December 23, 2025 • 39 mins
This podcast episode delves into the history of the Chrysler Imperial, exploring its rise as a symbol of luxury in the automotive industry, its innovative designs, and the factors that led to its decline. The discussion highlights key milestones in the Imperial's evolution, its market positioning, and the potential for reviving the brand in today's luxury car market.
Everett J.
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(00:00):
Imperial.
If you're a Star Wars fan, you know what I'm talking about.
But if you're a car fan, you also know what I'm talking about.
The Chrysler Imperial, the peak luxury for the Chrysler brand.
Yeah, Chrysler was once up there with the likes of Cadillac, Lincoln, Duesenburg, PierceArrow, Continental, Packard, and even LaSalle.
(00:20):
They were there reaching the pinnacle of American luxury.
But what happened?
Why did it disappear?
And why can't Chrysler
relive its glory days as a top tier luxury marque.
Well, if you want to know more about that, go back and listen to some of our previouspodcasts about the Chrysler brands, Rise and Fall.
(00:41):
But today we're here to talk about its one top tier luxury car of all time, the ChryslerImperial.
Ranging from 1926 to 1993, this vehicle set out a brand new form of luxury for theChrysler brand.
And today, AutoLooks is going to take a look at that.
(01:09):
Welcome back to the AutoLooks podcast.
am your host as always, the doctor to the automotive industry, Mr.
Everett Jay coming to you from our host website at autolooks.net.
If you haven't been there, stop by, check it out, read some of the reviews, check out someof the ratings, go to the corporate links website page, big or small, we have them all.
Car companies from around the globe, all available in one direct location.
(01:30):
That is the corporate links tab at the top of the page of AutoLooks.
The AutoLooks podcast is brought to you by Ecomm Entertainment Group and distributed byPodbean.com.
If you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email over at email@autolooks.net.
So like I said in the beginning, the Chrysler Imperial.
yeah, I remember seeing these things back in the day and I remember seeing it during itslast iteration as a dedicated brand.
(01:54):
Probably because the last iteration of its brand went out the year I was born, 1983.
If you don't know that year, that was also the year of Michael Jackson's
Thriller music video, one of the top music videos of all time as we pay homage to thedemise of MTV and their music.
Thanks for, you know, about 10, 15 years of music on TV.
(02:14):
I got to give it over to Much Music, MTV's Canadian competition who has actually had musicon television a lot longer than MTV and was actually one point bigger than MTV.
But getting out of that, 1983 was the last year of the Chrysler Imperial as a dedicatedbrand.
Pretty cool.
Same year I was born.
(02:35):
Kind of like that's when the minivan came out.
Well, not in this full context.
We know the microbus or the Type 2 originally started the minivan market.
1983 is when the Caravan came out.
know, a few things happened around the year I was born.
To get back to the Imperial.
The Imperial nameplate lasted from 1926 to 1993, as we said in the intro.
But from 1955 to 1983, the Imperial was its own nameplate in Chrysler, sitting atop theChrysler brand.
(03:02):
This is similar to what Lincoln did with the Continental nameplate for a short period oftime.
This made it sit above Chrysler's top tier vehicle.
Chrysler's top tier vehicle back in the twenties was the New Yorker.
Now a little history about the New Yorker.
Great little car.
It was the top tier and just, kind of bring it up.
It's actually in a book I wrote about my AutoLooks, that I'm trying to get out.
(03:24):
My first car I ever drove in my life was a 1990 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth
Avenue go out and a find a picture of that thing.
It was big.
And that was the first car I had to drive.
Actually got behind the wheel of it and moved it up once when I was 15.
When I was 16 years old, I had to drive that thing, at 1990.
Got to remember the Imperial was still around at that point in time and it sat above theNew Yorker.
(03:50):
Now the first car to go under the Imperial nameplate was a Chrysler branded product.
It used Chrysler's new six cylinder engine.
A 288.6 cubic inch, 4.7 liter, six cylinder engine at 92 horsepower.
Front axle was solid in semi elliptic leaf springs, while the rear was a differentialactual in semi elliptic leaf springs.
(04:15):
This was chosen to set out a mark for Chrysler.
Chrysler wanted to make a statement about its vehicles and set a brand newtranscontinental speed record traveling more than 6,500 miles.
in one week by using the Chrysler Imperial.
Yeah, you don't just create a car and try and find a market for it.
(04:36):
You create a car and literally make a statement with it.
And Chrysler did that with the Imperial name.
Now the Imperial name had been used previously by both Buick, Cadillac, and Packard, fortop level limousines, but only as a tier marker, not as an actual branded product.
The original model, first generation from 1926 to 1930, made 60 miles per hour in the20's, with its four-speed transmission.
(05:03):
Now, it was chosen in 1926 to be the Indy 500 pace car.
And yes, the Indy 500 has actually been around a lot longer than Formula One series, theBrickyard.
Okay.
Think about that.
F1 is actually following in the footsteps of Indy car, not the other way around, eventhough I
still love that one, but I go see IndyCar because it comes closer to my home.
(05:23):
The Imperial nameplate was used on a variety of different body styles from Chrysler whileworking for Buick.
Yeah, Walter P.
Chrysler worked for Buick from 1911 to 1919.
And he used the Imperial nameplate as a sub-branded moniker on a few Buick products backin that time.
He had the two and four passenger roadsters, two with the rumble seat for four people.
(05:47):
If you don't know what a rumble seat is, go back and check these things out.
Cause I remember my grandparents down south going to see a guy.
He was great at doing work on tractors, but he rebuilt cars and he had an old Cadillacwith a rumble seat in it.
He popped it out of my grandfather.
And I never heard him say, you know, a lot of sexual innuendos like ever.
And he looks at my grandma and goes, Hey, remember these mom?
(06:08):
Good old rumble seats to go make whoopie in.
Me hearing that and knowing what whoopie stood for, I'm like, Whoa, grandpa.
That's pretty funny, to come out my grandfather.
That was like when I was little, they slept in two separate beds.
So to hear him say that that was neat.
On top of that, there was the four seat coupe, the five passenger sedan, the Phaetons anda top line limo for the Buick.
(06:30):
The limo had a glass partition between the front and rear passenger compartments.
Those were Imperial branded Buicks made by Walter P.
Chrysler.
Now when Chrysler left to create the Chrysler Corporation.
He took his name with them, knowing that Buick was no longer using it.
He registered it and knew he wanted to use it for the top tier of his luxury marques forhis company.
(06:53):
Yet, Chrysler worked for General Motors, kind of like the Dodge brothers worked for HenryFord.
Yeah, there's a whole bunch of different things there.
It's a great history to go back and find out about some of these people and where theystarted.
Now the first generation from 1926 to 1930 was designed as the E80 after a guaranteed 80miles per hour,
all day cruising speed created for the top vehicle.
(07:17):
A top level town car limo at the time cost $5,495 in 1926.
We're talking about the time when Henry Ford was selling his cars for only a couplehundred dollars.
This was a vehicle of millionaires.
Where in today's society, we would think billionaires.
In 2023 dollars, I get it, this is two years ago, you'd be looking at $96,384 for thiscar.
(07:42):
Which by today's standards, you would still consider it a cheap luxury car.
If we're talking about top tier luxury vehicles in 2023, this Imperial would have to sitin a half million to million dollar mark.
So even by today's standards, this thing is actually pretty cheap for a luxury make.
Now $5,495 back in 1926, it was a little, way up there.
(08:04):
By 1931, Chrysler wanted to change it around.
The second generation came out, not only living two years, 1931 to 1933.
Got to remember this is the dirty thirties we're getting into.
The 31 saw the Imperial Eight introduced with the new inline eight cylinder engine.
At a time the American market's going a crap.
He still wanted to create an eight cylinder engine for the top tier people that couldstill afford it.
(08:27):
Styling was similar to the format of the CORD L29 torpedo shape.
And with a few coachwork companies made custom body styles, one opting for dictaphoneinstalled in it.
Essentially being one of the first car phones in history.
Now, if you go back and listen to our podcast about the Caravan, the history of theCaravan, you'll find out how many things that vehicle created, multiple cup holders, dual
(08:53):
sliding doors, fold away seats.
They pioneered that while Chrysler,
not actually Chrysler, a coach-build company who worked with Chrysler created a dictaphoneit sold in these vehicle.
Now you hear dictaphone.
This isn't Flintstones style.
Okay.
It's not like the dicta-bird.
You talk to the bird and the bird recites it back to you.
So if you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and watch the live action Flintstonesmovie with John Goodman.
(09:15):
It's funny.
Also, you really want to see it Halle Berry back in the early days.
