JIM GESSWEIN MOPAR AUCTION

[1978 NYB]

Is Gesswein going to have a reserve on the cars being auctioned?

 

[ayilar]

Another one for you @ayilar

https://www.listedbuy.com/cars/clas...e-polara-500-convertible?utm_source=OodleCars

thank you. I had seen the car in the initial list (back in February) but it has since been removed from Hemmings.

 

[polara71]

thank you. I had seen the car in the initial list but it has since been removed from Hemmings

This is the 2nd nicest known all original 70 convertible there is. Michel you probably have the 3rd in your red car.

 

[69monaco]

thank you. I had seen the car in the initial list but it has since been removed from Hemmings

Ok , yep must been removed otherwise i would have seen it …..

 

[Moseman]

I have always been curious about what the story is with Gesswein Motors. I have seen the same cars listed on Hemmings for years. I have clicked on that darn '67 imperial Crown Coupe in red with the black vinyl top and black and white interior many , many times, I just love a '67 Imperial! Does he price them too high, because he doesn't really want to sell them? It can't be the location, so much done on-line today. He always seems to have a good amount of Chryslers. Now an auction, does anybody know the backstory to this joint?

Jim has always ben able to buy collections and keep them. He is not needing the money, and storage is not an option. He has many warehouses in Milbank full of cars. He only sells the cars he wants to sell, but at a price.
He does not advertise, nor does he sell very many, but he has a fondness for convertibles. Sometime he will have to sell them, or his brother will get them. If he knows you, he may sell you one of his verts. I have not seen them, but I would guess that they are in good to great condition.

 

[brougham brummel]

318 was a very reliable engine but that big coupe really did need a 360.Those interiors were lovely.But 81 to 83 was a hard time for the auto industry,Fed was keeping interest rates high to quash inflation.B.B

 

[70bigblockdodge]

He can slap a dealer plate on any one of them and go for a ride. Price them high and you can keep them a long time and enjoy. Smart guy IMO.

 

[Robert Saigh]

^^He definitely doesn't need the money....He's been selling vehicles to all the wealthy farmers in the area, plus he has a large radius/area for regular folks to sell to! Like I said a couple days ago....he's got cars in storage that haven't seen the light of day and you cab go look at them on reservation only if I recall.

 

[69monaco]

Went to his place a couple years ago, his cars are really nice. He has a good eye for classic cars and from what I saw only buys the best. My Dad's 300L was part of that collection and it is a really clean car.

is that the black one…..?
Think it was for sale 4-5 years ago together with 1 or 2 300L.s more.

 

[Kram Edyorloh]

That Gold?, V.I.P 4dr...wonderful.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

He is a new car FCA dealer that seems to have good ratings overall. He also has a collection of classic cars. I believe you can get a sense of what he is like by watching him (I think) barking about the Jeep he is trying to sell on his website:

Gesswein Motors



Of the 33 vehicles in the 3 pages from the above link, my favorite of all the cars is this one (sans the added steering wheel)' which I know is heresey on this site but the other ones I do like such as the 1960 Imperial are the wrong colors or other issues such as 4 doors instead of two doors for example - this one reminds me of one of my favorite models, the 1981 Imperials

View attachment 363277 View attachment 363278

View attachment 363279

It seemed to me GM usually had a very skilled group of designers, both exterior and interior, in that period that were given generous leeway to carry out their skills.

But Chrysler gave them a run for their money in 1981 with the Imperial that would have been much more successful if their EFI system had been better sorted out before going into production and would have used a 360 rather than 318 in that car.

View attachment 363280

GM did have skilled designers . Because they had a design budget. Chrysler got some value out of that same design team. If you take notice, through the 70's into the 80's there may be several GM cars that remind you of a Chrysler product. But the GM car is 2-3 prior or even more.
Kind of a question what reminds of what?

I honestly think the only reason GM didn"t sue was because the American companies were all struggling to adapt, so they had some empathy for Chrysler. When your out there slingin left over ideas for a living you are probably not a threat in the current moment.
Here come the hurt feelings reports, but what do you do?

 

[TexCarGuy]

I check his website relatively frequently. I happened to notice this weekend that all of his cars are now going to be auctioned in July (previously it appeared that several to be auctioned was from a collection). Maybe he is getting out of the classic car business?

 

[saforwardlook]

GM did have skilled designers . Because they had a design budget. Chrysler got some value out of that same design team. If you take notice, through the 70's into the 80's there may be several GM cars that remind you of a Chrysler product. But the GM car is 2-3 prior or even more.
Kind of a question what reminds of what?

