I completely understand how some people get very focused on one particular type of car. Sometimes it’s fun to specialize, to get really into one brand or model, and maybe even collect some important variations of one kind of car. That I get. What I don’t get is this guy in Richmond, VA, who has a collection of 22 Chrysler LeBaron convertibles. Aside from wearing a cantaloupe like a hat, I can’t think of anything else that more clearly says “I’m fucking insane.”
Just think about this for a minute. Take a moment to recall the Chrysler LeBaron convertibles from 1983 to 1986. They were built on the K-Car platform, used the same 94 HP 2.2-liter four found in the rest of the K-Car line, and were boxy and boring, but sort of handsome, in a very mild way.
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They were notable for being the first American convertible for quite some time, and the odd, wood-paneled Town and Country versions were novel, but, really, these weren’t cars that inspired all that many people.
Sure, I can see how a really nice one might be fun to have, maybe two, if you wanted to have them with and without the wood panelling, but I think that would do it for pretty much anybody who actually had an interest in these cars.
So, if we assume two LeBaron convertibles is about the maximum a rational and pretty rabid collector of these cars should have, consider the mindset of a person with eleven times that amount.
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That, my friends, is madness.
Imagine meeting this guy at a bar. You start talking about cars, and he mentions he’s a collector. You ask him how many cars he has in his collection, and he tells you 22. “Wow,” you say. “22 cars! What kind are they?”
“Chrysler LeBaron Convertibles.”
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“Oh yeah, those,” you reply. “What else?”
At this point he seizes your shoulders with a grip that alarms you with its intensity. He brings his face up to within inches of yours, and locks eyes with you. The barely-contained energy in his body is causing you to shake.
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“THERE IS NOTHING ELSE!” he howls, his voice guttural and angry, his crazed eyes locked on yours. Moments later he erupts into laughter, the laughter of a man damned, the laughter of a prisoner in a self-built cage, the laughter of a man who deliberately sought to own twenty-two Chrysler LeBaron convertibles.
Something must have happened to this collector to wake him from his spell. Perhaps a lightning strike to the temple, or a medical intervention from loved ones.
The result is that now this collection of LeBaron convertibles from between 1983 to 1986 (that could mean he has about seven cars per model year) is going to be distributed to the greater world, with prices ranging from $500 to $2000.
I wonder if anyone’s made an offer on the one with all the bird shit on the seat covers? I’m really glad he decided to highlight that one in the ad’s pictures.
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Are there 22 other LeBaron convertible enthusiasts left in the world? If so, this is a fantastic time to be alive.
(From the wonderful Obscure Cars for Sale Facebook group!)
There must be a fascinating story behind this
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