Dar’s favorite Imperials

 

 

 

 

 

Hands down, this 1957 Crown four-door sedan in Desert Beige is Dar's favorite Imperial.  Perhaps the pinnacle of Chrysler designer Virgil Exner, Sr.'s entire automotive career effort, this exquisite beauty has all the features that rings his bell such as rare dual, not quad headlights, curved side glass, compound curved windshield and the famous "toilet seat" option on the trunk.  Imperial was Chrysler Corporation's attempt to match the sales of its successful luxury rivals, Cadillac and Lincoln. The 1957 sold over 37,000 units, making it the most popular in the marque's 20-year history.

In today’s column I’m writing about my favorite Imperial automobiles.  Notice I didn’t write Chrysler Imperial…just Imperial.  There’s a reason I make the distinction.

For true old-timers – even older than yours truly – the words Chrysler and Imperial were used simultaneously.  When Walter P. Chrysler took the bones of the Maxwell Motor Company that he purchased in 1925 and introduced Chrysler automobiles, it took him only a year before he created a top-of-the-line model and called it the Chrysler Imperial in 1926.  If a buyer wanted a luxury car from Chrysler Corporation, then you opted to purchase the Chrysler Imperial.

Why the name Imperial?  Walter P. must have asked his minions to do a little research.  Someone discovered that the adjective ‘imperial’ according to Webster’s dictionary means sovereign, supreme, superior or of unusual size or excellence.  It obviously was an ideal name that befit Chrysler’s highest priced quality model.

Through the decades that followed, Chrysler Imperials were the measure to define what a Chrysler Corporation luxury car was all about.  American automakers General Motors and Ford Motor Company had their Cadillacs and Lincolns to draw in luxury buyers, Chrysler had its Chrysler Imperial.

During those decades it should be mentioned that Lincoln and Cadillac – especially Cadillac – greatly outsold the Chrysler Imperial.  Actually, Cadillac in the post-WWII era was the elephant in the room when comparing sales numbers.  In 1954, Cadillac sold 20 times the number of Chrysler Imperials and Lincoln sold six times more.

By the early 50s, Chrysler Corporation – noting the growing luxury market AND wanting to sell more highly profitable models – decided to create a new, separate luxury division.  For the first time in model year 1955 Cadillac and Lincoln had a serious new competitor and its name was Imperial. 

The 1955 Imperial still shared many body parts with sibling Chrysler, but chief designer Virgil Exner used a number of clever and effective styling tricks to elevate the prominence of the luxury car. 

Most notable was the chrome-rimmed dual grille openings up front, massive bumper details front and back and taillights that sat atop the rear fenders.  These “microphone” light assemblies on the fender were a design feature that were first shown on early 50s Exner-designed concept cars and became a favorite Imperial styling touch for many years.

Two years later Exner managed to talk the company bean counters into letting his team put together an all-new vehicle that shared little body pieces with other corporate divisions.  This was also the year when Exner’s Forward Look featuring massive fins and revolutionary thin rooflines that made Chrysler Corp. a style leader.

With the new models, Imperial sales soared from 1956’s total of 10,268 to 37,593 units sold.  The sales success of the dramatically new 1957s would never be achieved again in its 20-year history.

The Imperial would be based on the 1957 platform, with annual styling updates (not always successfully in my opinion), for the next ten years with only one major re-design in 1964. 

In 1967 and until its demise after the 1975 model year, the company decided it was too expensive to offer their luxury line on its own platform and created a new Imperial using all the bones of a Chrysler but with a unique exterior skin.  Sales never attained the record levels attained in 1957 and the Imperial division was dismantled.

It should be noted that Chrysler attempted two times to resurrect the Imperial name and both efforts had limited success.  During the 1981-83 model years Chrysler introduced a luxury sporty coupe based on the Chrysler Cordoba.  It’s controversial bustle-back themed styling slowed sales and only 12,385 of the Imperials were sold.

In 1990, using a stretched K-car platform, Chrysler again introduced an Imperial.  The rather attractive car featured hidden headlights, tufted leather seats and a partial vinyl roof.  It too ultimately failed in the market place. 

No Imperials have appeared in showrooms since.  However, in 2006 the company did show an Imperial concept at auto show that garnered marginal interest and was never put into production.

The best selling Imperial is also my favorite, by far.  1957 Imperial appears on my all-time favorite car list.  Retired designer Diran Yazejian owns the Imperial I’d like to have in my garage.  I like everything about the car and I wouldn’t change one thing.

The ‘57 perhaps represent best the beautiful Forward Look that was penned by legendary Chrysler designer Virgil Exner, Sr. back in the 50s.  Diran’s Imperial is exquisitely designed and not surprisingly is invited to many of car shows in Southeast Michigan. 

I invite Diran to bring his Imperial to the Lake Bluff Concours each time I see him.  Unfortunately he doesn’t drive it far on the highway and he doesn’t have a trailer to tow it. 

Imperial number two on my favorite’s list is the 1969 model.  It was created by using the all-new 1969 “fuselage” body found on sibling Chrysler.  Imperial designer gave the Chrysler body unique front fenders, hood and loop bumper up front and an attractive rear bumper and trunk and came up with a very nice looking luxury car.

The 1969 Imperial showed a nice bump in increased sales (22,083) and became the third best selling offering.  Unfortunately it was still miles from being close in sales to either Cadillac or Lincoln.

Last on my favorite Imperials list is the 1964-66 offerings.  Still built on the platform introduced in 1957, these are the Imperials that remind everyone of the 1961 Lincoln-Continentals. 

There is a reason for that.  Chrysler Design VP was Elwood Engel who was hired from Ford in 1961.  Engel is credited with designing the stunningly beautiful and successful 61 Lincoln-Continental.  Using many of the same design themes used on the Lincoln, he gave the radically re-skinned Imperials a new look that were attractive but failed to make any design breakthroughs.

Mr. Engle’s efforts paid off.  Sales for Imperial increased in 1964 from 14,121 to 23,295.  It was the luxury maker’s second best year ever.

Imperial is now just a distance memory.  Thankfully we can attend car shows and enjoy seeing examples of these wonderful automobiles.   The Imperial never came close in outselling competitors Cadillac and Lincoln but we can’t fault Chrysler for not trying.   We just have to gaze at Diran Yazejian’s 1957 Imperial for vindication.




After decades being sold as the Chrysler Imperial, in 1955 the American automaker created the Imperial division and began selling the luxury car as a separate marque.  The Imperial shared a body with sibling Chrysler initially (1955-56, 1955 shown), then with the 1957 wore its own unique platform until 1966.  From 1967 to its final its final year, 1975, it returned to being an upgraded Chrysler.  Over its brief history, the Imperial impressed only 331,018 buyers, a figure often sold by rival Cadillac in just one year.  Imperial sales averaged 16,551, with 1957 being their peak year with sales of over 37,000.