LAST week, readers were asked to identify a couple of old vehicles in our spread of pictures of old Darlington. The car on Tubwell Row was indeed a Vauxhall Viva, and the distinctive van behind was, by common consent, nothing more than a Mark One Ford Transit with a custom-built body. Many thanks to everyone who kept us on the right road.

But…

“The really interesting car in your pictures is the American Chrysler which is parked outside the old Town Hall,” wrote Steve Walton, and his sentiments were echoed by Mark Cooper and Brett Clayton. “When Chrysler Cummins moved to their new factory in Yarm Road in 1964, they gave at least a couple of Chrysler cars to the town to be used by the mayor.”

The Northern Echo: LISTED BUILDING: The Cummins engine factory in Darlington in the late 1960s
LISTED BUILDING: The Cummins engine factory in Darlington in the late 1960s

There is even a lovely story that the numberplate on this car was CHN 1A – HN, of course, representing Darlington – and it was finally sold to the Chinese embassy in London.

That may be a story too far – but the tale of Darlington’s mayoral mobile doesn’t need much embroidering.

In 1963, just as work on the Chrysler Cummins engine factory was beginning, the Americans kindly offered the mayor a very limited Chrysler Coronado at a knock-down price. Darlington council jumped at the opportunity of owning the eight-seater American gas guzzler.

“The Coronado is believed to be one of only nine in the world and the only one in Europe,” said The Northern Echo in 1970.

“President Tito and Mr Henry Cabot Lodge are among the distinguished people to have owned one.

"It is so rare it is doubtful whether a recognised list price for it is in existence.”

President Josip Tito, of course, was the dictator who successfully held Yugoslavia together until his death in 1980; Henry Cabot Lodge Jnr was an American Republican senator and ambassador who stood as Richard Nixon’s running mate in the 1960 US presidential election was the US vice presidential – they lost by 0.22 per cent to John F Kennedy.

The Northern Echo: CAR LOVER: President Tito of Yugoslavia had a Coronado, like the mayor of Darlington
CAR LOVER: President Tito of Yugoslavia had a Coronado, like the mayor of Darlington

So this was an extremely exclusive car – numberplate: 1 VHN for the mayor of Darlo to be running around in.

It was soon joined by another vehicle from the Chrysler stable – a Dodge, numberplate 2 VHN. Quite why the mayor of Darlington needed two limos is anyone’s guess – perhaps the deputy was allowed the Dodge.

In 1970, the Coronado was put up for sale for £2,400. “It’s not on its last legs but it was felt it has outlived its mayoral usefulness,” said the deputy Town Clerk NA Fearneyhough.

And so this collector’s item was lost to Darlington. Where did it go? Where is it now? Can anyone tell us?

THE new car in 1970 was a Daimler DR 450, bought for £5,000 from a firm in Bradford. Successive mayors knew it as “Dorothy the Daimler”. It seems to have lasted until 1980 when the mayor of Darlington came down in the world – it was replaced with a £5,900 Austin Princess 1700 HLS Automatic.

The Northern Echo: FIRST VEHICLE: This is the first mayoral car to be featured in The Northern Echo's library. Pictured in 1961, it says Pullman on the side – and members of Spennymoor Probus who were shown the picture on Tuesday said it was a Daimler. Were they right? To
FIRST VEHICLE: This is the first mayoral car to be featured in The Northern Echo's library. Pictured in 1961, it says Pullman on the side – and members of Spennymoor Probus who were shown the picture on Tuesday said it was a Daimler. Were they right?

The Northern Echo: A COME DOWN: The Darlington mayor, Cllr Alan Gill, and his wife receive the keys to the new Austin Princess outside the town hall in January 1980
A COME DOWN: The Darlington mayor, Cllr Alan Gill, and his wife receive the keys to the new Austin Princess outside the town hall in January 1980

CHRYSLER and Cummins were in partnership at Yarm Road until the latter bought the former out in 1968. The factory is a Grade II* listed building – even the 1964-65 concrete kerbstones around the square pond are listed. It was the first British building in which Corten steel was used and the first to feature the large scale use of neoprene gaskets. This makes it very important!

The Northern Echo: MUNICIPAL MOTOR: Darlington’s second exotic car, a Dodge, seen here in Priestgate in 1964
MUNICIPAL MOTOR: Darlington’s second exotic car, a Dodge, seen here in Priestgate in 1964