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Pope's Chrysler Crown Imperial to transcend $30,000?
Pope Paul VI's Chrysler LeBaron Crown Imperial is coming to auction on September 5
Paul Fraser Collectibles, Sunday 2 September 2012
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A 1966 Chrysler LeBaron Crown Imperial, gifted to the Pope a year before the vehicle's official release, is coming to auction on September 5.
The car, a gift from Chrysler to Pope Paul VI for his 14 hour visit to New York in 1965, has 18,836 miles on the clock.
 The Pope received the Chrysler a year before they were released to the public |
Likely used by the Pope's staff, it features all the modern conveniences the Pontiff's entourage could require, including power seats, Wonderbar radio, as well as black leather interior.
It has a $30,000 high estimate, which could be on the conservative side, considering the power of the head of the Catholic Church to produce strong auction results.
Last year a 1964 Lincoln Continental Limousine, especially adapted to transport Pope Paul during the same visit to address the United Nations General Assembly, sold for $220,000.
That vehicle also received the returning astronauts from Apollo 11 as well as those from the near-disastrous Apollo 13 mission - further enhancing its value.
We have pieces of the red carpet Pope Benedict XVI walked on outside Westminster Cathedral during his visit to London in 2010.
The Chrysler forms part of the Cars of Hallbrook, a 96-strong collection of American classics going under the hammer. A completely original 1969 Corvair 500, with just 25 miles to its name, will auction with a $20,000 high valuation, while a 2005 Ford GT, with just 1,021 miles, arrives with a $190,000 estimate.
The auction is the first of four days of sales from Mecum at the Dallas Convention Center, with a number of muscle cars set to turn heads later in the week.
We will bring you full results here at Paul Fraser Collectibles.
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Images: Mecum
