Wednesday, November 30, 2011

John Lennon's Green Chrysler Station Wagon

Last year, on New Year's Day, David and Hank found this car at an auction in Connecticut. 

John Lennon and Yoko Ono purchased this dark green 1972 Chrysler Station Wagon for personal use when they lived at the Dakota on West 72nd Street in New York City. 

The car was registered to Apple Records and was said to have been John's favorite automobile because its practicality and modesty allowed him to travel virtually unrecognized.  It was primarily used for errands around the city and travel between their Manhattan apartment and Long Island estate.  It was also used on a cross-country trip during a time when John and Yoko were going through heroin detoxification.  They were visiting a Chinese acupuncturist in San Francisco who put them on a healthy macrobiotic diet.  John says this is what made it possible for Yoko to become pregnant with their son, Sean.

So, on Thanksgiving Day, we checked out the car.  It is more than 20 feet long and barely fits into Hank's garage.

There are special speakers installed in the front seat backs, so that John could better hear the music.  (John mostly sat in the back, while one of his assistants, Nisha or Fred Seaman, drove.)
 It's one of those station wagons where the 3rd seat faces backwards.
Some of the display photos that Hank has on display in the garage, including photos of Lennon in the car.
After dinner, David took us for a ride.  This is the front dashboard.  Not only is the car long, it is also wide!
 This is Matt sitting in the back where Lennon sat.
All very cool.
And we all shine on ... like the sun and the moon and the stars!

UPDATE: There's a great article about Hank and David's car - "John Lennon's Car: A Wagon That Rock 'N' Rolls" HERE - with photos much better than mine. Great story. August 2013 Check it out!



2 comments:

  1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSnjRaGoYyI

    you gotta hear this if you never did

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yep - love the way he just lets 'er rip. You can't separate the weeds from the wheat ...

    ReplyDelete