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1929 Chev Landaulet


Restorer32

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If I recall from a long thread on the VCCA site 4 or 5 years ago, it has long since been debunked that less than 300 of these Landau Phaetons were built. While no one know precisely, I believe the current estimate is somewhere in the 6000-7000 range. So not as rare as those who own one would like!

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That's a tough one - preserve a great old survivor as is or make it a beautiful restoration?  In any case it's a unique body style - I never understood what audience it was aimed at.  The laundau top smacks of a chauffeured limo, town car, etc but Chev wasn't a high-end car like most of those.  OTOH, a 1/2 convertible-1/2 sedan doesn't seem like a practical family car, although I suppose the kids and dogs would've loved that backseat.

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4 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

Built for the carriage trade that fell on hard times.

 

 

They didn't fall on hard times until late October, 1929 - dunno exactly when 29 Chev production ended but I'd think it at least would have been winding down by then.

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Think I've seen that car before.  As I recall it was part of a big collection that included as lot of neat Corvettes.  Saw the collection while on an AACA tour a few years ago.  Good to see it out and running if that's the same car.   Terry

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If I recall from a long thread on the VCCA site 4 or 5 years ago, it has long since been debunked that less than 300 of these Landau Phaetons were built. While no one know precisely, I believe the current estimate is somewhere in the 6000-7000 range. So not as rare as those who own one would like!

 

true- I have seen so many of these over the years. a few also at Hershey.

 

brings to mind the 32 ford- more of them today then Henry ever built.

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The current estimate by those doing the research is 15,000 +. I think they have accounted for at least a 100 or so survivors. The theory is the 294/300 number came from just the Flint plant and a shorter than actual production period. Cars from almost all plants have been found.

 

Dave

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Chevrolet car sales were strong for the new six and remained so for Chevrolet until late in 1931. I think the researchers also though that Chevrolet sent one to each dealer for a traffic builder which would help the number.

 

Dave

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 "Chevy outsold Ford each year in the '30's except '35". Not according to Wikipedia, whose automobile production for the 10 year period 1930-1939 indicates Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937, 5 years of the 10. Totals for the 10 year period are shown as 6,456,209 for Ford and 5,935,694 for Chevrolet. Now if GM was the subject of the math, adding Pontiac, Buick, Olds, etc. then no doubt GM would come out on top. but the sentence did say "Chevy outsold Ford". As for why Chevrolet outsold Ford in '31, 32, not much to do with styling (Chevy Independence and Ford Model A looked pretty much alike) big difference was Chevy had brought out the stovebolt 6 in 1929, and by 1931 it was quickly catching on as a more reliable engine, more horsepower, overhead valves etc. The arrival of the Ford V8 in '32 took a couple of years to catch on with the buying public and by '34 Ford moved ahead in sales.

Edited by Gunsmoke (see edit history)
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On 8/29/2018 at 7:56 PM, Gunsmoke said:

 "Chevy outsold Ford each year in the '30's except '35". Not according to Wikipedia, whose automobile production for the 10 year period 1930-1939 indicates Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1930, 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937, 5 years of the 10. Totals for the 10 year period are shown as 6,456,209 for Ford and 5,935,694 for Chevrolet. Now if GM was the subject of the math, adding Pontiac, Buick, Olds, etc. then no doubt GM would come out on top. but the sentence did say "Chevy outsold Ford". As for why Chevrolet outsold Ford in '31, 32, not much to do with styling (Chevy Independence and Ford Model A looked pretty much alike) big difference was Chevy had brought out the stovebolt 6 in 1929, and by 1931 it was quickly catching on as a more reliable engine, more horsepower, overhead valves etc. The arrival of the Ford V8 in '32 took a couple of years to catch on with the buying public and by '34 Ford moved ahead in sales.

