Friday Evening
Saturday Evening

All photographs on this website are copyright ©Robert M. Soule. All rights reserved. Written permission required for commercial use.

Southern Regional 2003 Meet - Chattanooga 

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Contact Information: rms@chryslercrazy.com

All photos for the 2003 Meet were taken by Elijah Scott and Roger Cooper.

View from across the street at our little "show field" at the Soules' home.  Kerry's "new" '62 Imperial.  Unfortunately, this car had the brake linings come off the car on the way to the railroad museum and had to be trailered back.  Kerry has recently sold this car to IML member Ed Noble from Boaz, AL.

On the left, Roberts' Gold 1965 Chrysler 300 convertible.  On the right, Roberts' '68 LeBaron and convertible. 

On the left next to Roberts' '65 300 is George Vines' beautiful 1966 Chrysler New Yorker.

Roger Cooper and Elijah Scott in front of their cars at the Soules' residence.  Note the refreshment gazebo in the right picture located on the far right.

Don't see many sedans.

Robert's '68 Newport that we drove to Carlisle a couple years back.  Roberts' '73 Benz 300 SEL 4.5 that Kerry and Robert paint last year.  (For Sale) soule@chattanooga.net 

Roberts' first car, which he still has, a loaded 1964 Imperial Crown 4dr hardtop.

More pictures of Jeffs' beautiful 1964 Imperial LeBaron.

Roberts' 1965 Chrysler New Yorker.  This car has the rare clear tail light lenses.

Jim Kelly's '68 LeBaron.  Robert is doing some mechanical work on and then Jim is flying in from Hawaii to get it.

Jim did indeed fly into Chattanooga and he drove the car across the country with only one minor incident.  It is now in Hawaii with its new owner Jim Kelly.

Robert's Grandmother's Corvair.  Had fun trying to get it running but the gas tank was full of junk and it just wouldn't stay running.  Neat car though. (For Sale) Contact Robert at: soule@chattanooga.net 

Roberts' '67 Newport.  Melissa Graham has bought this car and it is now at Kerrys' shop awaiting new paint.

Kerry's 66 300 with a beautiful new coat of silver paint.  A very fine car indeed!

Jeff Carrother's new '66 300, which has been dubbed the "tractor" because of the Ford tractor blue that someone painted the car.  Excellent driving car that will make a fine car someday with new paint.

Local Tennessee Valley Region WPC member Mike Bennett's '68 300 convertible!

This is "Darnell", and belongs to Robert.  Soon to be the Official Murray Motor Company service vehicle.

Roberts' matching pair of 1968 Imperials. 

The set of pictures below were taken on Saturday at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time as we motored over to the Railroad museum for lunch and a train ride.  A good time was had by all!  The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is the largest operating Railroad Museum in the Southeast United States.  As usual, they did have their steam locomotive number 610 operating but it was off the premises pulling an excursion train to Summerville, GA.  I hope is will be on premises in 2004 when we make the trip back to the RR Museum.

Roger Cooper on some truly big iron at the RR Museum.

Here are several more shots of the cars we drove to the Railroad Museum on Saturday.  Our little parade sure looked nice going down the road.

Kerrys' 62 just after the brake failuer  awaits the trailer.

On the Right, Jeff Carrothers' '64 is fresh from the paint shop and is simply stunning with new chrome and everything!

Mark McDonald drove this super nice '68 Imperial Crown Convertible and Roger Coopers fine '69 Imperial.

Robert Soule's '65 300 at the RR Museum.

Saturday evening, after our trip to the RR Museum, we went to dinner at the local Sonic Drive-in. 

Dinner on Saturday night at Sonic in downtown Soddy Daisy, Tennessee.  We sure turned a lot of heads with our cars at the Sonic!

A great time was had by all.  The location was very pleasant under the shade trees.  The Soules are great hosts!