Most custom coach work was done by LeBaron Incorporated.
Now remember that name LeBaron?
Oh yeah.
Used by Chrysler later on.
Custom coach builder from 1920 until the incorporation of Chrysler corporation in 1953.
It would later become its own package before becoming its own car later on.
(09:39):
At this time, the series CH was for the coach work, custom side with the CL series set forthe standard production product.
So coach CH, standard series CL.
Kind of makes sense, right?
Kind of like Disney World Orlando.
We got O.R.
in it.
Disneyland is L.A.
If you didn't know that one, it freaked me out when I found out about it, two years ago.
(10:01):
It would only live two years.
The third generation, 1934 to 1936, yet again, two years.
But like we said, this is the dirty 30s.
So things are changing and in a depressed time, you have to change your vehicles.
And Chrysler wanted to do that.
1934 saw the introduction of the new Airflow design onto the Imperial nameplate.
(10:22):
The Airflow
was a streamlined design to mimic the Art Deco trains to improve fuel efficiency at a timewhen people didn't care about fuel efficiency.
Last year we did a podcast about fuel efficiency.
And if you've heard that one, our actual artwork to the an old Chrysler Airflow, not theImperial Airflow, but a Chrysler Airflow.
(10:42):
This thing thought about fuel consumption long before we ever needed to.
Really wasn't until the seventies that the Americans really started thinking about this,but.
If want to hear more about that, go back and listen to our podcast, Fuel Efficiency, tolearn more information about that.
The Airflow Series SV with Imperial Luxury Appearance Package was the first vehicle to betested in a wind tunnel.
(11:04):
Yeah, Chrysler really wanted to save people money on gas.
He was the first automotive corporation in the United States thinking about this, thinkingabout your pocket.
But he had to remember it's the 1930s.
It's a time when we were all thinking about trying to save money, even
the rich, but the rich being the rich kind of like know, they didn't really think aboutthat.
(11:25):
Like they always say, if you can afford to buy a Lamborghini, you can afford to fill itup.
I met a guy once, at a mechanic shop years ago, who had an original Hummer H1.
All he did was bitch about how expensive it was to fill it up.
And this is at a time when gas was only getting towards like 84 cents a liter in Canada.
We're sitting at an average of a $1.20 now.
He's bitching and complaining about it.
I'm like, dude, you can't afford to fill it up.
(11:46):
Why did you buy it?
And I found out he's just a chronic complainer.
I'll leave that there.
Now, in the 1920s, these cars were seen better when pointed backwards due to the curvedrear of the vehicles.
This led to the rethinking of fundamental designs of Chrysler vehicles.
They decided to give it a sloped design to reduce wind noise inside the passengercompartment, making it a lot more comfortable to travel.
(12:08):
You didn't hear that whoosh
sound coming through all the time.
This also allowed the passenger compartment to be moved forward, giving better balance andessentially creating unibody construction in the process.
They also set out to adopt a one-piece curved windshield.
Now go back and watch the movie Tucker, the movie about Preston Tucker.
(12:30):
He had pop out windshields, but it's still a two piece Chrysler had a curved one piecewindshield and the old Airflows like this vehicle was an engineer's dream.
The Imperial was only offered in the Chrysler Airflow offering a 5.3 liter straight eightwith an overdrive manual transmission, a two door coupe, a four door convertible a four
(12:51):
door sedan, four door town sedan and the limo variation.
And in 1936 was the last year the Airflow Imperial as sales dwindled due to consumerrejection of the design.
Man, people were stupid.
This thing was going to save your pocketbook.
You know, like, I don't like the design.
Dude, it looks like the cool ass trains you taken.
You want to travel the country, you hop on one of these Art Deco trains.
(13:14):
Why don't you want to drive an Art Deco vehicle?
I don't get people like that.
From 1937 and 1939, yet again, two more years, a fourth generation came out.
In 37 was the introduction of the torpedo style and back to a body on frame architecture.
Maschrezer realized the market didn't want to save money and didn't really care about allthose good, brand new safety features.
(13:35):
Okay, put that in the back burner, we'll think about that years later.
We want to make money, right?
We're a business.
So they moved the headlights into the front fenders, similar to the Airstream.
Imperial convertible town sedan, limo and Imperial custom series CW top executive were themain models.
The Imperial custom C15 convertible sedan by Dearham was used as the AAA official car ofthe 1937 Indy 500.
(14:02):
This was the 25th anniversary race of the Indy 500.
1912.
Pretty cool.
You got to think about a Formula One who were celebrating 75 years.
75 years that puts me back to 1950.
But the Indy has been around since 1912.
Pretty cool.
1938 Series C19 Imperial shared with the New York special soon to become the New Yorker in1939.
(14:28):
And that's not the newspaper.
That's a New Yorker car, which eventually became the cool car I drove.
What are the Imperial custom convertible town cars by Dearham?
They were specially built for the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada when they toured the UnitedStates.
Now, you have to remember, we did a podcast about McLaughlin Motors.
Royal family at that point in time used our McLaughlin's while touring Canada.
(14:52):
In the States, they used an Imperial from Chrysler.
This car was donated to the Detroit American Legion Post after its use.
From 1940 to 1948, finally lasting longer than two years.
the Fifth generation Imperial comes out.
Of course, this is also due to wartime effort.
You didn't really change a lot of shit in 1940s.
(15:13):
The 1940 Imperial Crown Series C27 was the only vehicle to wear the Imperial nameplate.
Offered as a six passenger sedan, eight passenger sedan, eight passenger limo, and a sixpassenger Dearham parade pheaton.
That's all they had for the Imperial Crown Series C27.
The limo offered a retractable glass partition between the driver and the passenger withleather up front and wool in the passenger compartment for a little bit more comfort.
(15:41):
But they used leather up front because it was easier to maintain.
You have to remember, Pheatons a lot of time did not have a roof over top of the driver.
So when your millionaire owner forces you to go out and drive through these bad, andhorrible conditions like snow and rain, you're going to be able to at least clean this
thing off a lot easier.
And they did.
1942, the New Yorker replaced most of the Imperial products with the Imperial Crownseries, C37 as the only Imperial batch product.
(16:06):
Production was suspended from February 1942 to 1946 due to the wartime efforts asdiscussed.
This time, Cadillac borrowed the Imperial name for its 70 series limo.
So yeah, Cadillac borrowed the name because Cadillac didn't get involved in the war.
That was more General Motors.
Ford and Chrysler helped out in the war effort a lot more than GM.
So Cadillac was still using vehicles, but they utilized the Imperial nameplate, borrowingit from Chrysler.
(16:30):
Chrysler knew he still had it registered.
By the end of 1948, the Imperial was on its way out.
So wartime effort came back and Chrysler really didn't think this car would last.
But low and behold, in 1949, a sixth generation shows up.
From 1949 to 1954, the Imperial returned, but as one of the lowest production dates forthe range.
(16:51):
50 Imperial Sedans and 85 Imperial Crown Limos were produced.
Early 49 models were left over 48 with the new 49s not being available until after March1949.
So essentially it was almost a 1950 model.
1950 may have been a year for the first disc brake systems from Crosley, known as theHotshot but Chrysler was already using them on the 49 Imperials.
(17:16):
Yeah, somebody tells you all Crosley used disc brakes first.
Tell them NO, the 49 Imperials, which were actually made in 1948, had disc brakes justbefore Crosley introduced them.
The Hotshot was not as good in areas with lots of road salt and thus were converted backunlike the Imperials.
Chrysler, on the other hand, had a better forward disc brake system, which was morecomplex and expensive, but which put it out in the mainstream limelight.
(17:41):
Chrysler discs were self-energizing.
Small balls set over oval holes would be forced up during braking, forcing the discsfurther apart and augmenting braking energy.
This meant lighter pressure than the calipers, avoided brake fade, promoted coolerrunning, and provided more friction surface than Chrysler's standard 12-inch drives.
(18:01):
It was a great technology, but this meant that it was expensive and only could be affordedon the Imperial lineup.
They weren't going to put on standard Chrysler products or even Plymouth or Dodge.
No, this is too damn expensive.
You got to put it on your top vehicles, because these are the only consumers who are goingto buy these things.
The 1950 Imperial is essentially a New Yorker with a custom interior and less chrome.
(18:21):
Kind of weird because this is top end product.
You thought it would be more chrome.
In 52, the loss of the convertible due to low sales, but it also saw the introduction ofthe 5.4 liter Hemi head V8, not hemispherical or Hemi, it was called the Hemi head V8 back
in the day and included Hydra-Guide power steering.
