Raymond Arsenault on Life and Business: Hemmings Find of the Day

1941 Chrysler Windsor Town and Country barreback for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller’s description:

The example on offer here, chassis number 7700759 is an exceedingly rare nine-passenger variant with jump seats, and is quite possibly the best original Barrel Back extant. With its 1951 Vermont registration sticker still prominently displayed on the windshield, we know the car spent over 50 years with the Gould family, living in their Vermont summer home and driven sparingly when the family made their occasional visits. Around 1972, when it was last registered in Vermont, Glenn Gould, a purveyor of early brass era cars, moved the car to his family’s museum in Wells, Maine. The Wells Car Museum was where Mr. Gould had around 120 cars and motorcycles ranging from a 1800’s German Wulfmuhler to a early 1970s race car. This is where the car would remain for approximately 34 years until it changed hands around 2006 after Mr. Gould’s passing. At that time, it went to an overseas collector for a short period then returned to the states a couple years after under the current vendor’s ownership. Between occasional summer drives at the Gould family summer home and resting on display at the Wells Car Museum, this Barrel Back has accrued a mere 56,699 miles from new. This CCCA Full Classic exudes originality in every aspect and is now in turn-key condition.

Cosmetically, the exterior is very much that of an original driver quality car with one light repaint sometime long ago in its original burgundy color. The paint shows some minor chips, scuffs, and fairly noticeable paint fade below the gas filler cap due to spilled gas upon fuel up. Overall, the older repaint has held up extremely well, as one would expect from a car that has been living in a museum for half of its life, and is consistent with the original theme. All of the wood looks to be original to the car and is in superb condition with no major cracks, blemishes, or chips. The shut gaps are excellent as well with no sag or unevenness throughout, uncommon amongst most woodies. All of the bright work shows consistent minor pitting/scratches particularly on the front bumper but is certainly original and presentable with phenomenal patina. Every piece of glass is original and free from cracks with only some minor discoloration around the driver and passenger side front windows.

Opening the heavy wood paneled door and seating yourself into the driver’s seat is like traveling back in time to the Gould Family summer home and enjoying the sights, smells, and carefully aged leather that only time can create. The entirety of the interior is as it left the Chrysler factory in 1941. The leather seats, steering wheel, pedals, dials, gauges, chrome handles, and interior wood door panels are all dead original with appropriate patina that one would expect from a 56,000 mile car. There are old Veedol oil change stickers present in the driver’s side door jam along with original floor mats, carpeting, and dash that all contribute to this car’s originality. The headliner is near perfect and untouched, with the jump seats free from the use seen by the front and rear bench seats that still remain shiny, soft, and supple. All of the bakelite interior pieces are original and as good as one would expect coupled with the original wood screws, door hardware, and handles. It is truly an amazing visceral experience that cannot be replicated.

Mechanically, it is a turn-key example with much recent servicing from marque expert, Steve Babinski of New Jersey. It starts quickly, idles well, and tracks straight down the road with excellent, smooth power. The transmission functions as it should, shifting through the gears without fault. The brakes function correctly as well with no pulling, rumbling or fade. The engine bay shows to be original with many clamps, original tags, and of course, engine muck to go along with it. Nothing that anyone would change or tend to. Everything is consistent with the age and condition of originality that car possesses but with all the necessary service items tended to in order to make it a good driver.

The underside is very much like the engine bay, dirty, but very original and solid. It is free of rust with no evidence of rust replacement in the past. As expected there is a small amount of surface rust on various bolts and small areas where the original coatings have chipped away but nothing of concern to report. All of the chassis components, shocks, bushing, etc…looked to be in fair condition and do not seem to warrant any immediate attention though a proper mechanical inspection is suggested to check the life span of these items. The trunk area is also note worthy as an aspect of the car that remains untouched with original sound deadening, rubber mat, leather panel coverings, and spare wheel still in tack down to the instructional pamphlet attached to the spare.