“I’m not a mechanic or a paint or body guy, but I direct the traffic” says 62-year-old Ovilla, Tex. resident Steve Tenpenny, of his involvement in the collector car hobby. Steve says that he has “directed traffic” on the restorations of 15 to 20 cool rides since 1975, when he bought a 1963 ½ Ford Galaxy Fastback that he adds is one of his all-time favorite muscle cars, if not his one and only all-time favorite.

Through the past 30-some years, Steve’s car collections have included a variety of vehicles, like his five ‘63 ½ Fords, a ’66 Pontiac GTO, ’70 Ford Torino Cobra and a ’66 Sunbeam Tiger “that would scare you to death,” he says as he chuckles.

Today, he is a proud owner of a 1961 Imperial Crown Coupe and a 1968 Ford Torino Four-Door Sedan.  He is particularly fond of his ’61 Imperial, calling it “a remarkable car.”

Steve explains that getting his hands on the ’61 Imperial was a two-year process. The parents of his friend, George O’Donnell from Kansas City, owned the car for over two decades.  But, it sat in a garage for 25 years, after George’s father had the chance to buy a ’75 Lebaron from the family of Lenny Dawson— a legendary quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs.

“That became his new ride. It was an offer he couldn’t turn down,” says Steve.  “But, he wouldn’t part with the ’61— and, there it sat all that time.”

While Steve said he was not “too crazy about it, in the beginning,” he grew to have a great appreciation for this 1961 Imperial throughout the two years he spent talking about buying the car.

And, finally, George’s mother, Janet, sold the car to Steve, after she determined that some of her family members were not interested in taking her late husband’s collector car.

“I bought this car from the wife of the late original owner, where it had been in storage for the past 25 years—and, to my amazement, after installing a new battery, virtually all of the electronics on the car worked, right down to the radio and the trunk and glove box lights. There is truly nothing on the planet that compares to this wonderful machine.”

“My 1961 Imperial Crown Coupe has undergone an extensive restoration over the past one and one half years,” he continues. “This car represents the ultimate in American automobile design, seldom matched before or since. The last of the Virgil Exner designs from Chrysler, the 1961 was on a different plane-- from the largest fins ever, to the ‘sparrow catcher’ tail lights, to the pedestal head lights on either side of the Cord 810 type grill, the Imperial for 1961 stands alone.”

He says that some of his favorite memories with his ride go back to when he first finished the paint, body and interior and started taking the Coupe out for drives.  He says that the reactions he received were priceless- like when a couple of on-lookers almost drove into ditches while gawking at his unusual, very large and rare collector car.

Steve goes on to explain that Chrysler only manufactured 1,007 of these Crown Coupes, in 1961— and, with that extremely low build number, they offered a staggering thirteen exterior colors. Considering most were sold in white, black, or medium blue, the one-year-only color of Malibu Tan is quite rare. Interior features such as the push button gear shift and oval steering wheel for additional leg room made these cars a dream to drive.

Power windows, including the vent windows, along with power seats and Auto-Pilot, which was the Imperial's cruise control, added to driver comfort and convenience. Plush interiors included vinyl, beautiful fabrics and leather.  And, the car is absent of door lock buttons, a feature built in to insure that your lady would never snag a beautiful gown getting in and out of the Crown.  Power is abundant under the hood, with the famous Chrysler wedge, 350 horsepower 413 V8.

“Remembered by some as the ‘rich man's hot rod,’ the 1961 Imperial will forever hold a special place in American automotive history, and I am very proud to own and be able to drive this wonderful automobile,” says Steve.

Steve adds that he is glad to take part in the preservation of collector cars by buying, restoring and maintaining these vehicles.  He says that he grew up in the muscle car era and “would love to see these cars restored to somewhat original condition, instead of going to the crusher.”

You can plan on catching this 1961 Imperial Crown Coupe hopping from car show to car show in the Dallas area, including the upcoming Dallas Autorama, which is scheduled to be held next weekend, Feb 13-15, 2009.

Story by: Becky McLaughlin