53 saw the loss of the club coupe, but the addition of the one piece windshield yet againfrom back in the 1930s with the airflow design, and Chrysler's first fully automatic
(18:48):
transmission.
This was only to test.
the transmission out in 53.
The automatic transmission wouldn't fully roll out until 1954.
They did beat Cadillac, Buick, and also Lincoln with the introduction of the firstautomotive air conditioning in vehicle.
This was seen 12 years previous, but not made its way into the mainstream until the 1953Imperials.
(19:11):
So yeah, Imperials had air conditioning way back in the day, but
really didn't make it to the mainstream products.
It was only a top tier product.
The air temp system was better than traditional air conditioning systems as it was moreefficient.
It cooled the air from the top down and was available with three settings on the dash.
Only taking two minutes to drop from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 85.
(19:32):
This system drew the freshest air, which it re-circulated.
This kept down dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and humidity in the car and was unobtrusivelike the competitions.
So Chrysler made
not just a great air conditioning system, they made an air purifying system, amazing.
This was also going to be the end of the Imperial as a Chrysler product, because when 1955showed up, the first generation of the Imperial nameplate showed up.
(20:01):
Chrysler saw that its Imperial name was a top tier luxury mark and they wanted to make ita top tier luxury marque So for a short one year period from 1955 to 1956, Chrysler
created the Imperial.
nameplate vehicle just to take over for the where the 54 Imperial left off, essentiallyjust running the end of the 54 Imperials two more years, but only as an Imperial product.
(20:23):
1955 is when Chrysler removed its badges from the Imperial products.
It moved the nameplate onto its own separate mark.
Chrysler did this to better compete with Cadillac and Lincoln with the latter forming theContinental brand just after the Imperial.
This would push Chrysler into the premium to luxury field.
with the Imperial sitting atop the stable as the dominant luxury brand.
(20:45):
By April 1955, Imperial added on the first all transistor car radio, which gave theImperial an edge over the competition.
Transistor radio?
Come on, man.
We can listen to music from anywhere now.
Unlike the competition, Imperial was not separated out from a standalone Chryslerdealerships.
It shared the floor with Chrysler products, which confused consumers into it only being aChrysler Imperial and not its own brand.
(21:09):
A lack of proper marketing is a standalone dealers led to Imperial nameplate to be beingconfused as a lackluster image of a top tier Chrysler.
So essentially saying that Chrysler should have created its own dedicated dealerships orits own dedicated division within the dealerships to separate the Imperial from other
Chrysler products.
People already knew it as a Chrysler Imperial.
You needed to make it as its own brand.
(21:30):
Similar designs to Chrysler products made the Imperial nameplate hard to sell on its own.
All Imperials came with V8 engines
and automatic transmissions with a style changes every two to three years.
Kind of quick, but new tech would be available on Imperial's first making them the testbed for products.
Sound familiar?
Cadillac.
The second generation Imperial came out.
(21:50):
This one lasted a lot longer.
They originally wanted only two to three years for Imperial products.
Now they're changing it up because the second generation Imperial went from 1957 to 1966.
1957 became the first year Imperial had its own design and platform.
No more Chrysler New Yorker looks.
Imperials were made larger than the standard Chrysler product to ensure maximum interiorcomfort.
(22:10):
They were small in sales, when compared to Cadillac's 120,000 units sold, but Imperial wasstill there.
Cadillac did not like this and implemented the Chrysler Imperial sales tactic, where theywanted to go after and steal customers away.
This was used to make consumers think that they were purchasing an overpriced Chrysler andnot a top tier luxury make of its own.
(22:31):
But quality would soon be on Cadillac's side as a two year design change
led to failing Torsion bars, which failed due to its high production that year.
Better sales were working against Imperial along with the Cadillac sales team.
So they had their work cut out for them.
By 1958, they saw the introduction of cruise control autopilot, as they called it back inthose days, powered door locks, but sales slipped to only 16,000 sold.
(22:55):
Cadillac and quality were working against the Imperial nameplate.
Dealerships were even more frustrated as consumers still referred to them as ChryslerImperials.
A lack of standalone dealers was failing the brand as being sold alongside Chryslerproducts made it seem it was just another Chrysler product to begin with.
The introduction of a dedicated dealer network would have helped save the separate mark,but this never transpired.
(23:20):
By 1959, Imperial moved
onto into it's own dedicated manufacturing site.
This would later close in 62 as cost and slipping sales would move the Imperial back intoChrysler production lines.
The 1960 Imperial beat Lincoln on the sales side again, but this would be its last time.
From 1960 to 1966, Imperial was the only brand in the Chrysler stable to keep utilizingperimeter frame layout.
(23:45):
This was done for its rigid appeal and comfort in maximizing space.
An X frame was added for extra strength with the driveshaft passing through a hole in theX-frame to ensure the structure stayed.
All other products slowly switched over to unibody construction, whereas the Imperialstayed on the full frame.
Torsion bars and rigid structure meant the Imperial handled better than the competitions,but still being sold in Chrysler dealerships was working against it.
(24:12):
57 saw the return of the convertible and became Imperial's best selling year with 37,593cars.
1962, the Imperial had the idea to make a similar offer to increase its sales and lineup,but it never made it past the boardroom.
Yeah.
This was just after 1961 when Chrysler hired Elwood Engel, the man behind the LincolnContinental to head up the Imperial design.
(24:37):
He would use a similar design for the 64 Imperial with only minor changes to make it anImperial product.
This would not prove successful enough to lift the Imperial's image, but it did lift itssales
to its second best year, 23,295.
Imperial's fortunes were turning as the automotive critic Tom McGill gave the Imperialrave reviews, giving the product a reputation as the driver's car among the top luxury
(25:03):
makes.
This improved sales and lifted Imperial out of Cadillac's shadow.
Tom raved about the luxury of the Imperial product, comparing it to a luxury train with acomfortable ride over long trips.
But unfortunately, this would work against it.
1966 was the final year for the original Imperial platform from 56 as the Imperial wasstarting to transition.
(25:24):
66, if you didn't know this, was also the year the most famous Imperial in history.
Black Beauty from the Green Hornet TV series starring Bruce Lee and Van Williams.
This would be the basis of the 2011 movie car as well.
Black Beauty did carry a larger engine as well as the introduction of the 440 cubic inch7.2 liter V8 because, we know, the Green Hornet is something bigger, better and more
(25:50):
capable than the standard Imperial.
The third generation of the Imperial nameplate was a product from 1967 to 1968.
By 67, the Imperial offered three ranges of product, the Custom, the Crown and LeBaron.
This was the first year for the C body unibody platform.
The changeover from the D body to the C body was done to save costs as the Imperial lineupwas running on its own architecture with limited sales.
(26:14):
Chrysler couldn't justify the cost anymore and the times were changing.
So they needed the unibody platform.
Its design was still different
which kept it apart from the Chrysler products.
In 67 saw the introduction of the mobile director seat on Crown coupes.
This was the front passenger seat turned to face the rearward with a small table and ahigh intensity light.
(26:36):
The idea was for executives could work on the move on their own or with their secretary.
Unfortunately, only 81 of these models were ever sold to this option, which was nearly$600 at its time when the coupe just cost $6,000.
Wow, I'm to think about that.
That's almost adding.
10 % to your cost.
From 69 to 73, the fourth generation Imperial came out.
(26:58):
In 69, we saw the introduction of the fuselage look, which curved out of the side of theprevious squared style from 64 to 69.
Remember that like a Continental box style from the 60s.
Got to remember, two box designs were big in the 60s.
For the first time since 1956, the Imperial would share its body shell with the NewYorker.
This was done to save costs as the Imperial line was
(27:19):
losing sales still.
I Cadillac was still kicking its ass.
In 69 would become Imperial's third best selling gear as the LeBaron became its coupe.
1970 would only see a two model lineup, the sedan and coupe profiles with the LeBaroncrown series.
This would take a bite out of sales as Imperial nameplate sales would be cut in half for1970.
(27:44):
1971 saw the loss of the Imperial Eagle on the hood, replaced by the word
Imperial instead.
So we've now lost our logo.
All those crown jewels from back in the day.
The old radiator cap logos.
Like Rolls Royce still has to this day.
The Fifth generation Imperial product from 74 to 75.
Imperial was nearly lost at the end of the 73 due to its low sales.
(28:08):
One design and similar parts to the Chrysler offerings.
Cadillac and Lincoln were beating the Imperial, but a last minute save from Elwood Engelkept the Imperial alive a little bit longer.
To save money, the Imperial would use the New Yorker bodywork with a different front endclip and trunk lid.
And for the first time since becoming a separate brand, would use another Chrysler'splatform.
