Topic: Solved - wfm11: 1938 Chevrolet Lilpop, Rau & Loewenstein staff car

[Bill Murray]

For a point, make and year (easy) country of origin/use and purpose.
Bill

[Carnut]

Experts?

[Zerk]

1938 Chevrolet Double Phaeton (Especial Argentinos)? Used as an official car by local dignitaries?

[Bill Murray]

Correct make and year.
Not to be too clever, but the model is a bit of a mix, not really a catalouged model.

Definitely an export market, but not Argentina.
Bill

[Zerk]

I really should have noted the steering wheel placement. Is this instead a sedan chassis shipped to General Motors-Holden in Australia, to be modified into a Master Tourer? Looks to be a tidy job, wherever it was performed.

[Bill Murray]

You are doing some yoeman work on this one so some tips.

GM, as did Ford and to a lesser extent the other US automakers, set up a lot of rather small assembly operations around the world, some in very small markets, to skip the rather oppressive import duties on fully assembled vehicles that were prevalent after the Depression really hit.

This vehicle was assembled in such a country with bits and pieces from different parts that were made available to them from GM plus a bit of input from their own bodyshop.

The importer in question was based in Europe and remember several European countries built RHD vehicles as a rule of thumb prior to WWII.  Some drove on the left, some did not.

Finally for this post, the vehicle/s had an official capacity, actually a dual one due to the War.

I am locking this one for you even though I have not figured out yet how to officially "lock" a post.

Go for it Amigo.....

Edit:  So I do not mislead you, not all of this assemblers vehicles were RHD, only specific ones.

Bill

[Zerk]

Many thanks, Bill! I do appreciate the tips. If I haven't succeeded by the end of the day, though...

EDIT: Still working, have a good idea where the car was assembled, but that's all. This is a fascinating puzzle and subject matter, and I'd rather not keep it all to myself. Please unlock if you see fit.

[Bill Murray]

Hi Zerk:

I figured another 12 hours or so wouldn't hurt, might help, but I will unlock it now.
Pat is fixing sausage for lunch which I am very much looking forward to.
Bill

[D-type]

~

I am locking this one for you even though I have not figured out yet how to officially "lock" a post.

~

Exactly what you have done - simply say it's locked.

Although not absolutely necessary, it helps to say when it is unlocked as time zones and the way the time is displayed differ and it's not always clear when 24 hours or however long you may have decided on has passed.

[Bill Murray]

Thanks Gary, sorry I missed the post.

In case anyone missed it, the puzzle is now unlocked.
Bill

[Wendax]

Assembled by Lilpop, Rau & Loewenstein in Poland?

[Bill Murray]

Absolutely!!

Do you wish to guess as to the use??
Bill

[Wendax]

In spite of the shiny lacquer: is it an army staff car?

[Bill Murray]

In it's second life and another point for you.

It started life as a National Police Force Car and was later seconded to the Armed Forces as a staff car.

Of further interest to we car history buffs, notice that the front end is that of a 1938
Chevrolet 1/2 ton truck, the rear end is that of the passenger car, a sedan, and the middle of the car and the top/hood is coachbuilt.  Interesting combination I thought.

Edit:  I pushed the wrong button or something and the header did not change.

Should read "Solved: 1938 Chevrolet Lilpop-Rau Lowenstein staff car".
I can't seem to change it, so if someone can please do so.

[Wendax]

In it's second life and another point for you.

Thank you!

Edit:  I pushed the wrong button or something and the header did not change.

Should read "Solved: 1938 Chevrolet Lilpop-Rau Lowenstein staff car".
I can't seem to change it, so if someone can please do so.

You can alter the header, if you click the "Modify" button in the first post of this thread.

[Wendax]

It should be Loewenstein. 

[Bill Murray]

Thanks Gerd:

Actually, to be even more accurate, I learned that the letter "i" in Polish seems to mean "and" in English.  So, Lilpop.Rau and Loewenstein might be the true name.

I still have not found out what the "." means.  I assumed the same as "-" but I may be wrong.

They also built a 1939 version of this police/army car and I only have one very poor photo and am looking for a better one to complement the question.

Bill

[Carnut]

From Wikipedia (Google-translated from Polish..)
QUOTE
Lilpop, Rau and Loewenstein (LRL) - a joint stock company and factory founded in 1866 in Warsaw , closed in 1944.  Initially operating in the city center , to the Second World War on the Will .
 Betting "Lilpop" was the largest factory [1] [2] interwar Warsaw .  By 1939 the company held the leading position in the Polish construction industry machinery .  Offering a wide range of manufactured equipment, were: locomotives , rails , railway wagons , trams , cars , body buses , facilities water supply , machinery equipment , chassis trucks ( Chevrolet , Buick ), internal combustion engines , steam engines , water turbines , fire-fighting equipment , washing machines, elements of bridge rail and urban areas, ovens , as well as products for the military.
UNQUOTE