Southern Regional 2002 Meet - Chattanooga  All text and photos by Elijah Scott

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Contact Information: rms@chryslercrazy.com

The 2002 Annual Southern Imperial and Chrysler Meet was held in Chattanooga, TN, on June 7-8, 2002. The event was a great success with 21 cars and many owners and enthusiasts in attendance. This year's Meet began on Friday as attendees gathered at the Soule's near Chattanooga, TN. 

The weather was excellent for both days of the meet, which made the experience all the more enjoyable.  Scenic Chattanooga provided an terrific location, and many folks took the opportunity to explore some of the area attractions, including the Aquarium, Chattanooga Choo-Choo, Incline Railway, Rock City, and other parts of Lookout Mountain.  The Imperials and Chryslers were right at home amidst the beautiful scenery of East Tennessee

Here's the full list of attendees for the meet: 

There were also several folks who came along to enjoy the ride, including Mark Harris (1965 Imperial LeBaron in absentia), Bill Clifton, Donald Taccone (1956 Imperial sedan in absentia), Debbie Brown and her son Alex, Todd "Mr.G"  Stennis (1968 Imperial LeBaron in absentia), John Shuty (1969 New Yorker in absentia), Murray Vise (1965 Chrysler 300 L convertible in absentia), Cecil McCall (recent owner of a 1964 Ghia Crown Imperial), and Ed Jones (1964 Imperial Crown convertible in absentia).

The weather on Friday afternoon was absolutely perfect, so naturally convertible tops were down and everyone enjoyed the fresh air of East Tennessee. The cookout at the Soule home was great and we all appreciated their efforts to provide a good "spread." Each new arrival generated excitement among the crowd! 

By the time the cookout started Friday evening, we had everything from a '55 Plymouth to a '76 New Yorker Brougham.  After dinner, we took time to drive around in some of the cars. With all the good cars and good Mopar fellowship, everyone was up until after midnight enjoying the evening. 

Saturday was a FULL day, with folks meeting at the hotel parking lot about 10:00 a.m. We spent the entire day driving, talking, sharing Imperial knowledge, and generally having a good time. 

Jason Rogers came over from Jackson, TN, with this adorable '55 Plymouth.  This younger cousin of the Imperials and Chryslers fit right in and made a nice presentation.  This car was from the first year of the Forward Look, and the color scheme is right on target for 1955!

Steve Bryan won the long-distance award (well, there were no formal awards) for bringing his '59 Imperial LeBaron, known as "Eileen," up from Florida. Other than a broken fan belt, he said the car performed flawlessly for the entire trip. The '59 Imperial has always been one of my favorites, so I was excited to see Steve's car.

Here are some further detailed shots of Steve's '59 Lebaron.  This car is nicely optioned, including the FlightSweep decklid and the stainless steel roof insert!

Imperial's "little" cousin for 1959 was this 1959 DeSoto Sportsman, owned by John Clines.  Another fine expression of the Forward Look, the '59 DeSoto expresses an exuberant, sporty look from front to rear, highlighted by the two-tone paint and swept-back tailfins.  Delightful, De-Lovely, DeSoto!

Chris Hawkins is the proud owner of this 1960 Chrysler New Yorker Town and Country.  And he has a right to be proud -- it's a STUNNING automobile!  Chris has done most of the restoration of this car himself, including the paint, and it's fantastic inside and out.

Jeff Carrothers is the owner of this fine 1962 Imperial Crown Southampton.  The Cocoa Metallic cloth and leather interior is a beautiful example of Imperial opulence.  And, of course, nothing beats those 1962 Imperial taillights!

While 1963 is a year that some folks don't care for, this '63 Chrysler Newport might change their minds!  Owned by Don Hellstrom, this car is an all original and somewhat unusual car.  It's a four door sedan equipped with crank windows, manual steering, and yes, even manual transmission!  With a 361 engine mounted to the 3 speed shifter, it's a pretty peppy car.