(28:30):
Sales were strong in 73, even with the oil crisis at 14,483 being sold.
But 75 would see even less than half of this disappear.
75 would be the end of the line for the Imperial nameplate, as the last one would roll offthe line in June 12th
1975.
A black LeBaron hardtop, the last one to roll off the production line.
(28:54):
But we all know this would not disappear as the trim would change to the Chrysler NewYorker Braum from 76 to 78.
The Imperial wasn't done yet.
Chrysler still knew the Imperial nameplate meant something as it had been around since1926.
And knowing this Chrysler decided during the eighties,
(29:15):
the rise of luxury brands once again to bring it back.
1981 to 1983, the sixth generation of the Imperial product came out.
It was not lost as Chrysler revived the name and the brand from 1981 as the dedicatedImperial product.
With Lee Iacocca at the helm Chrysler wanted to emulate upscaling of the 67 Thunderbirdinto the 69 Continental Mark II.
(29:39):
Iacocca wanted to instill trust from consumers that Chrysler was here to stay.
The J platform coupe arrived with no Chrysler badges, but would appear to create theillusion of top tier luxury.
This platform was also used for the Cordoba and the Mirada and Chrysler would go one stepeven further using Frank Sinatra to market the car.
(30:03):
The new Imperial was subjected to an increase in quality assurance as a new car was
built in the adjacent Windsor plant.
Yes, the last dedicated Imperial product was Canadian built.
Think about that.
The Imperial was a special car for a special owner.
So its quality was a top priority.
It came with an electronic digital instrument panel to be provided in a production builtAmerican car.
(30:28):
It even had a special Frank Sinatra edition of the Imperial, which came only in glacier
blue crystal paint, said to match Frank Sinatra's eyes.
It came with 16 cassette tapes of Sinatra's titles, which came in a special leather case.
So if you ever find one of these Frank Sinatra special edition Imperials, make sure itcomes with a special leather case and all 16 Sinatra tapes.
(30:55):
You have to have every single one of his titles released by that point in time, or you arenot getting a perfect Imperial.
Trust me, if you're looking for a good collector car from back in those days, this is it.
And it has to have every single thing with it.
And the original glacier blue paint looks like Sinatra's eyes.
Who is Frank Sinatra?
For God's sakes.
If you don't know who Frank Sinatra is?
(31:15):
Then go out and learn about him.
Okay.
The rat pack.
The first one rolled off the line on August 11th, 1980 and ended in April 29th, 1983.
So yeah, this car even ended before I was born.
We're still in production the year I was born, but ended before I was born.
Naturally again, it was killed off due to sales and cost.
A few did manage to be used for NASCAR spec race cars qualifying for the 85 Daytona 500 at197 miles per hour, even without a race spec engine.
(31:43):
They had a coefficient of drag of 0.41, which is less than Corvettes at that point intime.
So the last dedicated Imperial name was pretty neat.
But yet again, Chrysler would not give up.
on the Imperial nameplate, even though it disappeared in 83, seven years later, it wouldreturn once again, utilizing a New Yorker platform.
(32:04):
Yes, the same one that I drove.
1990 saw the reintroduction of the Imperial nameplate for its last time as a Chryslerbranded product.
Unfortunately, using the New Yorker Fifth Avenue platform for its body, but havingdifferent rear taillights and a front waterfall grill.
My car had a standard grill, which kind of looked like a Rolls Royce.
(32:26):
Think about it with that little quartz, pentagon logo on the hood.
Remember?
Yeah, it was cool.
Made to replace the dated Fifth Avenue New Yorker that I was driving, this became thefirst time it was on a front wheel drive platform with only a V6 engine.
Now, remember these things started out life with a V6 engine, but it had gone through mostof it's life with a dedicated V8, but never was on front wheel drive platform.
(32:47):
Even the one in 83 was rear wheel drive.
Something not seen since the early days.
93 would be the end of the Imperial nameplate altogether as a change from the Y body tothe C body layout as Chrysler would usher in the LHS to replace the last of the Imperials.
The New Yorker would live on for another three years on the LH platform, but eventuallygiving way for Chrysler to bring back the 300 nameplate.
(33:14):
Fortunately, the Imperial would end its run in 1993.
From 1926 to 1993, the Imperial nameplate had sat atop Chrysler's stable.
And without a top tier luxury image left after the fall of the 1980s, Chrysler has had noneed for the Imperial name.
Of course, that was until 2006, when we saw the introduction of the Imperial concept atthe Detroit Auto Show.
(33:40):
It was styled similar to a Rolls Royce Phantom, because we all know what it wanted to goafter.
This concept was never meant to be green lighted.
Cause with Daimler at the helm, this product would compete with its Maybach products.
Trust me, Mercedes did not want to compete with any of its own brands.
That's why they kept Chrysler more in a premium range than going back to full luxury.
Like I said, the Daimler-Chrysler marriage was the worst thing that ever happened toChrysler.
(34:03):
Essentially the day they signed that was assigning the death note for Chrysler.
The concept would have brought back a top tier luxury nameplate to the Chrysler along withV8 luxury.
Now we all know the 300 eventually would do that.
Chrysler stated that fuel costs, and more stringent fuel standards led to the fall of thisproduct.
This project led to a second generation LY or 300 C platform.
(34:25):
It could have brought back the New Yorker nameplate, but it never came to be.
Could Chrysler actually make a go of it?
But today with this concept?
No, I don't believe so because Stellantis is now trying to move DS up into the same marketof luxury as products like Maybach and even the Horch editions of Audi.
And right now.
Stellantis is having trouble trying to deal with its 14 separate divisions and how to keepthem alive.
(34:51):
If Chrysler was able to break itself away from the Stellantis hold, become its own carcompany once again as Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep, they could essentially keep this
around and bring back the Imperial nameplate.
The Imperial name, even in Stellantis form, could be the only product in their stable thatcould compete
(35:13):
with the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley.
DS is never going to get that high because people still have that image of the originalDS.
Sure, a technological marvel from the 1960s and into the 70s.
But it was never a Rolls Royce competitor.
Wasn't big enough.
Wasn't more powerful.
DS can do all it wants, but it'll never be there.
Maserati can be seen as Italian competitor to Rolls Royce and Bentley.
(35:37):
Then again.
We still have to have that sport appeal because the Italian cars always have to be nimble.
Only Chrysler and its Imperial nameplate or even the New Yorker nameplate could evercompete with Rolls Royce and Bentley from the Stellantis range.
It is the only nameplate in the entire range that could ever compete on the same table.
(35:57):
Why?
Because it's the only nameplate and only product that people could see as competition forthat because they remember its history
of being a top tier luxury brand going after products like Pierce Arrow, Cadillac,Duesenberg, LaSalle, and Continental from Lincoln.
Like this thing went after top tier luxury.
So if anyone from Stellantis is actually listening to this podcast, utilizing the Imperialnameplate, to bring back luxury.
(36:24):
Hell, you can even use the Chrysler name instead of adding a new product to your mix andhave the Chrysler Imperial build the big bulky V8,
fully customizable car like the 2006 Imperial concept.
Hell, if Russia can do it with the Aurus and China can do it with Hongqi, how come Americacan't do it with the Imperial?
(36:46):
That's something that Stellantis is going to have to take a look at.
And maybe just maybe they might get ahold of us and ask us a few questions about how theytruly can pull this off.
Well, as you learned during the 60s, Cadillac will do everything in his power to keep youfrom marching up that stable.
Why?
Because Cadillac
is trying to move up that table as well.
(37:07):
So if you like this podcast, please like share a comment about it on any of the majorsocial feeds or streaming sites that you've found the AutoLooks Podcast on, like, share,
comment, or send us an email over email@autolooks.net and tell us what you think shouldChrysler bring back the Imperial nameplate.
Should Stellantis use Imperial as its global all defying high end luxury marque, or shouldthey bring Chrysler back from the dead and use Imperial to do this for them.
(37:33):
I'm sure they literally just kill it off as they're considering it right now.
Tell us in the comments.
Tell us just below.
Like I said, like us, share us, comment, tell your friends, tell your family, tellsomebody at Chrysler that they need to do this.
And after that, stop by the website, read some of the reviews, check out some of theratings, go to the corporate links website page, big or small, we have them all, car
companies from around the globe, all available on the AutoLooks.net website.
(37:57):
And you can find all the images from the Chrysler Imperial nameplates available on ourwebsite.
The AutoLooks podcast is brought to you by Ecomm Entertainment Group and distributed byPodbean.com.
If you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email over email@autolooks.net.
And for myself, Everett Jay, the Ecomm Entertainment Group, Podbean.com and theAutoLooks.net website.
