Broad Arrow Auctions, a Hagerty company, is thrilled to offer an exciting collection of over 100 collectible cars offered entirely without reserve—including some of the most desirable American, European, and British pre- and post-War automobiles ever produced at the Art Academy University Auction this 15 February in San Francisco. Highlights include this 1942 Chrysler Town and Country “Barrelback” at $250,000 – $325,000 and is offered without reserve.
The 1942 Chrysler Town and Country “Barrelback” stands as a quintessential pre-war luxury automobile, blending elegance and everyman functionality. Designed by Chrysler’s “Buzz” Grisinger and championed by General Manager Dave Wallace, the Town and Country initially debuted as a limited-production model to attract attention in showrooms. Built on the Chrysler Windsor chassis, it featured a fastback sedan design rather than the typical station wagon configuration that later defined the nameplate. Its distinctive curved rear deck, paired with clamshell doors, earned it the affectionate nickname “Barrelback.”
Crafted with a White Ash frame and Honduran Mahogany panels by Perkins Wood Products of Grand Rapids, Michigan, this wood-bodied masterpiece was trimmed with leather interiors, finely finished wood door panels, and an elegant Bakelite dash and gauge cluster. Six and nine-passenger versions were offered, and only 999 were built in 1942 before Chrysler shifted to military production during World War II. These models were considered “limousines for the country,” reserved for the estates of the wealthy rather than utilitarian purposes.
This particular nine-passenger example boasts an impressive history. Acquired in the 1970s by Harold Mermel, it retained its original woodwork, rear-fender skirts, and unscripted hubcaps. In the 1990s, it underwent a meticulous body-off restoration by Town and Country specialist Lloyd Mayes, who commissioned a refinishing of the wood by Dave Henderson and a repaint it in period-correct St. Clair Blue, complemented by a red leather interior.
Subsequent owner Robert Brelsford, a Town and County aficionado, completed the restoration, including the Bakelite dash, upholstery, and mechanical systems, and exhibited the car at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Acquired by the Academy of Art University Collection in 2014 this rare Barrelback, thought to be just one of less than two-dozen survivors, was once again shown during Pebble Beach Car Week at the 2014 Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours on the Avenue. Today, this beautifully preserved and maintained example offered by Broad Arrow Auctions with rear jump seats and Comfort master heater remains a rare and treasured example of Chrysler’s pre-war craftsmanship, offers an exceptional blend of history, luxury, and pre-war design.
To view more thrilling cars on offer at Broad Arrow’s the Art Academy University Collection Auction, please visit their website at broadarrowauctions.com and be sure to register to bid for this exciting must-attend event.