The 1965 Chryslers were undoubtedly some of the finest automotive designs to come out of Detroit, and this '65 Chrysler New Yorker, owned by Robert Soule, certainly proves that statement.  It's a beautiful car inside and out, demonstrating one of the finest examples of Elwood Engle styling.

This 1965 Chrysler 300 convertible is also part of the Robert Soule collection.  It's a fun car to drive, and with a 383 HP engine, it'll sure put the wind in your hair!

Chris Hawkins also owns this 1966 Imperial LeBaron.  It's absolutely one of the nicest '66 Imperials that I've ever seen.  Again, Chris has done all of the restoration of this car himself, and has done an outstanding job!  If you're a fan of the '66 Imperial, this is a car you must see! The embossed eagles on the "antique" leather seats is the pinnacle of Imperial interior pinache. Also be sure to enjoy a short video of Chris Hawkins' '66 Imperial LeBaron in motion! 

This 1968 Imperial LeBaron belongs to Robert Soule.  It's an incredibly nice example of the '68 design.  Robert states that this is the nicest car he owns, and it's certainly worthy of that accolade.  The car is immaculate inside and out and is also well-optioned.

Robert Soule refers to this '68 Chrysler Newport hardtop as "old reliable."  It is a comfortable car that drives and performs extremely well on the road.

This 1971 Imperial LeBaron belongs to Elijah Scott.  I've had this car since October 1988, and have been slowly restoring it ever since.  At 240,000, it's still a great car to drive and enjoy!

 Kerry Pinkerton came over from Alabama for the day in his stunning '73 Imperial LeBaron. Kerry has done a HUGE amount of work to restore this Imperial to top condition.

Jean Chesney arrived from Knoxville with her 1967 Chrysler Newport Town & Country station wagon.  Station wagons have really become popular in the last few years, which is pretty cool!  Jean has had her '67 for a long time and is very attached to it.  She said that the paint was supposed to have been silver with a hint of purple . . . but since purple is her favorite color, she's quite happy with the color of the car!  All in all, I'd say the car looks great inside and out!

Dennis Shrader drove down from Clarkesville, TN, in this immaculate '76 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham.  Dennis has been the happy owner of this car for some years and always enjoys driving it.  The color combination is striking, and the velour interior is the epitome of mid-'70s luxury.  Imperial, of course, was no longer available for 1976, but the New Yorker Brougham was certainly a suitable "replacement."

All in all, the Southern Regional Meet did a good job of covering the region, with attendees from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee. Thanks to EVERYONE who attended for making the Meet a great success! Special thanks go to Laqueta Soule, Sarah Rowe, and Debbie Brown for providing such a great meal. We all appreciated their hard work!

Hope to see everyone next year!

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Contact Information: rms@chryslercrazy.com

The Soules' hosted the event and had a cookout for all of us on Friday at his place and showed us some of his toys...... 65 New Yorker 4dr 65 300 convertible (I drove my first mopar convertible...WOW!) 66 300 4 door 64 Ghia Limo 68 Lebaron 64 Crown 4 door 67 Newport 67 Newport convertible AND more! 

We gathered at the hotel Saturday morning...Jay Williams came over from Carrolton, MS with his wife and kids...trailered his 67 Sedan so that his wife had another mode of transportation. 

Donald Taccone was driving my car in the caravan to Ron Bird's collection of Chrysler products in Cleveland, TN. We were following Elijah in his 71; Donald, myself, Larry Stegall, and Gregg Wagner were in my car. Donald noticed that the steering on my car got stiff and Elijah noticed a belt hanging down from my car. We stopped and checked it out.....my car had broken the water pump belt and slung the power steering belt. We decided to leave the Lebaron, let it cool off, and come back to fix it after we toured Ron Bird's collection. By this time Kerry circled back to check on us...so the folks that were in my car piled in with Kerry and Elijah....we got to Ron's place and someone said "Where's Gregg Wagner?" "Uh Oh, we left him at the gas station....HONEST mistake!" 

