A rare limo that once carried Jackie Kennedy and LBJ just sold to a private collector

Yahoo

21-03-2025

A historic presidential limousine used by former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and then by former President Lyndon B. Johnson has sold to a private collector.
On Thursday, Daniel Schmitt & Co. Classic Car Gallery in St. Louis said it sold the 1964 Imperial Crown Presidential Limousine to a business executive. The vehicle was built by Chrysler (which is now part of Stellantis) and finished by Ghia of Italy, Schmitt & Co. said in a news release.
Schmitt & Co., which is a dealership that acquires rare cars for buyers and sellers, said this limousine was used by Jacqueline Kennedy in November 1963 for the funeral procession to Arlington Cemetery in Virginia when her husband. President John F. Kennedy, was buried following his assassination in Dallas. She used it for a year after that as well.
The vehicle was also used in Johnson's inauguration and by the White House motor pool and Johnson on numerous occasions.
'The vehicle is a piece of American history,' said Daniel Schmitt, owner of the collector car gallery. 'Interestingly, it was built on a Chrysler Imperial convertible chassis then shipped to Ghia's facilities in Italy where they were lengthened and reworked by a team of artisans."
Schmitt said it took more than a month to complete the customization of the vehicle. Just 132 are known to have been made from 1957 to 1965, with most used in government or executive motor pools. This one sold for "around the asking price of $299,900," Schmitt said.
'We are excited to have secured this special vehicle and sold it to someone who appreciates the importance and rarity of this iconic motorcar,' he added.
Schmitt said this vehicle was specially ordered by the White House and is one of only 10 produced in 1961. It has 15,115 actual miles on it. In its original condition, the limo has a 413 cubic-inch V8 engine, with leather black seats up front and gray wool seats in the back. The rear also has two pullout seats for use by interpreters traveling with foreign dignitaries. It has six power windows, rear seat radio control and other amenities.
Schmitt has owned it for a few months, buying it from a personal collection. His spokesman said the previous owner did not want to be identified.
Schmitt bought the car because, "(He) thought it would be a great piece of history for a museum or someone who really appreciates history and vehicles, and that is why he purchased it, to find the right special person who wished to own it," said Steve Turner, Schmitt's spokesperson.
The car has spent some time in Michigan. After the White House was done with it, the vehicle was returned to Chrysler, which auctioned it to Hugh McVeigh, owner of Redford Chrysler, Schmitt said in a statement. McVeigh would sometimes use the car and feature it in his showroom until he realized its historical significance. The car was later acquired by Eppert Oil of Detroit and "used sparingly until eventually joining a world-class collection," Schmitt said.
Schmitt & Co. regularly keeps an inventory of about 100 one-of-a-kind automobiles.
Schmitt said the dealership has a large selection of 'investment grade' Porsches, Rolls Royces, Ferraris and more. Schmitt has also bought and sold dozens of cars driven and owned by celebrities including Elvis Presley, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Woody Allen, Dean Martin, Robert Redford and Steve McQueen, to name a few. Unlike other dealers of rare cars, Schmitt pays cash to the vehicle's owner rather than listing them on consignment.
President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963, at the age of 46. The open-air limousine he was riding in with the first lady that day was a 1961 Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible code named X-100 by the Secret Service. It was built by Ford at its Lincoln plant in Wixom in January 1961, according to the Henry Ford Museum.
Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati customized the car to function as a presidential parade limousine. Hess & Eisenhardt cut it in half, reinforced it, extended it by 3½ feet and made other modifications. Ford and Hess & Eisenhardt collaborated on engineering and styling for the final X-100, which debuted at the White House in June 1961.
Ford owned the car and leased it to the Secret Service for $500 per year, but the Henry Ford said it would have sold for $7,347 as equipped at the Lincoln plant at the time. After customizing it, the car cost nearly $200,000.
The X-100 remained in service until 1977 and it is now exhibited to the public at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.
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Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at [e-mail]. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sold! The limo that once carried Jackie Kennedy and LBJ