Sadam's Stash?

[Guest c.johnson]

I got in on the last part of the news the other night. I heard there was a stash of "Expensive antique and classic" cars in the City Hall of Bagdad. Did anyone else hear of this? Do you know what kind of cars were stashed?

cj

[The Old Guy]

Our news caster just said that some of them were stolen, and he was standing in front of what appeared to be a 40 ford Sedan. They just flashed on the car, so don't quote me.

[Dave@Moon]

From <span style="font-style: italic">Agence France-Presse</span>:

"<span style="font-weight: bold">Saddam's car collection visited by looters</span>

BAGHDAD (AFP) Apr 11, 2003

"The garage that housed Saddam Hussein's car collection in the Republic Palace compound in central Baghdad has not escaped the attention of the city's looters, according to AFP correspondents who entered the premises Friday.

Vestiges of the deposed Iraqi president's hobby could be seen in a large alleyway where two US Abrams tanks were stationed.

"A convertible 1955 Chevy Bel Air could not stand up to an American tank which had crushed its pink body. Further down, a convertible black Packard, the car of choice of Chicago mafiosi during the Prohibition, was abandoned, its hood smashed.

"An armored black Cadillac Fleetwood equipped with flag carriers for official convoys survived in the garage. As did a superb Rolls Royce Silver Shadow, with curtains on the rear windows.

"Other models did not impress the looters. They included a white buggy and a Ford 8, a car whose wood-panneled body has always been a favorite in the American countryside, still in perfect shape.

"In the back of the garage, whose ceiling has crumbled, a quintessential London cab, its doors open, appeared to be awaiting a passenger who never came."

[ex98thdrill]

It's a good thing that I wasn't the Platoon Sergeant. If that had been my guys finding them, I'd have stopped, radioed the motor pool, and called for the wrecker. That would be an explanation and a*%chewing well worth it.

[Guest c.johnson]

My thought exactly. It would be awfully tempting (not?)to try to figure out how to get one of them in a sea/land box to get it home. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Bad enough the Iraqi's are looting, but they don't need outside help. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Maybe this is the beginning of an Iraqi Auto museum. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the info....

SFC cj

[Guest stude8]

This story was in the April 20th Chicago Tribune newspaper. Unfortunately the photos do not get posted in the electronic files. Maybe I can scan the Packard image and post later. It was late 1930's or 1940's DSM model but had been hit & burned. Anyway here is the link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/automotive/chi-0304190156apr20,1,3835597.story Stude8

[Guest stude8]

Sorry the scan of Iraq Packard came out 895K, too large to post here. Stude8

[Guest]

Did you try converting to a .jpg file - should reduce file size significantly

[Guest stude8]

It is 895K .jpeg and I resaved it in "Save As" options = 10% and it only went down to 854K ?? Sorry I don't know any other "Make smaller" tricks?? Stude8

[FlyByNite]

Scan at less dots per inch or resize with just about any graphics program.

[24T42]

Try reducing the number of colors from 16 million to 256. This will usually reduce the file size considerably. For example a photo, 1280 by 960 with 16 million colors is 3603 kb in size, will reduce in size to 1218 kb by just only reducing the colors to 256. Hope this helps.

If you want email me the photo and I will see if I can reduce it.

[Dave@Moon]

I left this post on the R&R section last night:

I found a Knight-Ridder story on this "travesty". See: Bradenton Herald archive story.

Here are a few photos they posted:

1955 Chevy

Woodie + '58 Ford

The Packard

Austin cab

1917 Packard

The newspaper pieces says that about 20 cars were taken from the collection, but the caption for the last photo says that 45 were stolen.

The story reads:

<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">U.S. troops destroy Saddam's vintage cars</span>

By NANCY A. YOUSSEF

Knight Ridder Newspapers

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein had fallen, and the people of Iraq had access to anything in his opulent home - furniture, food, water and gold. But when looters arrived at Saddam's door, many wanted only one thing - one of his cars.

U.S. troops manning Saddam's main palace complex said they have had to begin destroying Saddam's cars because so many people have tried to take them. They fear that the cars could be used as suicide bombs or to create dangerous roadblocks.

Destroying the cars, some of them classic American creations, has proven more painful for the American troops than for the people who wanted to take them.

Saddam's main palace complex is near the Tigris River on the city's west side. When soldiers arrived, they found two garages with about 60 cars. Among them: a 1917 Mercedes, a 1930s Packard, a V8 Woody, a 1970s Cadillac Fleetwood and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Although the looters had never been in the complex, they "went straight for the garage," said Army E5 Sgt. Quincy Oree, 26, of Columbia, S.C. "They knew exactly where they were."

The looters got away with about 20 vehicles, Oree said.

Officials believe that some of the cars belonged to former Iraqi leaders, while Saddam purchased others as a hobby. Besides cars, the garages held golf carts and gasoline-powered buggies that were used perhaps to ride through the complex.

When the troops arrived at the complex a week ago, many of the cars had been set up as road blockades inside the complex, military personnel said.

Saddam is not the first Arab leader to collect cars. Jordan's King Hussein had an extensive car collection that became the basis of that country's auto museum when he died in 1999.

But King Hussein drove many of his cars extensively, while the troops said Saddam's cars had not seen much use. Nearly all had fewer than 1,000 miles on them; none had much gas; and all had a key in the ignition. Many had dust on the outside, but inside, the cars were immaculate, Oree said.

Some of the looters came in, grabbed the keys and left, returning later for the car, said Army Sgt. Paul Harris, 25, of Austin, Texas.

"Men in ratty clothes would come to the gate and say `I am here to pick up my Mercedes,' " Harris said. "They would wave the key at us."

One man tried to drive a Rolls Royce out of the complex, but it ran out of gas. That prompted the man to grab a sheet, wrap it around the bumper and try to pull it out. He failed.

Most often, the troops said, residents approach their blockade and ask for a car. The cars are requested more than computers, televisions, telephones, food and water, Oree said.

Earlier this week, Army E4 Spc. Brad Young, 24, of Clinton, Utah, was told to destroy the Bel Air. He ran over it with a tank. He said it took about five seconds.

His platoon understood that he had a job to do, but that did not make watching any easier.

"I love cars. It was so hard to see a Bel Air destroyed," said Army Pfc. Raul Carbajal, 20, of Chicago. "It was painful."

Once the cars are destroyed, their shells are moved to openings to the complex and used as blockades. Already, a smoldering Mercedes and a British cab are blocking one entrance.

The cars are one of the few things the U.S. troops are destroying. They have said they are trying to keep as many things as possible intact to hand over to the new regime, and they'll do the same with the leftover cars.

"We'll take them back if they don't want them," Carbajal said. "Nobody should destroy American classics."</span>

[Guest]

The Packard looks like a 1938 or 1939 Super 8 or Twelve. The body style is either a conv. cpe, conv. sedan, or conv. victoria. I don't think it looks that bad. Put a new front clip on it & you'd be ready to go!