A Jackie Gleason Limo with a Waterville Connection

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This story comes to us courtesy of Steve Asztalos who grew up in Waterville in the 1930s and early 40’s. Steve was a W.W. II veteran and became an auto body mechanic under the post WWII G.I. Bill. Perhaps some of our “old timers” remember Steve as a classmate or Waterville resident. He was kind enough to sit for an interview at the Wakeman Archives in 2016.

Can you imagine taking a saw to a brand new Lincoln and cutting it in half? We wrote an article in 2015 about the Shop of Siebert, a company devoted to customizing mostly Ford Motors vehicles into hearses, ambulances, police cars, stretched transport vehicles and custom limousines. This company moved to Waterville in 1951 from Toledo due to a need for more space and located where Peddler’s Alley is today. Steve Asztalos worked for this company for over 36 years, following them in a move to Inkster, Michigan in 1964. Sometime between 1964 and 1966 Siebert merged or was acquired by the Carron Corp of Inkster.

It was Inkster, Michigan that Steve took his saw to a new 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III and chopped it in half. The purpose was to produce a customized limousine for the popular comedian and television personality, Jackie Gleason. Mr. Gleason, as we oldster well remember, was a very large man. He demanded extra wide doors which were not partially blocked by rear wheel wells, as most four door vehicles were in that day (and still are). The result of these and other demands of the Gleason team was a vehicle stretched by lengthening the frame to a wheelbase of 166 inches and overall length of just over 22 feet. The passenger area, designed by and for Gleason, had two rear facing seats and a reclining rear seat. In between was a console containing a refrigerator, liquor bar/desk, 2 telephones and a color television. It had all push-button controls and two air conditioners. The finished car was sent back only once for better air conditioners. Jackie liked it cool! The car was finished with sixteen coats of a deep burgundy metallic lacquer. Steve discussed sanding the entire car with a 600 grit sandpaper between every two coats. He said it was a long way around that car. Finally four coats of clear lacquer were applied over the color. The limousine cost a whopping (for that time) $68,000, (about the same as a basic Lincoln might cost today)

Authors note: The archives has a notebook of photographs of many vehicles produced by The Shop of Siebert here in Waterville, thanks to Steve. These are available for the public to view whenever the Archives is open. The Archives is open every Wednesday from 10-2, year round weather permitting. We are not open if there is snow on the driveway.