The
Royal Car project was a joint effort between Fifth Avenue
Antique Auto Parts, Stan Lamont the current owner of the car,
and The Royal Minister of Transportation, who was responsible
for making the arrangements for the use of the car. For obvious
security reasons, the RMT had input and final approval on
how the car was prepared for use in the ceremony, including
any upgrades done to the car. Once my upgrade plans and parts
selections were approved, they were shipped direct to Stan
using special labels provided to me by the RMT. [The
Fifth Avenue Connection]
by
Larry D'Argis
Winnipeg Free Press
Friday, July 23, 1999
Open
cars have always played an important part in history. Often
called upon to transport dignitaries
and celebrities, their collapsible roof structure is ideal
for providing high visibility.
The
car's occupants benefit from an unobstructed view of the
crowd as they travel the parade
route in relative comfort.
An open vehicle also offers another advantage. Seeing people
drive by in a closed limousine can hardly match seeing them
comfortably seated, smiling, waving, and interacting with
the crowd.
The
latter leaves the memory of an almost intimate meeting and
the vehicle used becomes part of the overall
experience.
Unites States President Harry Truman rode in a Detrich
stretched 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan convertible sedan and
it became
quickly known as the President's car. Not wanting to tamper
with an
icon, President Dwight Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy continued
to use the car until 1961.
A 35-day royal tour in 1951 introduced Canadians
to the then  Princess Elizabeth the Duke of Edinburgh. The
nation
beamed
with pride at the opportunity to show Canada to the young
royals and welcomed them with open arms. Traveling
mainly by train and airplane the criss-cross tour took them
from
coast to coast with 29 stops including
a two-day
stay in Washington D. C.
Throngs
of people would line the streets to catch a glimpse of the
royal couple or perhaps
be lucky enough
to capture
the motorcade with a snapshot as it wound its way
through each
city. To insure the happy multitudes were not disappointed
various auto dealerships throughout Canada offered
new convertibles for the use of the royal tour.
Cars
used in the tour included Lincoln Cosmopolitans, Chrysler
Imperials, New Yorkers, and Cadillac's.
For the October
16th visit to Winnipeg they rode in a black 1951
Cadillac Series
62 Convertible, supplied by Dixion Motors. In the
event of bad weather on the prairies, Prince Phillip
had
suggested the convertible be fitted with a see-through
acrylic
top and with
that suggestion, approximately twenty workers at
DeHaviland Aircraft in Toronto worked through the
weekend constructing
such a top, and had it flown to Winnipeg for the
installation on the Cadillac. Many local photos
depict the happy
couple in route to the Royal Alexandra Hotel, in
what the princess
laughingly referred to as their personal goldfish
bowl. For
the duration of the tour, the top was shipped from
city to city and used on other motorcade vehicles.
Following
the royal tour, the car was purchased from Dixion Motors by
Walter and Francis Coulthard of Headingley. |
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After
a year the car was traded in and would see three more owners
until the late 1960's when Winnipeg Towing owner Ray Relf
purchased the car in the east Kildonan area of Winnipeg.
Relf's
son Cliff remembers the car. The engine was seized, but
the body was straight and rust free, still with its original
paint, so my dad stored it for a future restoration.
In
1987, now retired Royal Bank area manager Stan Lamont of
Winnipeg purchased the car from Relf. "I've loved old
cars since I was a Kid and finding a rust free Cadillac
of this vintage was quite a thrill," says Lamont.
Thanks to Rel's storage techniques, the past two
decades  hadn't
caused any further deterioration of the car, but
it was in need of a mechanical rebuild
and a full body restoration. Lamont began by completely dismantling the car
and assessing what components required rebuilding or replacement and carefully
choosing experienced trades people and friends to assist him in the restoration.
The
engine was machined at Prairie Remanufacturing, then
turned over along with the transmission to Herb Keil
for a complete rebuild and the bodywork and paint were
entrusted to Sovereign Carstar Collision. Replacement
of the black convertible top and the reupholstering of
the passenger compartment's tan leather interior are
the work of Brian Burkhardt. Bringing the gleam back
to the Cadillac's massive grill, bumpers, and trim was
accomplished by Riverview Plating.
One
weak point on the car is the original six-volt generator.
For the low speed idling and driving encountered during
parades,  generators
do not turn fast enough to charge the battery. To insure
the six-volt electrical system would be up to the demands
of parade driving, Lamont contacted Randy Rundle
at Fifth Avenue Antique Auto Parts in Kansas about
converting to an alternator. For several years Rundle's firm has supplied modern six
volt alternators to enthusiasts for touring, racing,
and most recently for the 1950's movie LA Confidential.
The
4,316-pound Cadillac rides on very comfortable 126-inch
wheelbase and is powered by a 331 cubic-inch overhead
valve V8 engine producing 130 horsepower at 3800 rpm
and is mated to a Hydra-matic automatic transmission.
Convince options include, power windows, power seat,
electric clock, day/night rear-view mirror, wide whitewall
8.00 x 15 inch tires and a driver's side spotlight. One
item that continued to elude Lamont was the tour car's
acrylic top. "After advertising in various local
and the morning interviews with CBC radio stations, notably
Sydney and Halifax, I traced the top to a backyard in
the city of Montreal says Lamont."
Despite
his valiant efforts, Lamont located only part of the
top, which was now being used, as a section of the home's
greenhouse. Not ready to throw in the towel, he contacted
DeHaviland Aircraft, hoping to speak with someone who
might remember the 45 year-old project.
"The
good news was they still had all of the close-up pictures
from every angle and they were nice enough to send them
to me, says Lamont." [Page Two]
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