I agree the stove bolt was the key but also something has to be mentioned about the wood body. There’s a huge difference in the feel and sound of the car when driving or closing doors especially. I was at a show recently with my 31’ special sedan and was parked right next to a beautifully restored 33’ fordoor. We were admiring each other’s cars and I opened a door to show the Fords owner my interior, then closed my door which sounds very solid, much like closing the door on an old wood ice chest. The 33’ owner did the same and then closed his door. It literally sounded like closing a door on an all metal garden shed or hitting a 55 gallon drum with a bat. While I thought that, I didn’t say it. It was actually the Ford owner who commented on how much more solid my car doors sounded when they were closed and that his car sounded like a tin can. Now yes, we all know the wood is the very reason why there are more F’s than C’s in existence these days but I’m referencing what I believe many had to experience back when they were new looking at the cars. While the 29 body was more solid than the 28, the 30 was even more so than the 29, with more body improvements on the 31 then even more on the 32’. But what it comes down to eventually is power and that is the case today. Just look at the big threes diesel pickup line up. All about the power and satisfying the power hungry owners. So once the V8 Ford caught on, it ran all over the stovebolt in sales. How many salesmen back then you think brought up that it was Clyde Barrows engine of choice? Have to say, Even my unfinished doors on my Olds Cabriolet sound better closing than those on my friends restored Ford Cabriolet. Now I’m going to get a bunch of grief over my post!!!!!

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  • 3 years later...

They are pretty neat cars just not my style, I own a 1929 4 door sedan ;) and hte number of them out there is always a guess, like asking how many licks to get to the center of a tootsie pop. the world may never know !!

 

I know at least 2 people that own one, and will probably see a good number of them next Summer at het VCCA 60th Annual Meet !!

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You would probably have to post that on the POCI forum. I have seen the poster for them but never one of the Pontiac conv Landau sedans. There was a LaSalle conv Landau sedan on greedbay some time back but since I did not see the actual car could not determine if if was something made from a montage of parts. I did save a photo of the factory advertisement for the AU version that has shock absorbers and right hand drive. I have a Chevrolet conv Landau sedan made in the Oakland CA plant in March 1929. Often wondered if other GM marques had made them.

 

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31 minutes ago, 8E45E said:

Many taxicabs were this style as well.

 

Craig

Good point!  In fact, the 1939-'41 Checker Model A was the last production car with the landaulet feature.   Walter Briggs had a custom 1941 Chrysler Crown Imperial limousine with formal landaulet rear roof quarters.    The idea of the folding landaulet was for the chauffeured occupants of the tonneau to have the option to enjoy semi-open motoring when the weather allowed.  It was a holdover from the old 'taking the air' custom in the horse-drawn carriage days when ladies and gentlemen in their finery were driven on the parkway to not only enjoy the mild weather and sunshine but also to be seen by their society contemporaries, a subtle display of wealth.

 

Steve

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Don't say that Matt! I have always been fascinated by those silly anomalous cars. It has been mentioned previously on this and other threads about these that a surprising number of them actually do survive. I have been fascinated by them ever since I saw a very nicely restored one up close about 35 years ago. However, for me, they are a bit too modern, and I really don't want one. Over the years, I have seen five of them myself up close, conditions ranging from very nice to a bit rough and rusty. And I have seen several of them for sale over the years both in magazines and online. I have seen ads for yours and three others for sale over the past couple years. One of the others looked very similar to yours, correct colors by the way, but it wasn't quite as well done. One was incorrect colors, and one needed a lot of work. Yours apparently was by far the best of the bunch! Yours and the one very similar to yours were both listed for sale for awhile on ebay. It made it easy to compare them, almost side-by-side.

If I could afford to have twenty nice collector cars? I would probably have one of these, and use it. Since I need to chose, I need to chose wisely, and get something I really want and can use.

But I will always like these.

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It's definitely a strange body style with very little real world functionality but they do look rather nice in appropriate colors.

And they all have one big thing going for them - the landau bars are facing the right direction! :D

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