHIP TO there is a large handwritten 311 above the type of Truck to Little Rock.

The car was shipped October 29, 1940.  That's about all I know at this point.


jeff1956

In Arkansas vehicle records such as those would be stored at the county clerks office of the county the car was originally registered in or at the courthouse of the county the car was originally registered in.  This doesn't mean they will have them as some counties do throw out records eventually.  You would need to know which county the car was registered in, in order to even attempt to get such records from the state of arkansas.  There were several cadillac dealerships in arkansas....there was even one in my small town of Paragould called Horner Motor Company...a Cadillac, Buick, Olds dealer..it sold out in 2006.  I went in there about 6 years ago to get some parts for a 95 STS, and jokingly I told the parts guy..I also need 2 fog light bulbs for my '56.  He looked at me strangely and said "You know we were just talking about those the other day, we have two left on the shelf back here that's been there since the 60's." I gave a dollar a piece for them.

Jeff

Steve Matthews

I haven't pursued Arkansas records for a few weeks, but did want to report that I checked out what was on file in Dallas.  If you notice my earlier post, there was some question as to whether the car went to Arkansas or Dallas.  The Dallas Public Library has a book called The Pink Sheet which has automobile registration records for Dallas County.  The most recent book on file is the 1941 edition; it was donated to the library in 1970.  I skimmed through the 9,000 or so records listed and didn't spot my car, but wanted to extend the offer to anyone who has a car you believe started out in Dallas County from that period.  If you do, contact me directly and sometime I'll go over there and go through the book again to see if I can locate yours.  The book lists the car's VIN and the owner's name and address, plus the year, make and model of each car registered in Dallas County.  Unfortunately it's not in VIN order, so I have to read each line (of about 5 pt font!) to locate a car.  Interestingly, there were more than twenty 1941 Sixty Specials listed.

Steve