I honestly think the only reason GM didn"t sue was because the American companies were all struggling to adapt, so they had some empathy for Chrysler. When your out there slingin left over ideas for a living you are probably not a threat in the current moment.
Here come the hurt feelings reports, but what do you do?

Except perhaps for the 81 - 83 Imperials, give me some other examples. Yes, some 60s GM sport coupes did have a fuselage look, but it was not applied to GMs full size cars very well in general. And to my eyes, GM full size cars of the 70s were just boring losers in the looks department even with their curved sides.

I personally don't think Elwood Engle, chief of Chryslers styling since the early 60s and into the early 70, copied much of GM's stuff except maybe for some themes from the fuselage sides and the grille surrounds on the 66-69 Riveras that were in a different class altogether, but did look great. One would have to be really clumsy in terms of design not to. But Chrysler applied that theme to the full size passenger cars in a very elegant, sporty and sophisticated manner. GM did have some fuselage designs in their full size cars in the early 70s too, but they were ungainly and ugly in comparison to their epitome of design in those 66 - 70 Riveras.

Do you really think Chryler didn't have a design budget? That makes no sense at all.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

I did not state that they had no budget. But it the struggles they were having are no secret here.
As for examples I will work on that, and in that process please understand that I do not intend to insult anybody or there car. I own and have owned several myself.

Chrysler did have some successful programs in the 70's don't get me wrong take for instance the Cordoba in 75'

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

My apologies I guess that's not a 75 doba. I guess it's a 73 monte carlo.

Please see corrected photo.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

This side by side is from a site comparing the 72 buick to the 73 newport. But the back of my newport always reminds me of the oldsmobile from 67.
And of course everybody remembers the rear window and pillars from the 66-67 gm coupes. After they ran it a couple years they dropped it and Ma put it on one of my all time favorites, the 68 charger. But Chrysler does not quit as easy they ran it for 3 years.

 

[saforwardlook]

I did not state that they had no budget. But it the struggles they were having are no secret here.
As for examples I will work on that, and in that process please understand that I do not intend to insult anybody or there car. I own and have owned several myself.
Chrysler did have some successful programs in the 70's don't get me wrong take for instance the Cordoba in 75'

View attachment 376879

I am not sure what you were at least strongly implying then when you said: "GM did have skilled designers . Because they had a design budget. Chrysler got some value out of that same design team".

If you think the 73 Monte Carlo is a good looking design, then I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. If anything, the Cordoba, Charger and Magnums just improved on it but did look similar.

I personally wasn't a fan of much of anything past 1973 so that is where my focus is, so perhaps you are talking about 1974 and on.

In my view, Chrysler was second to no one in the years 1955 - 1973 and after the formals came out, then I haven't been impressed with much since, as they all looked alike with that formal theme whether it was Chrysler, Ford or GM at least in the full size cars that are the focus of this site.

 

[saforwardlook]

This side by side is from a site comparing the 72 buick to the 73 newport. But the back of my newport always reminds me of the oldsmobile from 67.
And of course everybody remembers the rear window and pillars from the 66-67 gm coupes. After they ran it a couple years they dropped it and Ma put it on one of my all time favorites, the 68 charger. But Chrysler does not quit as easy they ran it for 3 years.

View attachment 376883

View attachment 376884

You are comparing a 72 Oldsmobile (not a Buick) to a 1973 Chrysler Newport - do you think Chrysler would be able to design and tool up the 73 models in just one year? If you do, you have not worked in the auto industry, although they do look similar enough there could have been a spy involved.............

Ok, so the 68 - 70 Chargers used a similar C pillar to the Malibu but if you think the dowdy Malibu even comes close to the overall Chargers in looks in the subsequent years we will never agree on that either........................

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

Here is my favorite jacked up 1970 monte carlo..

Not really.. everybody knows it's the 1973 fury from Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. I should know I am on my second one now.but...

Like I said all in good fun. It may be just me. But in the 80's some of my high school friends called Dusters. Plymouth Novas. Because everybody had to have a Nova.

I'm as fan of late 60's early 70's mopars for many reasons. One is the proportioning. Nobody did quarter panels like Chrysler did.

 

[Rustyrodknocker]

I would never choose a chevelle over a charger. I love chargers. I loved them 40 years ago. Even if GM did stay full frame. That's one thing I can't forgive them for.
I currently have two C's and a B and they all should have full frames!!
They should have been that way until all the cars downsized.