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Texarkana Debut For "Copper Top"


Charles D. Barnette

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In still searching old ads for Dickson Motors of Winnipeg in the Winnipeg Free Press archives, I found an ad showing a diagram of Dickson with its three lots located. Carla will post this on Monday. Further I found a listing for a used 1953 Buick Riviera Hardtop in the December 4, 1953, issue for sale at Dickson for $3695 as a "Christmas Special". The car was finished in Horizon Blue and Regetta Blue Special leather and nylon upholstery. Is this a rare color combination? Charles

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  • 3 weeks later...

I still continue to research and tout the Canadian Buick Dealership of Winnipeg known as Dickson Motors that existed from 1948 to approximately 1973 where my 59 Buick landed after being manufactured in Oshawa. In an ad posted above by Carla, Dickson Motors who also sold Cadillacs is stating that they have for sale a 1959 Cadillac Fleetwood that was used in the "Royal Parade" that has now been released to them by General Motors Products. The ad appears in the July 29, 1959, edition of the Winnipeg Free Press and describes the car as a beautiful black 1959 Fleetwood Sedan that is high-styled. Indeed according to the historic timeline of Winnipeg, a Royal couple did visit Winnipeg on July 24 and 25 of 1959. Their names were Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh! There is no picture of the car and neither do we know for sure that the famous couple actually rode in the car-just that the car was in the "Royal Parade". Still this is quite a credit for Dickson. Charles

Edited by Charles_Barnette (see edit history)
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She's still the queen...50 years later and supposed to be coming back to Canada soon. Royal cars are an interesting topic in and of themselves.

Included in the 1959 visit, she went to all provinces and officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway with President Eisenhower.

Apparently the National Film Board has a 21 minute show of the visit to this part of the world - Royal Visit '59: Central Canada (1959) - that could possibly show the Cadillac.

Here's a photo of a car used in BC:

2776.gif

I keep forgetting that by Central Canada they don't mean the geographic centre (just a little ways east of Winnipeg). The NFB film that would cover it would be Film Collection - National Film Board of Canada, but the title isn't available through the online store.

There's a photo at the bottom of this page, but not very big - Prof6061.

Aha! Found it. Drm_59Queen

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I wonder if the Dickson Fleetwood was a standard Fleetwood to accompany the Queen's special made Fleetwood with partial "Bubble Top"? I just do not think that the special custom car would be offered to the public for sale so soon. The custom was used by the Queen and President Eisenhower to open the Seaway. Also this same custom Fleetwood was used by the Kennedys during the JFK Presidency. The custom Fleetwood is currently being restored by the current owner who wishes to remain anonymous at this time. I think the Dickson car was used in the procession maybe as a back up car in Winnipeg rather then the actual one used by the Queen. If it had been the custom one made available to the Queen, I believe Dickson would have given a more detailed description of the car in its ad. If I am wrong and Dickson was given the opportunity to sell the custom Fleetwood then that would even be a greater feat for the Winnipeg dealership who also sold Buicks! Charles-the words "Royal Parade" certainly grabs one's attention when used in connection with a black 59 Fleetwood Cadillac!

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Derek on the site you cited in connection with the Queen's 59 Custom Cadillac, the car is pictured with a 1958 Buick wagon in the background of two of the pictures. Scroll halfway down the photos of the site at http://www.car-nection.com/yann/Dbas_txt/Drm59Queen.htm and you will see it. Buicks have a way of showing up at any major event! Charles-on top of the Buick stands a newsman with a camera mounted on a tripod, that Buick may have been manufactured in Canada!

Edited by Charles_Barnette (see edit history)
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there were 2 58 Buick wagons in Winnipeg recently for sale on kijiji ..... I saw these cars close up a few years ago and one had a home made looking roof top square framed rack, that I can now see could easily have been a platform carrier.... say for a tv camera.

Wouldn't that be neat if that was the tv camera car?

Don't know where the 58 wagons are now.

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