(38:17):
Strap yourself in for this one fun luxury ride that the Imperial nameplate is going totake us on.
you
(38:37):
you
Imperial.
If you're a Star Wars fan, you know what I'm talking about.
But if you're a car fan, you also know what I'm talking about.
The Chrysler Imperial, the peak luxury for the Chrysler brand.
Yeah, Chrysler was once up there with the likes of Cadillac, Lincoln, Duesenburg, PierceArrow, Continental, Packard, and even LaSalle.
(00:20):
They were there reaching the pinnacle of American luxury.
But what happened?
Why did it disappear?
And why can't Chrysler
relive its glory days as a top tier luxury marque.
Well, if you want to know more about that, go back and listen to some of our previouspodcasts about the Chrysler brands, Rise and Fall.
(00:41):
But today we're here to talk about its one top tier luxury car of all time, the ChryslerImperial.
Ranging from 1926 to 1993, this vehicle set out a brand new form of luxury for theChrysler brand.
And today, AutoLooks is going to take a look at that.
(01:09):
Welcome back to the AutoLooks podcast.
am your host as always, the doctor to the automotive industry, Mr.
Everett Jay coming to you from our host website at autolooks.net.
If you haven't been there, stop by, check it out, read some of the reviews, check out someof the ratings, go to the corporate links website page, big or small, we have them all.
Car companies from around the globe, all available in one direct location.
(01:30):
That is the corporate links tab at the top of the page of AutoLooks.
The AutoLooks podcast is brought to you by Ecomm Entertainment Group and distributed byPodbean.com.
If you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email over at email@autolooks.net.
So like I said in the beginning, the Chrysler Imperial.
yeah, I remember seeing these things back in the day and I remember seeing it during itslast iteration as a dedicated brand.
(01:54):
Probably because the last iteration of its brand went out the year I was born, 1983.
If you don't know that year, that was also the year of Michael Jackson's
Thriller music video, one of the top music videos of all time as we pay homage to thedemise of MTV and their music.
Thanks for, you know, about 10, 15 years of music on TV.
(02:14):
I got to give it over to Much Music, MTV's Canadian competition who has actually had musicon television a lot longer than MTV and was actually one point bigger than MTV.
But getting out of that, 1983 was the last year of the Chrysler Imperial as a dedicatedbrand.
Pretty cool.
Same year I was born.
(02:35):
Kind of like that's when the minivan came out.
Well, not in this full context.
We know the microbus or the Type 2 originally started the minivan market.
1983 is when the Caravan came out.
know, a few things happened around the year I was born.
To get back to the Imperial.
The Imperial nameplate lasted from 1926 to 1993, as we said in the intro.
But from 1955 to 1983, the Imperial was its own nameplate in Chrysler, sitting atop theChrysler brand.
(03:02):
This is similar to what Lincoln did with the Continental nameplate for a short period oftime.
This made it sit above Chrysler's top tier vehicle.
Chrysler's top tier vehicle back in the twenties was the New Yorker.
Now a little history about the New Yorker.
Great little car.
It was the top tier and just, kind of bring it up.
It's actually in a book I wrote about my AutoLooks, that I'm trying to get out.
(03:24):
My first car I ever drove in my life was a 1990 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth
Avenue go out and a find a picture of that thing.
It was big.
And that was the first car I had to drive.
Actually got behind the wheel of it and moved it up once when I was 15.
When I was 16 years old, I had to drive that thing, at 1990.
Got to remember the Imperial was still around at that point in time and it sat above theNew Yorker.
(03:50):
Now the first car to go under the Imperial nameplate was a Chrysler branded product.
It used Chrysler's new six cylinder engine.
A 288.6 cubic inch, 4.7 liter, six cylinder engine at 92 horsepower.
Front axle was solid in semi elliptic leaf springs, while the rear was a differentialactual in semi elliptic leaf springs.
(04:15):
This was chosen to set out a mark for Chrysler.
Chrysler wanted to make a statement about its vehicles and set a brand newtranscontinental speed record traveling more than 6,500 miles.
in one week by using the Chrysler Imperial.
Yeah, you don't just create a car and try and find a market for it.
(04:36):
You create a car and literally make a statement with it.
And Chrysler did that with the Imperial name.
Now the Imperial name had been used previously by both Buick, Cadillac, and Packard, fortop level limousines, but only as a tier marker, not as an actual branded product.
The original model, first generation from 1926 to 1930, made 60 miles per hour in the20's, with its four-speed transmission.
(05:03):
Now, it was chosen in 1926 to be the Indy 500 pace car.
And yes, the Indy 500 has actually been around a lot longer than Formula One series, theBrickyard.
Okay.
Think about that.
F1 is actually following in the footsteps of Indy car, not the other way around, eventhough I
still love that one, but I go see IndyCar because it comes closer to my home.
(05:23):
The Imperial nameplate was used on a variety of different body styles from Chrysler whileworking for Buick.
Yeah, Walter P.
Chrysler worked for Buick from 1911 to 1919.
And he used the Imperial nameplate as a sub-branded moniker on a few Buick products backin that time.
He had the two and four passenger roadsters, two with the rumble seat for four people.
(05:47):
If you don't know what a rumble seat is, go back and check these things out.
Cause I remember my grandparents down south going to see a guy.
He was great at doing work on tractors, but he rebuilt cars and he had an old Cadillacwith a rumble seat in it.
He popped it out of my grandfather.
And I never heard him say, you know, a lot of sexual innuendos like ever.
And he looks at my grandma and goes, Hey, remember these mom?
(06:08):
Good old rumble seats to go make whoopie in.
Me hearing that and knowing what whoopie stood for, I'm like, Whoa, grandpa.
That's pretty funny, to come out my grandfather.
That was like when I was little, they slept in two separate beds.
So to hear him say that that was neat.
On top of that, there was the four seat coupe, the five passenger sedan, the Phaetons anda top line limo for the Buick.
(06:30):
The limo had a glass partition between the front and rear passenger compartments.
Those were Imperial branded Buicks made by Walter P.
Chrysler.
Now when Chrysler left to create the Chrysler Corporation.
He took his name with them, knowing that Buick was no longer using it.
He registered it and knew he wanted to use it for the top tier of his luxury marques forhis company.
(06:53):
Yet, Chrysler worked for General Motors, kind of like the Dodge brothers worked for HenryFord.
Yeah, there's a whole bunch of different things there.
It's a great history to go back and find out about some of these people and where theystarted.
Now the first generation from 1926 to 1930 was designed as the E80 after a guaranteed 80miles per hour,
all day cruising speed created for the top vehicle.
(07:17):
A top level town car limo at the time cost $5,495 in 1926.
We're talking about the time when Henry Ford was selling his cars for only a couplehundred dollars.
This was a vehicle of millionaires.
Where in today's society, we would think billionaires.
In 2023 dollars, I get it, this is two years ago, you'd be looking at $96,384 for thiscar.
(07:42):
Which by today's standards, you would still consider it a cheap luxury car.
If we're talking about top tier luxury vehicles in 2023, this Imperial would have to sitin a half million to million dollar mark.
So even by today's standards, this thing is actually pretty cheap for a luxury make.
Now $5,495 back in 1926, it was a little, way up there.
(08:04):
By 1931, Chrysler wanted to change it around.
The second generation came out, not only living two years, 1931 to 1933.
Got to remember this is the dirty thirties we're getting into.
The 31 saw the Imperial Eight introduced with the new inline eight cylinder engine.
At a time the American market's going a crap.
He still wanted to create an eight cylinder engine for the top tier people that couldstill afford it.
(08:27):
Styling was similar to the format of the CORD L29 torpedo shape.
And with a few coachwork companies made custom body styles, one opting for dictaphoneinstalled in it.
Essentially being one of the first car phones in history.
Now, if you go back and listen to our podcast about the Caravan, the history of theCaravan, you'll find out how many things that vehicle created, multiple cup holders, dual
(08:53):
sliding doors, fold away seats.
They pioneered that while Chrysler,
not actually Chrysler, a coach-build company who worked with Chrysler created a dictaphoneit sold in these vehicle.
Now you hear dictaphone.
This isn't Flintstones style.
Okay.
It's not like the dicta-bird.
You talk to the bird and the bird recites it back to you.
So if you don't know what I'm talking about, go back and watch the live action Flintstonesmovie with John Goodman.
(09:15):
It's funny.
Also, you really want to see it Halle Berry back in the early days.
Most custom coach work was done by LeBaron Incorporated.
Now remember that name LeBaron?
Oh yeah.
Used by Chrysler later on.
Custom coach builder from 1920 until the incorporation of Chrysler corporation in 1953.
