Legend has it that Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States, had a thing for big Lincolns and Cadillacs. Case in point: this gorgeous black and white custom 1952 Cadillac Series 75 Limousine now listed on eBay. It was reportedly built for Eisenhower during his first presidential campaign by the Derham Body Company. The car was displayed at the 1953 Paris Salon to commemorate Cadillac’s 50th anniversary and shipped back to America later that year.
Derham was a small Philadelphia-based coach builder with roots that date back to the late 1880s. The company’s customer-centric attitude allowed it to make it through the Depression. “They would perform most any task that a customer desired, a policy that helped them outlast every other American coachbuilder of the classic era,” wrote Coachbuilt.com. Over the years, Derham built a string of cars for customers that included Hollywood stars, titans of industry, and heads of state. Gary Cooper drove a Derham Duesenberg. Robert Wood Johnson (of Johnson & Johnson) owned a pair of Durhams—the first based on a Lincoln chassis and the second on a Pierce-Arrow V12. And even the notorious Josef Stalin was said to have a Durham-modified Packard Super Eight Touring.
The limo listed on eBay is is a stunning survivor with an odometer showing slightly under 84,000 miles. The 331 cubic-inch V8 engine and Hydramatic transmission are original. The car was repainted approximately a decade ago and has been stored indoors throughout its lifetime. The years have been kind. The chassis is undercoated, the chrome is original, and rust is minimal. “We note no rusted body mount positions or floorboards, and the trunk is very solid,” states the seller, the Chicago Car Club. “No door rust and the rockers are solid and dry,”
The car’s rear end is especially noteworthy—with quarter panels and fins stretched to fit the Continental kit’s deck. The lines are unique and the metalwork is top-notch. Derham Series 75s were known to have “blind quarters,” deleting the small side windows behind the back doors for added privacy. A tiny oval rear window completes the look.
The white leather interior is original and intact, but the carpet has been replaced. The rear seat has an expansive overstuffed design with tuxedo-like black piping and buttons. Twin jump seats fold into the front seat back.
The car features a unique air conditioning system with roof and floor ducts. The AC system uses a V-twin compressor under the hood and a pair of condensers in the trunk. Should passengers require a cool drink while on the trail, a pressurized cold water system supplies chilled drinking water from a spigot in the glovebox. An air tank pressurizes the water tank and a copper line runs across the condenser, chills the water, and runs it up to where it could be dispensed.
“While this car was not part of his presidential motorcade, it was said to have been used personally prior to his presidency,” says the seller. “We heard it may have been used during his campaign.” A letter connecting the car to Eisenhower from the Motor Vehicle Commissioner of the State of Florida dated October 19, 1953, was found in the glovebox, although it’s not entirely certain if POTUS #34 actually owned the car. Lending some legitimacy to the connection with Eisenhower, Derham Body Company later built two armored limos for Ike after he was elected.
