Author Topic: Big News...1941 Cadillac "Duchess" Limo in Auction (Read 5760 times)

Tom Gibson · « **on:** October 25, 2013, 08:44:51 AM »

The Media is going wild with the news released yesterday of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's coachbuilt '41 Cadillac coming to auction in NYC, Nov. 21, 2013.

Google it, and you'll see what I mean.

TG

Gene Beaird · « **Reply #1 on:** October 25, 2013, 10:12:17 AM »

I don't care who owned it, that's a beautiful car. Made ready for a museum, for sure.

joeceretti · « **Reply #2 on:** October 25, 2013, 11:27:00 AM »

I think that is the most beautiful car I have ever seen.

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 25, 2013, 04:02:05 PM »

Tom,
Thanks for posting. I'd like to see some before pictures.
I don't care a thing about the 68 Eldo Elvis car, but a sure hope they did the 41 correctly! There is one GLARING error on the car. Hint... it's toward the rear. Any guess's from you guys?
Did they ever contact a guy like Whit Otis on any interior questions? Who did the restoration?
Bob

Eric DeVirgilis CLC# 8621 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2013, 04:23:00 PM »

That is the most magnificent specimen of a 1941 Cadillac that I have ever seen. The coachwork is incredible - very bold yet tastefully done. Imagine if they did a convertible like that.

Thanks for posting.

Terry Wenger · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2013, 05:05:59 PM »

There at least two glaring errors in the Duchess: The stone guard should be stainless steel or chrome plated and the wheel rims should be chromed. The Duchess shared these features with the Alfred Sloan car, now owned by Whit Otis, which also began as a 62 Series car.

Terry Wenger

Jeff Hansen · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2013, 06:32:27 PM »

The styling of The Duchess reminds me of the car Cadillac built for Mr. Knudsen in 1938.

okccadman · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2013, 06:50:31 PM »

The car is owned by CLC member Morgan Murphy in Alabama. Before pics are on 1941 dream cars and customs section of The Cadillac Database:

http://www.cadillacdatabase.org/Dbas_txt/Drm40-42.htm

Tom Gibson · « **Reply #8 on:** October 25, 2013, 06:59:11 PM »

The pics and info on the Cadillac Database show the chromey stone guards as new and now. The wheel trim rings do seem to be missing now, or maybe obscured by lighting during its studio shots? The front left wheel seems to have some glint in the profile glam shot.

Boy, what a car!

TG

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 25, 2013, 08:15:00 PM »

Guys,
Thanks for the info. I saw the before pics too. Pretty rough, but at least it survived. I can't tell about Terry's comments due to the bad quality promo photos.
The error I was talking about is that droopy exhaust pipe. And I'll bet it doesn't have the ceramic tip. Which vendor makes that exhaust system?
Bob

Ralph Messina CLC 4937 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2013, 08:22:14 PM »

Bob,

The only thing I see is a tail pipe too long and too low. Looking at the original â€™41 Â¾ frontal picture the running lights appear to be clear glass not amber. In the before picture in the Database, the car appears to be blue. Does anyone know the original color?

Ralph

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2013, 09:30:34 PM »

I really hate when this site won't load photos... I almost decided not to bother once again, but I will make another attempt and redo what was once done.

When I was at Morgan's in 2009, he had just bought 10 plus cars to get the Duchess. All were pretty cool cars, 57 Fleetwood SO, 2 57 Brougham's, 41 convertible, 59 Fleetwood, a couple 41's, a modified Fleetwood that was used in a movie as the chase car in JFK, and few more. When I looked at some of the cars in a warehouse in Birmingham where they were stored, my interest was the Brougham's. The Duchess was a mess, but the interior had some cool features that still looked OK. Those were the only shots I took at the time. There was no lighting and the flash of the camera was all that was available. The photos are not that great.

Here are the photos and it looks like I will have load one at a time.

David

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2013, 09:33:21 PM »

number 2

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2013, 09:34:07 PM »

number 3

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2013, 09:34:53 PM »

number 4

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #15 on:** October 25, 2013, 09:35:37 PM »

number 5 and final.

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 25, 2013, 11:50:59 PM »

Quote from: Ralph Messina CLC 4937 on October 25, 2013, 08:22:14 PM

Bob,

The only thing I see is a tail pipe too long and too low. Looking at the original â€™41 Â¾ frontal picture the running lights appear to be clear glass not amber. In the before picture in the Database, the car appears to be blue. Does anyone know the original color?

Ralph

Ralph,
Too long, too low = droopy. Most all Cadillacs have very unobtrusive exhaust pipes & the ones of that era had a ceramic coated tip. Check out some factory photos or search the pics I posted some years ago. Re the fog lights, I've seen amber, clear & red. They might have made blue for the funeral industry. Maybe someone else knows.
Bob

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 25, 2013, 11:54:11 PM »

David,
Thanks for posting those pics. They give me a clear idea of the cars condition. Lots of great patterns.
Bob

wrench · « **Reply #18 on:** October 26, 2013, 01:19:19 AM »

I am surprised by the extent of the faux wood finishing, I would have thought it would be real wood?

The restored car is a beauty...

David King (kz78hy) · « **Reply #19 on:** October 26, 2013, 09:31:16 AM »

Bob,

The car was damaged by critters while in storage in TX, but as you noted, it was good enough to use for patterns and colors. Morgan went to great length to research this car, so it should be restored as accurately has humanly possible.

David

Author Topic: Big News...1941 Cadillac "Duchess" Limo in Auction (Read 5760 times)

joeceretti