We toured Ron's collection, had lunch together at a Restaurant in Cleveland, stopped and played Imperial Service Department with my car, and drove back to the hotel. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing musical cars in the hotel parking lot....it was a blast! Wendell Richardson showed up in a stunning 60 Imperial Custom 4 door Southampton that almost made me wet my pants. We all had dinner together at the Town and Country restaurant Saturday night...new york strip...I think that a good vet could have revived most of our stakes and sent them back to the farm....other than that...it was good. Pardon me if I forget anyone or get the names wrong, but these were some of the Imperials/Chryslers that attended and their owners: 

54 Imperial Sedan Kerry Pinkerton , 64 Imperial Crown

62 Imperial Lebaron Jeff Carrothers 

81 Imperial Brett and Joseph from Atlanta 

71 Imperial Coupe Mark McDonald (glad that he finally made one of these events!) 

71 Imperial Elijah Scott 

67 Imperial Sedan Jay Williams 

70 Chrysler 300 Gregg Wagner 

78 Chrysler New Yorker Chip Hood and Christopher Conway 

60 Imperial Custom Wendell Richardson 

68 LeBaron Robert Soule ,65 300 Convertible, 66 300 4 Door

Thanks to Elijah Scott for the photos.  Sorry if we missed anyone's car but Elijah shot what cranked his tractor most.  You will notice LOTS of photos of his and Mark Macdonald's 71's.

The following is Robert Soule's collection.  He bought the 300 convertible about 3 months ago and has done a tremendous amount of work.  Super solid low mileage car as are most of Robert's fleet.

The red 64 was Roberts first car which he bought in high school.

Kerry Pinkerton's 54 and 64 were parked by the road and got a fair share of evening driving since they were easy to get out.  The 54 was trailered in because it isn't running that well.  However it was a hit, especially the working AC which is behind the rear seat and really blows.

the two guys in the previous photo are Kerry Pinkerton and Mark Harris.  Pinkerton is the one with gray hair.

Even well after dark, we were still riding.

SATURDAY

By 9am Saturday we had all gathered at the motel.

Chip Hood and Christopher Conway drove up in this stunning 78 NYB.  It was ordered by a salesman with EVERY option known to man including the police interceptor package on the 440.

Mark Macdonald drove up from Panama City Florida in his 71 coupe.  This car had a fantastic interior.  The fabric seats were a very fine, slick, silk like fabric which was absolutely perfect.

 Jay Williams brought his 78 in on a trailer from Mississippi because his wife wanted to be able to drive the kids around while we were geeking over the cars.  

Jeff Carrothers was lovin' it.

On the road to Ron Byrds.  Ron's shop is what happens when a hobby goes bad :)  Just look at all these cars!!!!  Ron has an interesting collection of 'stuff' also.  We spotted several complete cases of 'Port-o-walls', fake whitewalls as well as other unusual stuff.

78 NYBBrent and Joseph had a super low mileage 81.  It was the first I've driven (borrowed it to go check on the breakdown and leave Gregg because my 64 was blocked.  I want one.

More of Kerry's 64

Some of Ron's stuff out front.  The guy yawning is Robert Soule who was talking to Jeff Carrothers.

60 Imperial Custom  that Wendell Richardson drove in from nearby Tennessee.  60's are so cool and this one was nice.

Following are lots of shots of the two 71's side by side.  Elijah was really happy to see the side by side comparison.  It's kind of hard to see in the photos but we were surprised to see that the rear profile is different on the coupe.  Notice the chrome end pieces on the bumpers curve in considerably more to match the change in the roof line.  

Emblems!

Jeff Carrothers drove all the way from Jackson Mississippi in his 62.  Great car!  Cold air too with recent R134 conversion.

Questions or comments please e-mail me at: rms@chryslercrazy.com

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Contact Information: rms@chryslercrazy.com