Jose Mollinedo's Family Limousine

- A 1956 Crown Imperial Limousine in Spain -

 


Imperial Home Page -> Imperials by Year -> 1956 -> Limo -> Jose Mollinedo's Crown Imperial Limousine


 

 

 

(Nov. 2021)
Jose Mollinedo recently wrote in to us and included a couple of photos of his family's 1956 Crown Imperial Limousine in storage for more than 30 years.
ONE owner, acquired new from the factory by his Father.

We asked Jose for more information and here is the story and photos of their
family Limousine:

 

This Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine, was bought brand new by my father in 1956. I was four years old. That same year, my parents traveled to the World Expo in Bruxells, that actually took place that year. I did not participate on that distant journey, due to my short age. Incidentally, when my parents returned from that trip, they brought the first TV to our home. (B&W of course).

I am attaching here two historic pictures of the Limousine. They were taken probably by my father. The smallest car in the front is an Austin, a pedal car. The middle car was a car specially built for us with a 125 c.c. two stroke engine. A yellow arrow points to me in the image with three cars. It is interesting that in the image of only of the two cars - I am sitting at the wheel of the small convertible - my mother, thinking that she was not seen, is looking through the other side of the Limo. The camera caught her. In these images I must have been around ten.

My father always favored US built cars. At that time, if you wanted a serious representative car you had to choose, British, German or US.

We were a family of my two parents, five brothers, and a driver; we all fitted in this huge limo.

 

Click on photos to see larger versions

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the age of fifteen or sixteen, 1968, within the family, the car was declared old, and probably "obsolete". At the dinner table, one day, the discussion about trading the Limo for a newer model was discussed. And I distinctively remember hearing that the possible price the Limo could obtain in the used market was - in pesetas at the time - the equivalent to six hundred Euros today (!!!).

I seriously told my father that, if such was the case, and in the distant event that one day I would receive any amount of money coming from him, at that moment I offered to him the "deal" of keeping the car for me, and deducting the six hundred Euros from "my inheritance" ...

My father did not say anything, but smiled. And the car stayed at home, being transferred from time to time from one garage or parking to another, until it was stored in a warehouse from the family, full of different items, like furniture, and other cars. There it has been for the last thirty years. No maintenance - no nothing, except covered by pieces of old curtains.

 

Here are some "before" photos, when the Limousine was in storage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, a few weeks ago - November 2021 - I was able to take possession of the car and have it shipped to a ranch in La Mancha, where I am fortunate to have plenty space for storing vehicles. Incidentally, I have also a Plymouth Phaeton, two doors 1932, and a Cadillac Fleetwood of the seventies.

The Limousine is all original, never had any accident, and everything in it is the way it came out of the factory. It has the glass divider window between the driver compartment and the passengers area.

With the help of my wife and some other members of the family, we took out the car from a hangar, and gave it a good polishing of the exteriors.

The recent images of the shiny Limo, are taken at a local air strip in La Mancha. I believe it can be said that this is a car with "one owner".

One Club member has kindly indicated that this is a rare car, and I must add, that for the reasons explained, this Chrysler has a very special value and meaning to me.

Now, patiently, I will face the endeavor of making the engine, and all mechanical items, operate again.

I count, and look very much forward to receiving help and advice from the members of the Imperial Club, and I can declare openly, that after having joined the club, just a few weeks ago, I have received already some invaluable help from its members, to whom I am immensely in debt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Just for the sake of curiosity, I add here a picture of a card signed by a lady, with the Seal of the United States, that I found in one the the compartments of the passengers area. I checked Google and I found that the lady was the US Ambassador's wife in Madrid, in the sixty's , thanking us for a donation and a visit to the charity stand of the Red Cross.

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU to Jose Mollinedo and his Family for sending us the story and photos of his family Limousine from Spain.
We hope he will keep us updated on bringing this fine rare Imperial back to life.

 

 


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