A 1937 Chrysler is not common at car shows in the 21st century, particularly one that is a very original survivor car.
We spotted this car at a small town car show on Main Street where the background buildings were likely as old as the car.
It was a fitting place to find a 1937 Chrysler.
This Chrysler’s current owner is Daryl Lowey and he is the third owner of the vehicle. The original owner was a doctor who purchased it brand new back in ’37.
He was a doctor in a small Canadian prairie town and the Chrysler was his stylish way to make house calls in a bygone era when house calls were part of the program.
The doc also drove the car to San Francisco on a few occasions, during a time when long distance road trips were not on the radar for most motorists. Eventually the car was sold to Daryl’s father and he became the second owner before Daryl was even born.
Daryl’s father loved the car, but his father probably only put 50 miles (80 km.) total on the car during Daryl’s entire lifetime. It sat for 30 years and was occasionally started to keep the engine from going into permanent retirement.
This was not an ideal situation for the Chrysler and eventually Daryl decided he should become the third owner with a goal to put the car back on the road. We caught up to Daryl during his first year of ownership and he was happy to share his first impressions as the latest owner of the car.
The old flatty fired right up when he went to get the car and his only issue was a flat tire. Daryl pointed to the replacement tire on the car and told us it was the original spare. The tire was an interim measure and will not be part of the long range plans for the car.
Daryl pointed out some interesting factory features on the car, including a windshield defroster and automatic choke. The fact it was a high end car in 1937 was undoubtedly the reason for the extra features on the Chrysler, because these two items were not common on less costly pre-war cars.
The car has its original owner’s manual and lists safety as a primary component of the Chryslers. The high beams were listed as “country driving beams” in the manual. It also has its original license plate from its original days on the road with the good doctor.
Daryl was in the midst of developing a future game plan for the Chrysler and wanted to make a few changes on the car. He thought it would look better as a black car and would make a great wedding car in that paint scheme.
Daryl also made a promise to his nephew: he could use the car for his university convocation. Daryl’s nephew would certainly arrive in style with a restored 1937 Chrysler.
Perhaps the most important part of the equation is Daryl’s commitment to the Chrysler because he wants the car to be returned to its former glory under his ownership watch.
That is a classic happy ending in car guy world.
Jim Sutherland
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