Hemmings find of the day: 1971 Catalina airport limo

[Stéphane Dumas]

I spotted this article on Hemmings blog
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...-airport-limo/

[OLDSCHOOLGMFAN]

Plum interesting wheels.

[balthazar]

These things (8-door airport limos) seem to strictly be an early '70s era idea.

A neighbor growning up had 12 kids- they cruised a circa '72 Pymouth Fury 8-door limo.

[MCGARRETT]

These things (8-door airport limos) seem to strictly be an early '70s era idea.

They actually date back to the 30's or older, they used to be operated by hotels as "sightseeing buses", though they seem to have died in the 70's, though I have seen pictures of the 1977 and up dpwnsized GM wagons also converted to "airport limos", but that has to be the tail end of it, kind of like the end of the Cadillac commercial chassis ambulance, which last rolled out in 1979, they were both victims of the "modular" van style buses that started to become commonplace.

There were also these massive Toronado based ones too, called Jetway 707, or something like that, they had tandem rear axles like a GMC Motorhome.

[Cajun G8]

These things (8-door airport limos) seem to strictly be an early '70s era idea.

There was a guy around here who had a '57 Chevy 8-door that he refurbished. It was built by a company in the Ohio area, I think, for cab service in the '50's. He left only the front doors and rearmost doors and smoothed out the panels in between, painted it black and completely re-did the interior so that it was now like a modern stretch limo. Was about the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Wish I had pictures.

[WoodieLongRoof]

'57 Chevy Airport Limo? Something like this?

http://dallasclassicchevy.com/FeatureCar0502Nelson.htm

Now that's gotta "longroof"...

[Titanic]

Checker nearly had this market cornered in the 1960s.

[balthazar]

^ You guys are right of course, it's just that the '70s versions seem relatively plentiful and it seems everytime I hear reference to an '8-door airport car' it's circa '70.
I have seen the all the examples mentioned above in pics, including the Terrornado beasties.

[autoplaybook]

Ugh. In my mind, the big Pontiacs were really ugly between 1970 and 1973. This is just more ugly to me.

Show me a '71 Buick Estate Wagon or Olds Custom Cruiser airport limo, and I'll be more excited.

[Cajun G8]

'57 Chevy Airport Limo? Something like this?

http://dallasclassicchevy.com/FeatureCar0502Nelson.htm

Now that's gotta "longroof"...

Yep, just like that, except his car no longer had 4 doors on each side. He closed in the 2 middle doors and smoothed out the panel, leaving only the front and rearmost doors on each side and then created a long window in between like today's stretch limos.

[johnnyl321]

That thing must've required acreage to perform a u-turn

[WoodieLongRoof]

Yep, just like that, except his car no longer had 4 doors on each side. He closed in the 2 middle doors and smoothed out the panel, leaving only the front and rearmost doors on each side and then created a long window in between like today's stretch limos.

Kinda like this one?

http://www.vintage-limousines.com/LimousinePhotos.html

The Toronado versions:

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/a/aqc/aqc.htm

[WoodieLongRoof]

Ugh. In my mind, the big Pontiacs were really ugly between 1970 and 1973. This is just more ugly to me.

Show me a '71 Buick Estate Wagon or Olds Custom Cruiser airport limo, and I'll be more excited.

Is this "Viagra-free"?

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...s-hawaii-1985/

[Slideways]

That thing must've required acreage to perform a u-turn

[Cajun G8]

Kinda like this one?

http://www.vintage-limousines.com/LimousinePhotos.html

Good find, Woodie! That may be the same car!