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Dupont


alsancle

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1 hour ago, alsancle said:

 

has anybody seen this car in the last 50 years?


 

With the family buying all the cars, I’m amazed that I see one every five years now............

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When I was selling the Waterhouse victoria that Fred Guyton ultimately bought, I talked to several duPonts. None of the were at all interested and at least one of them told me that they didn't want it because it was unattractive.

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12 hours ago, pughs said:

When I was selling the Waterhouse victoria that Fred Guyton ultimately bought, I talked to several duPonts. None of the were at all interested and at least one of them told me that they didn't want it because it was unattractive.

 

I have bad taste.  I LOVE that car.

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16 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

I wonder how much money DuPont lost on every car they built?   Quite a vanity project.

E Paul must have been quite the character. This little anecdote on coachbuilt.com is from a former Waterhouse Co. employee and its pretty funny. Dupont made a 1928 inspection of the Waterhouse operation to "make a preliminary inspection of the new custom-body builder."

Dunham continues his story:

“Before his arrival we all visited the barber and local shoe-shine parlor. The man we soon met for the first time looked as though he had slept in his suit and had not sat in a barber's chair for weeks! At first a little reticent, he soon warmed up and turned out to be a most democratic and likeable multimillionaire. We had been tipped off in advance that he enjoyed a good salty story. So, one of our number with a vast collection, unlimbered a few of his favorites. This, un­questionably, had something to do with making his visit more enjoyable and our "situation" more favor­able.”

“Before long we had our first order for five roadsters and five convertible coupes.”

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17 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

I wonder how much money DuPont lost on every car they built?   Quite a vanity project.

 

I wonder if Stan Smith knows?   The problem that most regular people have no concept of is if you are fabulously rich from a previous generation,  you need something productive to occupy your time.   Sitting at the beach or drinking all day is neither satisfying nor a great idea.   DuPont started a car company and later owned Indian.  Kept him busy for a good chunk of time and we have some great cars to admire because of it.

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Sounds as if E. Paul DuPont hadn't let vast wealth go to his head.  Spending considerable amounts on a vanity project just to have his name on a car was just what he must have done for fun without concern for unit profit.  Only the type of thing that could happen then.

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On 3/28/2020 at 9:03 PM, pughs said:

When I was selling the Waterhouse victoria that Fred Guyton ultimately bought, I talked to several duPonts. None of the were at all interested and at least one of them told me that they didn't want it because it was unattractive.


They were correct! That’s why it didn’t bring any real money.

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16 minutes ago, pughs said:

Ed,

I guess there is no accounting for taste. I think it is one of the most attractive duPonts.

 

Steve,  ignore Ed.  He looks in the mirror every morning and thinks he sees a Walker LeGrand Duesenberg.

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I would say it is attractive, but certainly has never been restored to its full potential

 

Notice the three DuPont's in background

 

Caption:  Helen West sits in a small car at the New York Auto Show in 1931. The car was the smallest that was presented at the exhibition

 

TA381K.thumb.jpg.37b7fc96666ed570c34a560930bd4046.jpg

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7 hours ago, pughs said:

Ed,

I guess there is no accounting for taste. I think it is one of the most attractive duPonts.

 

DCP_0418.thumb.JPG.a8bdb5e53b7695e9e10ee13e702e5fcf.JPG


Unless you have stood in front of the car, or sat in it, which I have and did at the auction; this is one of those rare cars that looks better in photos and gets much less attractive in person. Proportions ore off........way off. AJ always says they never made an unattractive Waterhouse.........,,he is wrong. This one is a red headed stepchild...............there IS A REASON why the family didn’t buy it. They are very aggressive buying the cars with good eyeball.

 

PS- I have always wanted a DuPont car.........and I would take this one. It needs a total restoration now.......

 

 

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
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Ed,

I had this car for almost a year.  I saw it from every angle and sat in it a bunch of times. I still like it. It needed work when I sold it and I never saw it in person again. I don't know what Fred did to it other than have it painted. Maybe nothing else.

Steve

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Steve......it’s a good car........NOT a great car. The car was very long in the tooth.......paint was failing, and the doors were warped and loose in the hinges and the door wood was soft.........typically of a Conv Vic with big heavy doors.

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TA381K.thumb.jpg.37b7fc96666ed570c34a560930bd4046.jpg

 

 

I would play around with the original colors of dark brown and maroon on wheels- needs a very "rich" color of each, perhaps add a pinstripe and pay very close attention to top canvas and trim.

 

I think what the car suffered from is that it is really large, fairly tall, and fairly simple/plain - not as glitzy as similar cars of the era or even other DuPonts.

 

And when I see brown it crosses my mind of the old dealer adage of "Stay Around Brown" aka this will not be selling fast - why brown has to be so carefully chosen.

 

Also, time for a fresh restoration. 

 

Neat car with original photos, original build sheet, pretty known history, and ... matched to nice body style and very decent powerplant 

 

 

 

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