1933 Chrysler CL Imperial Dual-Windshield Phaeton
- Engine
- Period-correct CH Imperial inline engine, similar to original CL unit; also fitted at one point with a 1930 Cadillac V-16 (no. 700132)
- Colour
- Brilliant scarlet
A 1933 Chrysler CL Imperial dual-windshield phaeton with a colourful ownership history stretching from racing-boat pioneer Lou Fageol — who had a Cadillac V-16 engine installed in place of the original unit — through Hollywood actor Turhan Bey and several California enthusiasts, to the eccentric millionaire Baron Dorcy, grandson of railroad magnate James J. Hill, who owned the car three separate times over five decades. Restored between 1985 and 1987 and subsequently refinished, the car is documented in multiple published references and retains strong provenance as a genuine example of one of the most coveted American Classic body styles.
Ownership
- —Auction saleEstimate US$250,000 – US$300,000
- 1933 →Factory deliveryLou Fageolpartial documentation
Racing boat celebrity who purchased the car new; had his shop swap in a Cadillac V-16 engine with related chassis and suspension modifications roughly a year after purchase.
- → 2001Acquisition unknownKen Danielpartial documentation
Longtime friend and neighbor of Dorcy who at some point acquired the car and ultimately sold it back to Dorcy in 2001 in exchange for a Duesenberg.
- 2001 →Private saleLaurence Dorcypartial documentation
Final period of Dorcy's ownership, during which the engine hood was correctly replaced and the bodywork refinished in scarlet; Dorcy died and the car passed to his estate.
- 2011 →Acquisition unknownKen Danielpartial documentation
Reacquired the car from Dorcy's estate approximately a decade after selling it to Dorcy; further cosmetic restoration and a period-correct CH Imperial engine installation followed.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownTurhan Beypartial documentation
Hollywood film actor who owned the car after the V-16 conversion had been completed.
- Date unknownAcquisition unknownStanford University studentpartial documentation
Unnamed student who subsequently sold the car in the early 1950s.
- Date unknownPrivate saleJack Passeypartial documentation
Celebrated Northern California collector who acquired the car in the early 1950s; his ownership is documented in a published book about his automobile collection.
- Date unknownPrivate saleEarl Hill and Dick Wellspartial documentation
Received the car from Passey via trade; subsequently sold it to Laurence Dorcy.
- Date unknownPrivate saleLaurence Dorcypartial documentation
Known as Baron, he was a grandson of railroad magnate James J. Hill and a millionaire eccentric; this was his first of three periods of ownership over roughly 50 years.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- 1985RestorationHarold Orchard
Full restoration of the car carried out over a two-year period, completed in 1987.
- —ModificationFageol's shop
Original powerplant replaced with a Cadillac V-16 engine (no. 700132); accompanying adjustments made to the chassis and suspension to accommodate the new drivetrain.
Work carried out approximately one year after the car was delivered new in 1933.
- —Bodywork
Engine hood replaced with a correct-pattern unit and the coachwork refinished in its current vivid scarlet colour.
Work undertaken during Baron Dorcy's final ownership period.
- —Restoration
Further cosmetic restoration work carried out, and a period-correct CH Imperial engine installed in place of the Cadillac V-16, closely resembling the original CL unit the car left the factory with.
Most recent work, described as occurring after Dorcy's final ownership.
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