1955 Dodge La Femme Unrestored! Rare! Hemi! Survivor! Barn Find! Custom Royal!

1955 Dodge La Femme Custom Royal Description

Relisted due to non-paying buyer. FYI: I also have this vehicle for sale on other sites.
This is perhaps one the most significant and rare vehicles I've ever had the privilege of caring for. In 1955, Dodge decided to develop a car marketed solely to female buyers. They took their top of the line Custom Royal Lancer, installed custom interior, badges, and accessories, and released the "La Femme"! Produced for only 2 years, they were a marketing failure, but a stunning example of Dodge's opulence of the mid 1950's!
Production in 1955 is estimated to be around 2,450 according to unconfirmed sources. From my conversations with various owners, I would guess that no more than 25 1955 models have survived in various conditions.
This example is perhaps the best original unrestored 1955 La Femme in existence. It certainly is among the most well documented. Sold new at Anderson Motor Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota, the car was purchased by a woman named Addie F. Morrison on 4-8-1955. She moved to Billings, Montana and registered it there on 1-26-1956. She resided there until her health began to fade and finally transferred title/ownership to her grand-daughter on 7-26-1976. She owned the car for 29 years before giving it to her grand-daughter, named Lezley Adelle Owens. Ms Owens kept it in her climate controlled garage in Duluth, Minnesota. Never driven in the snow, rain, or salt, and finally put into long term storage in the early 2000's. Through a mutual friend, I heard the car was around, and happened to be visiting friends in Duluth when Ms Owens was ready to pass the car on to it's next caretaker. I purchased the car from her on 6-2-2016. She had owned the car for just shy of 40 years!
When I purchased the car, I immediately spent as much time as I could documenting the history and taking stock of the status of the car. Due to inactivity, the motor was not running and the mechanical systems needed to be gone through. I rebuilt the brake-system, charging system, fuel system, and did a full chassis service. All parts were either rebuilt or sourced from my collection of 1955 Dodge parts/parts cars. Tires that are on the car are very old Sears Allstate Bias-Plies, possibly dating back to the 1950's!
The paint on the car is mostly original, the pink is 100% untouched and original, and the white has only been partially resprayed back in the 1970s. Due to the occasional rock-chips and grime that living in Montana had contributed to the car, the white on the nose of the car was resprayed by the grand-daughter when she received the car in 1976. But otherwise, all the original factory chalk marks are intact on the firewall, the pink paint on the hood/roof/decklid is in gorgeous shape, sure there are little nicks and scratches in some places, but it is stunning considering how old it is!
The interior is 100% original. Seats were covered with Howard Zink clear plastic seat covers on day one. And have never been removed. There are stains on the plastic, but the factory La Femme fabrics underneath appear to be in good shape and well preserved by these covers. The door panels have the cloth inserts also covered in plastic and that has preserved them from the beginning! The driver's side plastic covering is partially torn back, and reveals pristine fabric behind! Headliner is all original, and the only defects is very subtle staining around the C-pillar area that might clean-up.
The engine bay is pretty much as found, just the brake components, radiator, and charging system have been restored and repainted. The 270CI Hemi V8 runs super smooth and quiet! Starts right up, drives wonderfully, and stops like new! 2spd PowerFlite transmission shifts super smooth and reflects the low mileage of the car!
Prior to my ownership, and sometime in the past 25 years or so, the exhaust system was redone in a similar layout and quality to factory. So no holes or loose hangers. Very quiet, and very well done.
The trunk has all the original floor mats, and side covers still in place. It is HIGHLY unusual to find a 1955 Dodge with all the factory panels intact! |
THERE IS NO RUST IN THIS CAR! I have been underneath this car at great length and have found ZERO evidence of any rust, rust repair, or any metal damage! I've rarely seen a 50's car this clean, and that just lends more significance to the car!
All the Chrome, Stainless, Potmetal, and Emblems are 100% original and are all in fantastic condition, all untouched!
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The crowning jewels of the car have to be the accessories though. This car retains the following accessories as issued by Dodge:
Matching Rain-CoatMatching Rain-HatMatching UmbrellaCustom Evans Purse(Inside) Nose Powder Case Lipstick Holder Coin Purse Cigarette LighterCustom Meeker Clutch & Key Pouch------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This car needs to pass on to the next care-taker, someone who will preserve the history, bring it shows, and share this wonderful story with the public. I have done my part in bringing it back to full operational status, and I would love to see it get in the right hands.
Car is now located in Lubbock, Texas. Message me if you'd like to come by or send an appraiser.
I'm in no hurry to sell the car, since what matters is finding the right buyer.
In order to maintain the history of the car and show the ownership history I have NOT titled it in my name. I have the signed title from Ms Owens, the grand-daughter of the original owner. This is a 1-family owned car and I wasn't about to change that.
Message me here on eBay if you'd like more photos, I have more that eBay wouldn't give me space enough to post.
Thanks for looking at this absolute gem of a time-capsule, a peek into the past, back to when automakers were taking risks, and making chrome-laden vehicles for the American masses!
Payment

Upon completion of the auction, the winning bidder has 48hrs to provide the $500 down payment and contact us regarding shipping and final payment. Final payment must be made within 7 days of sale-date, and can be in the form of a Certified Cashier's Check, Bank Wire Transfer, or Cash in-person.

Shipping

All shipping is the sole responsibility of the buyer, I have worked with Fedex Passport, and Reliable Carriers in the past and I can forward contact information, but I will not be able to transport the vehicle for you.Vehicle must be picked up within 3-weeks of auction ending. Afterwards, a surcharge of $15/day will be assessed to cover our storage expenses. Should these fees accumulate, they must be paid in-full prior to vehicle pick-up (Bank Wire Transfer, Cashier's Check, or PayPal is accepted for storage fees)

Disclaimer

We have done our best to describe the vehicle as clearly and honestly as possible, if you have ANY concerns, please e-mail or call me before bidding. We have also laid out our payment and shipping requirements, if you have ANY questions about those, please contact me prior to bidding. Placing a bid and/or being the high bidder at auction end, signifies an understanding and agreement to these terms. Thanks for your cooperation.