1952 Derham Eisenhour Limo on Ebay

[Jim Jordan]

Is it me or does this car appear to have the longer rear quarter panels and trunk of a 60 Special or Coupe?  Ive never heard of a Derham car built for Ike?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180054603625&fromMakeTrack=true TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180054603625&fromMakeTrack=true

[Johnny #662]

EXTREMELY suspicious car, to say the least.  Too many red flags with the ad.

Starting bid of $100,000!  I dont think his staff car during D-Day would bring in that much!

Commissioned? to Eisehower by the state of Florida?  Whats was his connection to Florida, other then he might have enjoyed a glass of OJ!  At best this car might, and I use the word cautiously, have been loaned to Ike for a trip he might have made to Florida.

If it was commissioned in 1953?  Again what is meant by the word "commissioned" as used in this ad?

The ad is very poorly written!  Looks like the emails we all get from Nigeria telling us how to pick up quick million or two, just by helping some stranger get their hands on a big estate.

The only Cadillac associated with Ike was the 1953 Eldorado, which he used in his inagural parade.

This will be an interesting auction to keep tabs on.

[Bob]

Tell me more about the 53 Eldorado, does it still exist?

The only Cadillac associated with Ike was the 1953 Eldorado, which he used in his inagural parade.

[john fotakis]

Hi Bob. Check out Yanns database under 53 Eldorado. It was supposedly build no.2 and still exists.

[Bob]

Thank you

[Yann Saunders, CLC #12588]

Yes, the car is believed to have survived. It was reportedly sold for $103,000 at a BJ auction in 1988 [as lot #963]. The color was white.  It is Eldorado #2 (not #1 as many aficionados have surmised).

Why would Eisenhower, or anyone else, commission in 1953 a car built in 1952

[Jim Jordan]

Any opinions on the long deck?  Surely my eyes arent deceiving me.  Ive never seen another Series 75 with a long deck like that.

[Ray F]

Its always suspicious when the ebay listing misspells Derham erroneously as Durham.

Most coachbuilt Derhams were badged with a small script Derham in chrome on the rear-most side of the hood.  This car does not appear to have that badging.  While it is true that Derhams could be ordered with anything, almost all Derham limos were delivered with black leather in the front chauffeurs compartment and tan or gray wool in the passenger compartment.  (The owner sat on fine woven fabrics in the back - the working stiff sat on cow.)  This car has a vinyl-looking white ?leather? throughout.  

The old Rosemont factory records are available somewhere, but Ive forgotten the repository, so this could conceivably be verified by an interested buyer.

My 1952 Derham limo looks significantly different than this tacky beast.  Photo here: http://www.cadillaclasalleclub.org/cpg132/displayimage.php?album=topn&cat=0&pos=1 TARGET=_blank>http://www.cadillaclasalleclub.org/cpg132/displayimage.php?album=topn&cat=0&pos=1

Not worth $100K of my money, but who knows?