It would later become its own package before becoming its own car later on.
(09:39):
At this time, the series CH was for the coach work, custom side with the CL series set forthe standard production product.
So coach CH, standard series CL.
Kind of makes sense, right?
Kind of like Disney World Orlando.
We got O.R.
in it.
Disneyland is L.A.
If you didn't know that one, it freaked me out when I found out about it, two years ago.
(10:01):
It would only live two years.
The third generation, 1934 to 1936, yet again, two years.
But like we said, this is the dirty 30s.
So things are changing and in a depressed time, you have to change your vehicles.
And Chrysler wanted to do that.
1934 saw the introduction of the new Airflow design onto the Imperial nameplate.
(10:22):
The Airflow
was a streamlined design to mimic the Art Deco trains to improve fuel efficiency at a timewhen people didn't care about fuel efficiency.
Last year we did a podcast about fuel efficiency.
And if you've heard that one, our actual artwork to the an old Chrysler Airflow, not theImperial Airflow, but a Chrysler Airflow.
(10:42):
This thing thought about fuel consumption long before we ever needed to.
Really wasn't until the seventies that the Americans really started thinking about this,but.
If want to hear more about that, go back and listen to our podcast, Fuel Efficiency, tolearn more information about that.
The Airflow Series SV with Imperial Luxury Appearance Package was the first vehicle to betested in a wind tunnel.
(11:04):
Yeah, Chrysler really wanted to save people money on gas.
He was the first automotive corporation in the United States thinking about this, thinkingabout your pocket.
But he had to remember it's the 1930s.
It's a time when we were all thinking about trying to save money, even
the rich, but the rich being the rich kind of like know, they didn't really think aboutthat.
(11:25):
Like they always say, if you can afford to buy a Lamborghini, you can afford to fill itup.
I met a guy once, at a mechanic shop years ago, who had an original Hummer H1.
All he did was bitch about how expensive it was to fill it up.
And this is at a time when gas was only getting towards like 84 cents a liter in Canada.
We're sitting at an average of a $1.20 now.
He's bitching and complaining about it.
I'm like, dude, you can't afford to fill it up.
(11:46):
Why did you buy it?
And I found out he's just a chronic complainer.
I'll leave that there.
Now, in the 1920s, these cars were seen better when pointed backwards due to the curvedrear of the vehicles.
This led to the rethinking of fundamental designs of Chrysler vehicles.
They decided to give it a sloped design to reduce wind noise inside the passengercompartment, making it a lot more comfortable to travel.
(12:08):
You didn't hear that whoosh
sound coming through all the time.
This also allowed the passenger compartment to be moved forward, giving better balance andessentially creating unibody construction in the process.
They also set out to adopt a one-piece curved windshield.
Now go back and watch the movie Tucker, the movie about Preston Tucker.
(12:30):
He had pop out windshields, but it's still a two piece Chrysler had a curved one piecewindshield and the old Airflows like this vehicle was an engineer's dream.
The Imperial was only offered in the Chrysler Airflow offering a 5.3 liter straight eightwith an overdrive manual transmission, a two door coupe, a four door convertible a four
(12:51):
door sedan, four door town sedan and the limo variation.
And in 1936 was the last year the Airflow Imperial as sales dwindled due to consumerrejection of the design.
Man, people were stupid.
This thing was going to save your pocketbook.
You know, like, I don't like the design.
Dude, it looks like the cool ass trains you taken.
You want to travel the country, you hop on one of these Art Deco trains.
(13:14):
Why don't you want to drive an Art Deco vehicle?
I don't get people like that.
From 1937 and 1939, yet again, two more years, a fourth generation came out.
In 37 was the introduction of the torpedo style and back to a body on frame architecture.
Maschrezer realized the market didn't want to save money and didn't really care about allthose good, brand new safety features.
(13:35):
Okay, put that in the back burner, we'll think about that years later.
We want to make money, right?
We're a business.
So they moved the headlights into the front fenders, similar to the Airstream.
Imperial convertible town sedan, limo and Imperial custom series CW top executive were themain models.
The Imperial custom C15 convertible sedan by Dearham was used as the AAA official car ofthe 1937 Indy 500.
(14:02):
This was the 25th anniversary race of the Indy 500.
1912.
Pretty cool.
You got to think about a Formula One who were celebrating 75 years.
75 years that puts me back to 1950.
But the Indy has been around since 1912.
Pretty cool.
1938 Series C19 Imperial shared with the New York special soon to become the New Yorker in1939.
(14:28):
And that's not the newspaper.
That's a New Yorker car, which eventually became the cool car I drove.
What are the Imperial custom convertible town cars by Dearham?
They were specially built for the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada when they toured the UnitedStates.
Now, you have to remember, we did a podcast about McLaughlin Motors.
Royal family at that point in time used our McLaughlin's while touring Canada.
(14:52):
In the States, they used an Imperial from Chrysler.
This car was donated to the Detroit American Legion Post after its use.
From 1940 to 1948, finally lasting longer than two years.
the Fifth generation Imperial comes out.
Of course, this is also due to wartime effort.
You didn't really change a lot of shit in 1940s.
(15:13):
The 1940 Imperial Crown Series C27 was the only vehicle to wear the Imperial nameplate.
Offered as a six passenger sedan, eight passenger sedan, eight passenger limo, and a sixpassenger Dearham parade pheaton.
That's all they had for the Imperial Crown Series C27.
The limo offered a retractable glass partition between the driver and the passenger withleather up front and wool in the passenger compartment for a little bit more comfort.
(15:41):
But they used leather up front because it was easier to maintain.
You have to remember, Pheatons a lot of time did not have a roof over top of the driver.
So when your millionaire owner forces you to go out and drive through these bad, andhorrible conditions like snow and rain, you're going to be able to at least clean this
thing off a lot easier.
And they did.
1942, the New Yorker replaced most of the Imperial products with the Imperial Crownseries, C37 as the only Imperial batch product.
(16:06):
Production was suspended from February 1942 to 1946 due to the wartime efforts asdiscussed.
This time, Cadillac borrowed the Imperial name for its 70 series limo.
So yeah, Cadillac borrowed the name because Cadillac didn't get involved in the war.
That was more General Motors.
Ford and Chrysler helped out in the war effort a lot more than GM.
So Cadillac was still using vehicles, but they utilized the Imperial nameplate, borrowingit from Chrysler.
(16:30):
Chrysler knew he still had it registered.
By the end of 1948, the Imperial was on its way out.
So wartime effort came back and Chrysler really didn't think this car would last.
But low and behold, in 1949, a sixth generation shows up.
From 1949 to 1954, the Imperial returned, but as one of the lowest production dates forthe range.
(16:51):
50 Imperial Sedans and 85 Imperial Crown Limos were produced.
Early 49 models were left over 48 with the new 49s not being available until after March1949.
So essentially it was almost a 1950 model.
1950 may have been a year for the first disc brake systems from Crosley, known as theHotshot but Chrysler was already using them on the 49 Imperials.
(17:16):
Yeah, somebody tells you all Crosley used disc brakes first.
Tell them NO, the 49 Imperials, which were actually made in 1948, had disc brakes justbefore Crosley introduced them.
The Hotshot was not as good in areas with lots of road salt and thus were converted backunlike the Imperials.
Chrysler, on the other hand, had a better forward disc brake system, which was morecomplex and expensive, but which put it out in the mainstream limelight.
(17:41):
Chrysler discs were self-energizing.
Small balls set over oval holes would be forced up during braking, forcing the discsfurther apart and augmenting braking energy.
This meant lighter pressure than the calipers, avoided brake fade, promoted coolerrunning, and provided more friction surface than Chrysler's standard 12-inch drives.
(18:01):
It was a great technology, but this meant that it was expensive and only could be affordedon the Imperial lineup.
They weren't going to put on standard Chrysler products or even Plymouth or Dodge.
No, this is too damn expensive.
You got to put it on your top vehicles, because these are the only consumers who are goingto buy these things.
The 1950 Imperial is essentially a New Yorker with a custom interior and less chrome.
(18:21):
Kind of weird because this is top end product.
You thought it would be more chrome.
In 52, the loss of the convertible due to low sales, but it also saw the introduction ofthe 5.4 liter Hemi head V8, not hemispherical or Hemi, it was called the Hemi head V8 back
in the day and included Hydra-Guide power steering.
53 saw the loss of the club coupe, but the addition of the one piece windshield yet againfrom back in the 1930s with the airflow design, and Chrysler's first fully automatic
(18:48):
transmission.
This was only to test.
the transmission out in 53.
The automatic transmission wouldn't fully roll out until 1954.
