Never Seen This Before (car)

[marmer]

Seen while bike riding yesterday. The damage doesn't look new and the interior is equally worn. It's not trashed -- this is someone's daily driver, and they are parking it on the street!

[ricco67]

I saw one like it a few years back in a parking lot. What struck me was that EVERY INCH of the interior, with the exception of the driver's seat, was filled with paperwork. I'm not talking about medical journals. I'm talking about yellowed newspapers, magazines, coupons. If I remember correctly it was up the dash. I sat there stunned for a minute (I was drunk at the time) making sure it was what I was seeing.

[marmer]

Interesting, this:

Wikipedia link

Wonder if it's the same car?

[Subdude]

Must be. The wikip photo is from Montrose, and there can't be that many of these running around Houston.

[jgriff]

The wikipedia article says the car is the property of the ACLU. I wonder why they would have an old Rolls.

[marmer]

This is only speculation, but maybe donated/willed to them by an eccentric? If it was used as a "company" car maybe that would explain ricco67's sighting of it full of paperwork. Maybe they sold it or they can't afford to fix it, which would make sense.

[gwilson]

I love old Rolls and Bentleys. My neighbors cousin owns a limo/livery company here in town and he has a late 80s/early 90s Bentley that he comes over in every once in a while (when he doesn't feel like driving one of his two S550s, his Porsche, his H2 stretch, his Excursion stretch, any of his town cars or his Yukon). One night when he came over, I had to go to blockbuster and they took me to Blockbuster in the Bentley and had me sitting in the back and insisted on opening the door for me and all.

It was an interesting movie rental visit.

[dbigtex56]

I've seen this car around the Montrose for years. I'll check with one of my ACLU buddies and find of if it's their property.

[jm1fd]

Must be. The wikip photo is from Montrose, and there can't be that many of these running around Houston.

The car in the Wikipedia picture has had the front fender replaced/repainted (note the difference in color between the fender and the door). I don't see that difference in the OP's photo.

[plumber2]

My brother used to get picked up by one of his girl friends in high school in an old stretch 1959 or 60 Imperial limousine. It was apparenlty owned by a former chief of police, John Short. It was rumoured to have bullet proof glass. This was around 1970. I saw that car for several years after that around west Houston. Anybody know what happened to it?

[marmer]

The car in the Wikipedia picture has had the front fender replaced/repainted (note the difference in color between the fender and the door). I don't see that difference in the OP's photo.

I see your point, but not completely sure I agree. I think the difference in color might just be the angle of the photo. I could be wrong, though. Seems strange that someone would get it fixed and accept that different of a color. The car I saw did not have a difference in color between the fender and the door.

My brother used to get picked up by one of his girl friends in high school in an old stretch 1959 or 60 Imperial limousine. It was apparenlty owned by a former chief of police, John Short. It was rumoured to have bullet proof glass. This was around 1970. I saw that car for several years after that around west Houston. Anybody know what happened to it?

Ooh, ooh, a Ghia-bodied Imperial limo! Never seen one in the metal. Saw one get clobbered by a train in the Lemony Snicket movie, though, along with a Tatra T-603.

[TJones]

There is a '62 Rolls on craigslist, in need of a full restoration. I think they were only asking like $1800. Claimed to have a good grill also.

[jm1fd]

I see your point, but not completely sure I agree. I think the difference in color might just be the angle of the photo. I could be wrong, though. Seems strange that someone would get it fixed and accept that different of a color. The car I saw did not have a difference in color between the fender and the door.

It could be the angle but I doubt it for two reasons:

1. The fender and the rest of the car are more or less in the same plane so they should reflect light very similarly all else being equal
   
2. The color changes abruptly where the fender meets the door. If it was the angle or a reflection or some such, I would expect to see a gradient where the color fades from light to dark over a given interval, not an abrupt change.
   

Ooh, ooh, a Ghia-bodied Imperial limo! Never seen one in the metal. Saw one get clobbered by a train in the Lemony Snicket movie, though, along with a Tatra T-603.

Fortunately, the Lemony Snicket Imperial was cobbled together from multiple parts cars. They didn't destroy an original.

Also, I couldn't help but post this link about an old Roller on Top Gear. HILARIOUS. Be sure to watch it all the way to the end....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgYIYATD5Xo

[dbigtex56]

The wikipedia article says the car is the property of the ACLU. I wonder why they would have an old Rolls.

Asked a friend who's involved with the ACLU, and she says the car is privately owned by someone active within that organization.