Imperial Car Club Forum

Greetings, all! New member here. I have a puzzle/mystery I thought some of you might be willing to help me solve. It relates to this now-nearly-iconic photo of the guy standing next to his 1929 Chrysler Imperial 75 Roadster, with a sign that says "$100 WILL BUY THIS CAR. CASH ONLY. LOST ALL ON STOCK MARKET," presumably taken just after the disastrous 1929 Stock Market Crash--and has become (in recent years) one of the most emblematic photos of both The Crash and The Great Depression. I'm a writer/researcher, and I'm trying to discover whether or not this very car still exists. On close inspection, the 1929 New York license plate reads "R3 7244 NY 29." I contacted the NY DMV, which informed me they can't trace license plates without a VIN--even antique plates. Is there any kind of directory someone could recommend that might be a more specific compendium, related only to vintage Chryslers? Or still-extant vintage vehicles?

I'd also love to hear any thoughts, information or opinions on this photo (there were actually two separate photos (see attached) though the photo where the guy is scratching his head seems to be much more commonly used than the other one. I've conclusively traced the location where the photo was taken (roughly in front of 213 E. 45th Street, near Third Avenue, in Manhattan). The man in the photo is nearly always identified as "Investor Walter Thornton" or "Bankrupt Investor Walter Thornton Sells His Car".

In my research, I've come across some "doubters" who question the veracity of the photo; who claim that the sign was not originally part of the photo itself. Could that be true?

Any and all help in tracking this Chrysler is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Gregory Moore

First picture looks well done, but I see a few things related to shadows that may indicate it is modified. Second picture looks odd, but I can't find anything that definitely says it's a fake. The glow around sign looks odd, but maybe with a bright white sign in an old photograph, it may have that effect.

Thank you. That's rather my conclusion as well. The sign just seems...off. And the attempts at creating a 3-D shadow effect appear pretty fishy to me. Thanks for weighing-in!

It could be a media picture to get newspaper sales. Maybe it was completely staged by the local newspaper.

And welcome to the board!!

Thanks again. There is remarkably little background on the photo (including through Getty Images, which owns the rights). No known photographer or original source credit. The earliest reference to this specific photo (after a search that included the Library of Congress) is 1990. I've found no reference to it earlier than that--let alone, a contemporary 1929 reference. It's certainly enigmatic. I'd always sort of taken it at face-value. I haven't come across any "deep-dive" studies of the photo, either. 'Tis a puzzlement! And thank you for the welcome (I'm a Chrysler nut, too...born in Detroit. I guess it's in my DNA!).

I've always liked this photo. My grandparents lived thru the depression and told me many stories. Grandpa was a mechanic with his own shop. He received many luxury cars instead of payment for repairs. So it seems very plausible that this happened. They had a custom built limousine (maybe on a Buick-McLauglin chassis) that was left behind because the owners couldn't pay the bill to fix the engine.
My brother may have a photo of it.

Thank you!