There are rare Mopars that command the spotlight at auctions and car shows.
The list includes any Daytona or Superbird wing cars and E-bodies like a ’71 Hemi-Cuda.
Those cars are blue-chip investments, but none of them are as rare as a 1932 Dodge DK8 sedan.
Jerry Sutherland
Richard Demers is the proud owner/historian/caretaker of this big Dodge. He knows this car from top to bottom, and he believes it’s the only one in Canada and one of nine left in the world. That makes this DK8 Sedan light years rarer than a wing car.
Richard said this was the “limousine version” of a ’32 Dodge so its first owner was clearly a high-end guy–even in the Dirty 30s.
Richard found the car in a Sea-Can where it had been in jail for over ten years. This is a worst-case scenario for storage because the car had never been started for over decade. That’s why Richard faced a mountain of problems after he rescued it from storage.
This is a list familiar to veteran car guys because it involved everything mechanical. Richard had to fix stuck brakes, fix a leaky carburetor, fix seized cylinders, fix a rotten fuel tank liner and find a new generator and water pump.
If you ever wonder why you shouldn’t store a car for ten years without driving it—review that list. Bear in mind, Richard is still looking for a correct fuel pump and the speedometer is broken.
Richard is a patient guy with an eye for detail, so he takes things in stride and solves problems. For example, the factory trunk on the Dodge served as a fuel tank area while he solved the liner issue.
This car has some curious pieces that are specific to the 30s era. A good example is the radio antenna because Dodge was more than happy to put it on the car, but the radio was another issue.
Radios were new-tech in ’32, so many cars didn’t have them—a ’32 Dodge buyer typically had to buy his own. Richard solved that by purchasing an extremely rare, period-correct, aftermarket 1932 Arvin radio because he thought the antenna should be more than show.
Richard also explained why these 30s cars had rope handles across the back of the driver’s seat. He said these cars, “Were fine for the driver but really cold for passengers”. The rope was to hang blankets that were used to cover passengers on cold days.
This big Dodge is not a trailer queen. Richard remembered how inactivity devastated this car, so he drives it regularly—roughly 1200 miles a year. He calls it a pattern of “driving and — then driving and fixing”.
Richard said the straight-eight (290 cubic inch-92 horsepower) under the hood, “runs really nice and gets good gas mileage”. He doesn’t push it much past 45 miles per hour because he wants to exercise it—not blow it up.
The ride is great, and the seats are comfortable, so Richard is very confident behind the week of his DK8 sedan plus it has a built-in leason he learned the hard way.
It’s easier to exercise an old car than rebuild it.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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