Tour & Test Drive: 1931 Chrysler Imperial Convertible Victoria by Waterhouse. Charvet Classic Cars

I'm David Charvet with Charvet Classic Cars. Today we're looking at a 1931 Chrysler Model CG Imperial with custom convertible Victoria body by Waterhouse. The Imperial was Chrysler's top-of-the-line offering in 1931 with a new 384 cubic inch, 125 horsepower straight-8 engine on a 145-inch wheelbase chassis. Waterhouse Coach Builders in Webster, Massachusetts was founded in 1928 by a son who formerly worked for the Judkins Body Company. It was the height of the roaring 20s, and people were flush with cash and having custom cars built. Following the stock market crash in October of 1929, though, business slowed considerably, but everyone at the time thought the Great Depression wouldn't last, so custom cars continued to be built, but in obviously smaller numbers. On October 17, 1930, this chassis, number 780-1063, was delivered by Chrysler to the Waterhouse Company. They had designed a convertible Victoria body, which had been fitted to several Packards, Lincolns, Pierceros, and Duponts. This car would be the first one on a Chrysler chassis. The hood and fenders are Chrysler steel. The rest of the body is hand-formed aluminum by Waterhouse. It's an elegant design, starting at the cowl, you'll notice the low, raked windshield, which, unlike factory Imperials for 1931, is one piece of glass. The convertible Victoria body style provides seating for four persons inside. The intricately designed top mechanism allows it to fold flush with the body, making this Chrysler appear longer and lower. The bustle trunk offers integral storage, with a folding trunk rack for additional luggage space when touring. While the original owner is unknown, this being the first of just six Chrysler Convertible Victorias produced by Waterhouse, upon completion, it was displayed in the lobby of the Chrysler building in New York. Waterhouse went out of business in 1933, a victim of the Great Depression, and today, just 25 Waterhouse-bodied cars survive, of which this is one of only three of the 1931 Chrysler Convertible Victorias known to exist. The history of this car is known from the 1950s onward, with ownership by several Classic Car Club of America members in the Midwest. In 2005, the owner at the time, Ethel Leno in Louisiana, commissioned a 14-month, 5,000-hour restoration, led by Robert Ancelone at R.A. Restorations in Michigan. Nothing was left untouched. The body was stripped and refinished in aubergine color, which as you can see, shows beautifully today. Complementing the outside is the aubergine leather interior with gray wool carpeting, which shows as new. All of the mechanicals were completely restored as well, including a full rebuild of the original straight-eight engine, the transmission, drivetrain, and factory hydraulic brake system. It starts easily and runs smoothly with no issues. Following completion of the restoration, this car was debuted at the 2006 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it received a third place award in the Open Classics class, which is arguably the most demanding class of Pebble, and includes many exotic marks. It also participated in and finished the 50-mile Pebble Beach Tour, held the day before the Concours. Following Pebble Beach, this Chrysler received a string of awards at top concours across the United States, including Best in Class at the Glenmore Gathering in 2006, Best of Show at Hilton Head Concours in 2006, Artist's Choice at the CCCA Senior Experience in Michigan in 2007, Best of Show at Alt Park Concours in Cincinnati in 2007, Best of Show at Meadowbrook Concours in 2007, Best of Show at Keeneland Concours in Lexington, Kentucky in 2007, and Best in Class at Amelia Island Concours in Florida in 2008. It has a current total of just 85 miles since restoration, with again about 50 of those put on the odometer during the Pebble Beach Tour. In 2008, it was purchased by noted Texas collector John O'Quinn, and following his passing, was purchased by the current owner in Oregon, where it's been kept and maintained in a climate-controlled showroom. Well, we're inside and ready to go for a ride. Giving you an idea of the instrumentation on this car, from left to right we have the water temperature gauge, the oil pressure gauge, the speedometer, the clock, the amp gauge, and a gas and oil gauge as to the level. The level in the gas tank and the level in the oil. There's a switch under the dash that allows you to toggle between those two. That's it. It's really pretty simple. It's a four-speed transmission. It's a detent to the left and down for first, which is a real low, low gear. It's a granny gear, you'd call it. And basically, you'll start in second and then third and fourth. You'll use that range. It's pretty simple to start. Again, key switch over here on the far left. Turn the key switch. Your accelerator, or your starter button, is right here on the floor. There we are. Let's take it for a ride. Handbrake release is here. That's it. Now, I am technically in second gear right now, but again, there's plenty of torque in this rig, so still got the idle up a bit since it's cold. It's really a very light driving car, surprisingly, I think. It's very quiet. It's got great power, smooth, everything you'd hope. Definitely one of the finest driving classics. It really is a remarkable testament to the folks at Chrysler and also Waterhouse putting together this package, which is absolutely spectacular.