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1956 cowl tag/ vin number decipher needed


jwa

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Thanks for your reply.   This is not my car  ( yet) so i am rather reluctant to  post any photos.  This is more of what i would consider to be an "airporter" or sightee'r limo  w/o a divider.     Your car is awesome.  I saw photos on another thread.   I may post photos later if the current owner tells me it's ok.    ja

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Greetings,  I'm slow but sure! LOL  I finally received permission to post these photos from the owner of the vehicle.  We are fairly  certain that this Chrysler was once a Smoky Mountain Tours (vehicle #20) .  SMT operated out of Asheville NC.   They  had a very unique fleet including 3 axle Packard' s and vintage Flxible buses just to name a few.  We have a Facebook page" Smoky Mountain Tours Company"  feel free to join our page and see the items we have found to date!  All leads, photos and picture appreciated!   We have a vintage photo of a "like" Chrysler in front of the Biltmore House in Asheville NC  Anyone have knowledge of this cars past?  Any guess on the Coachbuilder?   Thanks,  br-549

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Can't help on the trim/paint tag on the firewall, but for the serial number:

 

VIN N56-18274
Found in range N56-1001 to N56-36162
Year 1956
Make Chrysler
Model Code C72
Model New Yorker
Engine V8
Serial 17274 of 35162
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There was no factory capability at Chrysler to build this.   It falls into the coachbuilt category of "airporters" meaning stretched chassis to which additional doors and seats were added.   Armbruster-Stageway, Fort Smith, Arkansas was the biggest producer here with their "Memphian".   The company continues building stretches as "limousines", ambulances, and hearses.   Hotel and airport uses were common.

There was a gray very similar '56 sold near Portland about 3 years ago.

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Jack, Thanks for the reply.   Any idea where this car is located now?   Do you know who the Coach builder was?   Where there any signs of it ever having the sightseer glasses in the roof?    We know that Smoky Mountain Tours had more the one Chrysler- i would love to know the history on this car.    Thanks again!   Jerry

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It was an airporter in the Portland area as far as I know.

Was owned by "The Gray Line"

It belonged to a neighbor that had it stored for many years and I bought it at his estate auction.

I sold it to a guy in Enterprise Oregon if I recall correctly. (this was at the Portland Swap meet several years ago,).

It must have sat around over there for awhile as I did get a phone call from the for sale sign that I had taped to the inside of one of the windows. This was a year or two after I sold it.

That caller told me that he saw it stored in a not very conspicuous place in or near Enterprise. So it must have been behind a shop or barn or the likes.

Pretty sure that my buyer was a known local farmer or some kind of businessman around there. Maybe a road trip could scare it up. Its not a very big town.

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On 3/14/2020 at 11:15 AM, JACK M said:

It was an airporter in the Portland area as far as I know.

I grew up in Portland in the 50's and 60's and can remember seeing those vehicles. The airport at that time wasn't much of a place so those Limo's stood out to a kid. I could be wrong but they might have still been in use up to the early 70's. 

Thanks for the memories. 

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