They did beat Cadillac, Buick, and also Lincoln with the introduction of the firstautomotive air conditioning in vehicle.
This was seen 12 years previous, but not made its way into the mainstream until the 1953Imperials.
(19:11):
So yeah, Imperials had air conditioning way back in the day, but
really didn't make it to the mainstream products.
It was only a top tier product.
The air temp system was better than traditional air conditioning systems as it was moreefficient.
It cooled the air from the top down and was available with three settings on the dash.
Only taking two minutes to drop from 120 degrees Fahrenheit to 85.
(19:32):
This system drew the freshest air, which it re-circulated.
This kept down dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and humidity in the car and was unobtrusivelike the competitions.
So Chrysler made
not just a great air conditioning system, they made an air purifying system, amazing.
This was also going to be the end of the Imperial as a Chrysler product, because when 1955showed up, the first generation of the Imperial nameplate showed up.
(20:01):
Chrysler saw that its Imperial name was a top tier luxury mark and they wanted to make ita top tier luxury marque So for a short one year period from 1955 to 1956, Chrysler
created the Imperial.
nameplate vehicle just to take over for the where the 54 Imperial left off, essentiallyjust running the end of the 54 Imperials two more years, but only as an Imperial product.
(20:23):
1955 is when Chrysler removed its badges from the Imperial products.
It moved the nameplate onto its own separate mark.
Chrysler did this to better compete with Cadillac and Lincoln with the latter forming theContinental brand just after the Imperial.
This would push Chrysler into the premium to luxury field.
with the Imperial sitting atop the stable as the dominant luxury brand.
(20:45):
By April 1955, Imperial added on the first all transistor car radio, which gave theImperial an edge over the competition.
Transistor radio?
Come on, man.
We can listen to music from anywhere now.
Unlike the competition, Imperial was not separated out from a standalone Chryslerdealerships.
It shared the floor with Chrysler products, which confused consumers into it only being aChrysler Imperial and not its own brand.
(21:09):
A lack of proper marketing is a standalone dealers led to Imperial nameplate to be beingconfused as a lackluster image of a top tier Chrysler.
So essentially saying that Chrysler should have created its own dedicated dealerships orits own dedicated division within the dealerships to separate the Imperial from other
Chrysler products.
People already knew it as a Chrysler Imperial.
You needed to make it as its own brand.
(21:30):
Similar designs to Chrysler products made the Imperial nameplate hard to sell on its own.
All Imperials came with V8 engines
and automatic transmissions with a style changes every two to three years.
Kind of quick, but new tech would be available on Imperial's first making them the testbed for products.
Sound familiar?
Cadillac.
The second generation Imperial came out.
(21:50):
This one lasted a lot longer.
They originally wanted only two to three years for Imperial products.
Now they're changing it up because the second generation Imperial went from 1957 to 1966.
1957 became the first year Imperial had its own design and platform.
No more Chrysler New Yorker looks.
Imperials were made larger than the standard Chrysler product to ensure maximum interiorcomfort.
(22:10):
They were small in sales, when compared to Cadillac's 120,000 units sold, but Imperial wasstill there.
Cadillac did not like this and implemented the Chrysler Imperial sales tactic, where theywanted to go after and steal customers away.
This was used to make consumers think that they were purchasing an overpriced Chrysler andnot a top tier luxury make of its own.
(22:31):
But quality would soon be on Cadillac's side as a two year design change
led to failing Torsion bars, which failed due to its high production that year.
Better sales were working against Imperial along with the Cadillac sales team.
So they had their work cut out for them.
By 1958, they saw the introduction of cruise control autopilot, as they called it back inthose days, powered door locks, but sales slipped to only 16,000 sold.
(22:55):
Cadillac and quality were working against the Imperial nameplate.
Dealerships were even more frustrated as consumers still referred to them as ChryslerImperials.
A lack of standalone dealers was failing the brand as being sold alongside Chryslerproducts made it seem it was just another Chrysler product to begin with.
The introduction of a dedicated dealer network would have helped save the separate mark,but this never transpired.
(23:20):
By 1959, Imperial moved
onto into it's own dedicated manufacturing site.
This would later close in 62 as cost and slipping sales would move the Imperial back intoChrysler production lines.
The 1960 Imperial beat Lincoln on the sales side again, but this would be its last time.
From 1960 to 1966, Imperial was the only brand in the Chrysler stable to keep utilizingperimeter frame layout.
(23:45):
This was done for its rigid appeal and comfort in maximizing space.
An X frame was added for extra strength with the driveshaft passing through a hole in theX-frame to ensure the structure stayed.
All other products slowly switched over to unibody construction, whereas the Imperialstayed on the full frame.
Torsion bars and rigid structure meant the Imperial handled better than the competitions,but still being sold in Chrysler dealerships was working against it.
(24:12):
57 saw the return of the convertible and became Imperial's best selling year with 37,593cars.
1962, the Imperial had the idea to make a similar offer to increase its sales and lineup,but it never made it past the boardroom.
Yeah.
This was just after 1961 when Chrysler hired Elwood Engel, the man behind the LincolnContinental to head up the Imperial design.
(24:37):
He would use a similar design for the 64 Imperial with only minor changes to make it anImperial product.
This would not prove successful enough to lift the Imperial's image, but it did lift itssales
to its second best year, 23,295.
Imperial's fortunes were turning as the automotive critic Tom McGill gave the Imperialrave reviews, giving the product a reputation as the driver's car among the top luxury
(25:03):
makes.
This improved sales and lifted Imperial out of Cadillac's shadow.
Tom raved about the luxury of the Imperial product, comparing it to a luxury train with acomfortable ride over long trips.
But unfortunately, this would work against it.
1966 was the final year for the original Imperial platform from 56 as the Imperial wasstarting to transition.
(25:24):
66, if you didn't know this, was also the year the most famous Imperial in history.
Black Beauty from the Green Hornet TV series starring Bruce Lee and Van Williams.
This would be the basis of the 2011 movie car as well.
Black Beauty did carry a larger engine as well as the introduction of the 440 cubic inch7.2 liter V8 because, we know, the Green Hornet is something bigger, better and more
(25:50):
capable than the standard Imperial.
The third generation of the Imperial nameplate was a product from 1967 to 1968.
By 67, the Imperial offered three ranges of product, the Custom, the Crown and LeBaron.
This was the first year for the C body unibody platform.
The changeover from the D body to the C body was done to save costs as the Imperial lineupwas running on its own architecture with limited sales.
(26:14):
Chrysler couldn't justify the cost anymore and the times were changing.
So they needed the unibody platform.
Its design was still different
which kept it apart from the Chrysler products.
In 67 saw the introduction of the mobile director seat on Crown coupes.
This was the front passenger seat turned to face the rearward with a small table and ahigh intensity light.
(26:36):
The idea was for executives could work on the move on their own or with their secretary.
Unfortunately, only 81 of these models were ever sold to this option, which was nearly$600 at its time when the coupe just cost $6,000.
Wow, I'm to think about that.
That's almost adding.
10 % to your cost.
From 69 to 73, the fourth generation Imperial came out.
(26:58):
In 69, we saw the introduction of the fuselage look, which curved out of the side of theprevious squared style from 64 to 69.
Remember that like a Continental box style from the 60s.
Got to remember, two box designs were big in the 60s.
For the first time since 1956, the Imperial would share its body shell with the NewYorker.
This was done to save costs as the Imperial line was
(27:19):
losing sales still.
I Cadillac was still kicking its ass.
In 69 would become Imperial's third best selling gear as the LeBaron became its coupe.
1970 would only see a two model lineup, the sedan and coupe profiles with the LeBaroncrown series.
This would take a bite out of sales as Imperial nameplate sales would be cut in half for1970.
(27:44):
1971 saw the loss of the Imperial Eagle on the hood, replaced by the word
Imperial instead.
So we've now lost our logo.
All those crown jewels from back in the day.
The old radiator cap logos.
Like Rolls Royce still has to this day.
The Fifth generation Imperial product from 74 to 75.
Imperial was nearly lost at the end of the 73 due to its low sales.
(28:08):
One design and similar parts to the Chrysler offerings.
Cadillac and Lincoln were beating the Imperial, but a last minute save from Elwood Engelkept the Imperial alive a little bit longer.
To save money, the Imperial would use the New Yorker bodywork with a different front endclip and trunk lid.
And for the first time since becoming a separate brand, would use another Chrysler'splatform.
(28:30):
Sales were strong in 73, even with the oil crisis at 14,483 being sold.
But 75 would see even less than half of this disappear.
75 would be the end of the line for the Imperial nameplate, as the last one would roll offthe line in June 12th
1975.
