Tux Park with Presidential Plate?

I'm not sure if I've heard of this somewhere else or not. Anyone have any information on any Tux Park's rumored to have been in some parade or something for President Johnson and have a tag designating this mounted on the dash?

Peter got a call today about a pair of Tux's. One has never been on the road, but was purchased and titled as a Farm Vehicle. Both are totally stock in every way and in a barn. One is claimed to have a plate on the dash about something to do with President Johnson. Both are '65's like ours.

Guy's asking way too much in my opinion, but we're thinking they're worth a look since they're within an hour of us.

Kamel?

 

have heard of the "pres" special edition tux park. I think it was on the 3b page?

 

That would be cool. Knowing the history of the jeep and all. I wish I knew speedy's complete history...

 

I have heard of a couple of these that had this plate. Story is that one or more tuxedo park jeeps were used in the LBJ inauguration parade.

Don't know how true the story is.

I think that I talked to the owner of those jeeps a few years ago. One is red and one is blue and they are in sad shape????

I think they were near Front Royal. but I might be remembering someone else.

They had hardtops, and I think it was the blue one with the Presidential tag on it.

At any rate the person wanted way too much back then...

kamel

 

I looked at a 1965 CJ5Jeep in Bessemer, PA that was stock and had a plaque mounted to the dash stating it was in LBJ's inauguration parade. He had a bunch of paperwork to back it up. It was not a Tuxedo though.

 

That's them! I don't know if it's Front Royal or not. Peter said I-81 to I-66 so that may be. A red and blue. I thought $2500 sounded like waaaay too much money for a pair. Maybe $1500. Both have hard tops. I'm so glad you know about them. That's probably where I heard about the plate before.

As I understand it, he's moving in a month and they must go.

Thanks for the info.

 

I think that's a pretty neat piece of history, myself. And on a Tuxedo to boot. Make him an offer. If he's moving and they gotta go, well, that's a buyers market. Go get'em. It's your solemn duty,..... as long as the price is right.

 

OK -- put your negotiating skills hat on!!

The guy said he is moving---

that is an invitation for a low ball offer.

If you are willing to spend 1500 (or 900), the first "price of the rug" ought to be around 1200 (or 500) and "I'll get them off the property this weekend".

When one is in a bind and time crunch, getting this taken care of is worth more than getting the price.

Remeber, if he waits any longer he gets zero, or crusher value for them, and he'd hae to move them himself! Or worse yet, he has to pay someone to take them away because the landlord or future owner wants them gone!!

BTW, they are both tuxedo park jeeps as I remember.

For some reason, I liked the red one better than the blue one, but I'm not sure why. I had photos of them at one time.

He has been trying to sell them for at least three years now.

good luck --

kamel

 

Thanks much , Kamel
I would at least like to get a look at these and see what's what. Vehicle condition has been known to go down the longer they sit .
Pete

 

Another update in a different direction.

My cousin arrived last night from PA for a brief visit. He was telling us that he went to an auction in OH on Tuesday. There was a Jeep chassis and misc. parts off a Tux Park there that someone had cut up (evidently the body was shot like the one we tried to bring home from OH). It had one of the Presidential plates on it. Of course he was telling us like he didn't know there were any and we told him about all the discussion here.

He bought the parts, but sold the chassis to some other guy there that said he really needed an f-head engine for his jeep. He brought home all the loose parts which mainly consisted of the hood, cowl, hubs, and a few little misc. parts. There was no serial number on the cowl, which was my interest in logging it.

Anyhow, small world.

He also said he met a guy at a toy show last year that said he had a friend who used to be the town sheriff wherever he lived who had a flat fender jeep. The jeep had a presidential plate and they guy had a picture on the wall in his office of an FDR inauguration parades with an arrow drawn to a specific jeep in the parade. Being the years of inauguration, that would've had to be a WWII Jeep. MB, GPW, Bantam, could even be some prototype. Who knows.

 

Hmmm... from a historical perspective, that inaugural plate may actually add value to the jeep. The questions I would be asking is "how many jeeps were in that parade?", "how many are known to still remain intact?" and "what significance were the jeeps to be in the parade in the first place?".

My step-dad is a member of the Packard club and a fellow member has a Victoria that has a similar presidential plate and is only one of three known to still remain functioning. It's appraised value was quite a bit higher than identical Packards. Then again, seems I recall either the president, VP, or some other official actually RODE in this vehicle.

My 1.2765 cents!

 

I've got a '65 Tux with the LBJ dash plate. Haven't done a whole lot of research about how it was involved in the parade other than what the plaque says. It's been slowly getting restored the last 3 or so years and if i get a chance this week, I'll try and get a picture of the plate.

 

Well if you do end up with them, be sure to get a copy of the advertisement that had Hubert Humphrey driving his. I think it was published a year or two later.
The last one of the inaugural Cj's I saw was in New York City. About the only thing I remember about it was that it was shiny, not accurately restored, and overpriced.

Reminded me of the Jeepster ads featuring featuring Danny Kay(e). Rumor had it his brother was the mayor of Toledo, and that's why he visited the Jeep plant so often and was used for ads. Funny thing. I checked. There was never a mayor (or candidate) by that name. Maybe it was Richard B. Kay that ran for senator?

Bottom line is there are many Jeep myths. The inaugural Jeeps are real.