A black LeBaron hardtop, the last one to roll off the production line.
(28:54):
But we all know this would not disappear as the trim would change to the Chrysler NewYorker Braum from 76 to 78.
The Imperial wasn't done yet.
Chrysler still knew the Imperial nameplate meant something as it had been around since1926.
And knowing this Chrysler decided during the eighties,
(29:15):
the rise of luxury brands once again to bring it back.
1981 to 1983, the sixth generation of the Imperial product came out.
It was not lost as Chrysler revived the name and the brand from 1981 as the dedicatedImperial product.
With Lee Iacocca at the helm Chrysler wanted to emulate upscaling of the 67 Thunderbirdinto the 69 Continental Mark II.
(29:39):
Iacocca wanted to instill trust from consumers that Chrysler was here to stay.
The J platform coupe arrived with no Chrysler badges, but would appear to create theillusion of top tier luxury.
This platform was also used for the Cordoba and the Mirada and Chrysler would go one stepeven further using Frank Sinatra to market the car.
(30:03):
The new Imperial was subjected to an increase in quality assurance as a new car was
built in the adjacent Windsor plant.
Yes, the last dedicated Imperial product was Canadian built.
Think about that.
The Imperial was a special car for a special owner.
So its quality was a top priority.
It came with an electronic digital instrument panel to be provided in a production builtAmerican car.
(30:28):
It even had a special Frank Sinatra edition of the Imperial, which came only in glacier
blue crystal paint, said to match Frank Sinatra's eyes.
It came with 16 cassette tapes of Sinatra's titles, which came in a special leather case.
So if you ever find one of these Frank Sinatra special edition Imperials, make sure itcomes with a special leather case and all 16 Sinatra tapes.
(30:55):
You have to have every single one of his titles released by that point in time, or you arenot getting a perfect Imperial.
Trust me, if you're looking for a good collector car from back in those days, this is it.
And it has to have every single thing with it.
And the original glacier blue paint looks like Sinatra's eyes.
Who is Frank Sinatra?
For God's sakes.
If you don't know who Frank Sinatra is?
(31:15):
Then go out and learn about him.
Okay.
The rat pack.
The first one rolled off the line on August 11th, 1980 and ended in April 29th, 1983.
So yeah, this car even ended before I was born.
We're still in production the year I was born, but ended before I was born.
Naturally again, it was killed off due to sales and cost.
A few did manage to be used for NASCAR spec race cars qualifying for the 85 Daytona 500 at197 miles per hour, even without a race spec engine.
(31:43):
They had a coefficient of drag of 0.41, which is less than Corvettes at that point intime.
So the last dedicated Imperial name was pretty neat.
But yet again, Chrysler would not give up.
on the Imperial nameplate, even though it disappeared in 83, seven years later, it wouldreturn once again, utilizing a New Yorker platform.
(32:04):
Yes, the same one that I drove.
1990 saw the reintroduction of the Imperial nameplate for its last time as a Chryslerbranded product.
Unfortunately, using the New Yorker Fifth Avenue platform for its body, but havingdifferent rear taillights and a front waterfall grill.
My car had a standard grill, which kind of looked like a Rolls Royce.
(32:26):
Think about it with that little quartz, pentagon logo on the hood.
Remember?
Yeah, it was cool.
Made to replace the dated Fifth Avenue New Yorker that I was driving, this became thefirst time it was on a front wheel drive platform with only a V6 engine.
Now, remember these things started out life with a V6 engine, but it had gone through mostof it's life with a dedicated V8, but never was on front wheel drive platform.
(32:47):
Even the one in 83 was rear wheel drive.
Something not seen since the early days.
93 would be the end of the Imperial nameplate altogether as a change from the Y body tothe C body layout as Chrysler would usher in the LHS to replace the last of the Imperials.
The New Yorker would live on for another three years on the LH platform, but eventuallygiving way for Chrysler to bring back the 300 nameplate.
(33:14):
Fortunately, the Imperial would end its run in 1993.
From 1926 to 1993, the Imperial nameplate had sat atop Chrysler's stable.
And without a top tier luxury image left after the fall of the 1980s, Chrysler has had noneed for the Imperial name.
Of course, that was until 2006, when we saw the introduction of the Imperial concept atthe Detroit Auto Show.
(33:40):
It was styled similar to a Rolls Royce Phantom, because we all know what it wanted to goafter.
This concept was never meant to be green lighted.
Cause with Daimler at the helm, this product would compete with its Maybach products.
Trust me, Mercedes did not want to compete with any of its own brands.
That's why they kept Chrysler more in a premium range than going back to full luxury.
Like I said, the Daimler-Chrysler marriage was the worst thing that ever happened toChrysler.
(34:03):
Essentially the day they signed that was assigning the death note for Chrysler.
The concept would have brought back a top tier luxury nameplate to the Chrysler along withV8 luxury.
Now we all know the 300 eventually would do that.
Chrysler stated that fuel costs, and more stringent fuel standards led to the fall of thisproduct.
This project led to a second generation LY or 300 C platform.
(34:25):
It could have brought back the New Yorker nameplate, but it never came to be.
Could Chrysler actually make a go of it?
But today with this concept?
No, I don't believe so because Stellantis is now trying to move DS up into the same marketof luxury as products like Maybach and even the Horch editions of Audi.
And right now.
Stellantis is having trouble trying to deal with its 14 separate divisions and how to keepthem alive.
(34:51):
If Chrysler was able to break itself away from the Stellantis hold, become its own carcompany once again as Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep, they could essentially keep this
around and bring back the Imperial nameplate.
The Imperial name, even in Stellantis form, could be the only product in their stable thatcould compete
(35:13):
with the likes of Rolls Royce and Bentley.
DS is never going to get that high because people still have that image of the originalDS.
Sure, a technological marvel from the 1960s and into the 70s.
But it was never a Rolls Royce competitor.
Wasn't big enough.
Wasn't more powerful.
DS can do all it wants, but it'll never be there.
Maserati can be seen as Italian competitor to Rolls Royce and Bentley.
(35:37):
Then again.
We still have to have that sport appeal because the Italian cars always have to be nimble.
Only Chrysler and its Imperial nameplate or even the New Yorker nameplate could evercompete with Rolls Royce and Bentley from the Stellantis range.
It is the only nameplate in the entire range that could ever compete on the same table.
(35:57):
Why?
Because it's the only nameplate and only product that people could see as competition forthat because they remember its history
of being a top tier luxury brand going after products like Pierce Arrow, Cadillac,Duesenberg, LaSalle, and Continental from Lincoln.
Like this thing went after top tier luxury.
So if anyone from Stellantis is actually listening to this podcast, utilizing the Imperialnameplate, to bring back luxury.
(36:24):
Hell, you can even use the Chrysler name instead of adding a new product to your mix andhave the Chrysler Imperial build the big bulky V8,
fully customizable car like the 2006 Imperial concept.
Hell, if Russia can do it with the Aurus and China can do it with Hongqi, how come Americacan't do it with the Imperial?
(36:46):
That's something that Stellantis is going to have to take a look at.
And maybe just maybe they might get ahold of us and ask us a few questions about how theytruly can pull this off.
Well, as you learned during the 60s, Cadillac will do everything in his power to keep youfrom marching up that stable.
Why?
Because Cadillac
is trying to move up that table as well.
(37:07):
So if you like this podcast, please like share a comment about it on any of the majorsocial feeds or streaming sites that you've found the AutoLooks Podcast on, like, share,
comment, or send us an email over email@autolooks.net and tell us what you think shouldChrysler bring back the Imperial nameplate.
Should Stellantis use Imperial as its global all defying high end luxury marque, or shouldthey bring Chrysler back from the dead and use Imperial to do this for them.
(37:33):
I'm sure they literally just kill it off as they're considering it right now.
Tell us in the comments.
Tell us just below.
Like I said, like us, share us, comment, tell your friends, tell your family, tellsomebody at Chrysler that they need to do this.
And after that, stop by the website, read some of the reviews, check out some of theratings, go to the corporate links website page, big or small, we have them all, car
companies from around the globe, all available on the AutoLooks.net website.
(37:57):
And you can find all the images from the Chrysler Imperial nameplates available on ourwebsite.
The AutoLooks podcast is brought to you by Ecomm Entertainment Group and distributed byPodbean.com.
If you'd like to get in touch with us, send us an email over email@autolooks.net.
And for myself, Everett Jay, the Ecomm Entertainment Group, Podbean.com and theAutoLooks.net website.
(38:17):
Strap yourself in for this one fun luxury ride that the Imperial nameplate is going totake us on.
you
(38:37):
you
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