The Imperial
benefited from some of its most prolific designs during its tenure as a
separate division of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1950s and 1960s. Shortly
after the momentum generated by the provocative styling culminated in record
sales for 1957, the division would learn that industry acclaim and customer
enthusiasm can be fleeting. But first, here's a little history.
Following the disappointing sales of the
aerodynamically styled 1934 Airflow, the Chrysler Corporation shifted toward
more conservative designs. While Walter P. Chrysler became chairman, he turned
the presidency over to K.T. Keller in 1935, who emphasized sound engineering
and practicality over style. Keller later said there should be enough headroom
to enable men and women to wear their hats while riding in cars. And he felt
that the interior should provide the roominess that the vehicle's outer girth
implied, hence the move toward bigger inside/smaller outside designs.
Employing that philosophy for 1949 meant Chrysler's
first major redesign of the postwar era would result in models with visually
higher rooflines and somewhat more compact outer dimensions than much of the
competition, when the buying public was instead eagerly awaiting more modern,
lower, longer and sleeker styling.
Sales would flourish through 1951 and again in
1953, thanks to some design updates, but the styling disparity when compared
with the more contemporary shapes of Chevrolet and Ford would finally catch up
with Chrysler by 1954.
Cleverly, Keller had hired Virgil Exner in 1949 to
head up an advanced styling department. Exner's already impressive résumé,
included stints working under legendary design chief Harley Earl at GM and led
Pontiac design in the mid-1930s. Of late, he had worked under influential
designer Raymond Loewy for Studebaker.
With Italian creations one of his principal
inspirations, Exner's department designed concept cars, most built in Italy by
Ghia, to develop future themes for Chrysler production cars. However, these
ideas would remain pure fantasy if they weren't soon implemented to help
invigorate what some, including Lester Lum "Tex" Colbert--Chrysler
president through the 1950s--thought were stodgy-styled current offerings.
Colbert had taken the reins at Chrysler in 1950 from
Keller who became chairman, and Exner's role on the production-car side began
expanding. He was involved with the 1953 model year's updates, and by calendar
year 1953, he was promoted to Chrysler's styling director and tasked with the
redesign of the 1955 models on a tight 1.5-year deadline.
Entering the 1955 model year, Chrysler's sales
outlook was dismal. With reports of 1954 numbers tumbling about 37 percent from
the previous year giving its executives palpitations, the automaker was in need
of resuscitation, and Exner and his staff aimed to breathe life back into it
via the "Forward Look."
Not surprisingly, the Imperial, around since 1926,
was also suffering an identity crisis in trying to distinguish itself from the
rest of its Chrysler brethren. Design distinction would be imperative to taking
on sales juggernaut Cadillac and closer-to-reality competitors Lincoln and
Packard in the fine-car field. In an effort to gain ground, the 1955 models
would be the first produced under the new Imperial Division of the Chrysler
Corporation.
The Forward Look broke sales records for the
Chrysler Corporation in 1955, yet the 1956 models, arguably, looked even
better, but sold less. By the time Elvis appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, the
Imperial no longer shared any body panels with other Chryslers, and the Forward
Look's popularity was reaching its zenith in 1957. Some would argue that the
design philosophy was best exemplified in that year's new Imperial, which
enjoyed record sales in the mid-30,000s.
Jubilation at the Imperial Division would be
short-lived, however. Build quality issues incited by the aggressive 1957
redesign program, the second since 1955, and an economic recession slashed 1958
Imperial sales to just over 16,000.
Strides toward restoring high assembly standards
were made over the next few years. Then for the 1959 model year, Imperial production
moved from the Jefferson Avenue plant in Detroit, which it shared with other
divisions' cars, to its own modernized plant on Warren Avenue in Dearborn. It
was run by an Imperial-specific staff, employing specialized equipment and
skills, and myriad quality controls and testing procedures.
Sales crept back up to about 17,000 cars annually
by 1960, but hovered between just 12,000 and 14,000 from 1961 to 1963--never
again rebounding to the 1957 level.
In 1961, new management decided to move the
Imperial back to Jefferson Avenue for 1962 model production. In an informative
film aimed at salesmen of the Imperial, the plant's manager cited the
advantages of the move as being larger-volume production and the
rust-prevention benefits via the seven-stage dip-and-spray process used on
other Chrysler models. He also assured that the sophisticated equipment had
been transferred from the Imperial plant and that special classroom and
hands-on training was being provided to the workers to teach them how Imperials
were to be built, inspected and tested.
After redirecting Chrysler's design philosophy,
establishing its styling group and ascending to the position of vice president
of styling, Exner was replaced by Elwood Engel in 1961, who had dramatically
redesigned that model year's Lincoln and Thunderbird. Engel would make
additional styling changes on the 1963 Imperial, yet it maintained the last
vestiges of the Exner era. Engel would then initiate his own with the 1964
Imperials.
Part I of this article will cover the Exner
designs, and Part II, in next month's issue of HCC, will examine Engel's.
Though six-passenger four-door sedans and hardtops and eight-passenger
four-door sedans and limousines were built during this era (Crown Imperial
limos were manufactured by Ghia from 1957 forward), this article will focus on
the two-door hardtops and convertibles.
1955 Imperial
For the
1955 model year, two series were offered: the Custom Imperial, featuring a
six-passenger two-door Newport hardtop coupe and four-door sedan on a 130-inch
wheelbase, and the Crown Imperial, with a four-door, eight-passenger sedan and
limousine on a 149.5-inch wheelbase.
Despite being divorced from the Chrysler line and
dropping its body nameplate, the DNA remained evident in the Imperial's styling
elements. Where the car mainly differed was in the four-inch extension of its
wheelbase and the trim and taillamp design.
Drawing some inspiration from the early 1950s
parade phaetons, the body shell had taut, simple, yet graceful lines. A new
V-shaped split for the grilles featured the Imperial eagle emblem and added an
assertive look to the nose, while liberal use of chrome on the grille and
prominent front bumper, and the brightly trimmed headlamp and parking lamp bezels
exhibited the mid-century definition of luxury.
A Super-Scenic windshield, sloped roof, wraparound
rear window and fully open wheel wells, instilled sporty flair. To create an
unbroken line from front to rear, they were outlined in bright trim, as were
the rocker panels and the lower-rear quarter panels. Bright lance-like side
trim accented the kickup of the rear quarter panel over the rear wheel well.
The rear bumper was partially recessed into the
quarter panels and housed chrome-clad exhaust outlets. Also used on Exner's
1950 K-310 concept car, the gunsight taillamps (visible even from the driver's
seat) were perched atop the quarter panels to instill a unique styling
treatment on the Imperial line. The Newport's overall length was 223 inches,
and its width was 79.1 inches.
Under the hood, the 250-hp, 331-cu.in. FirePower
V-8 Hemi engine featured a 3.81/3.63-inch bore/stroke, hemispherical combustion
chambers with a "laterally inclined valve arrangement," dual rocker
shafts, a four-barrel carburetor, dual exhausts and 8.5:1 compression. It was
backed by the standard two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission, and the
Hotchkiss rear axle was fitted with 3.54 gears.
The Imperial's front track was 61 inches, and the
rear's was 60.4 inches. Its boxed-section perimeter frame was fitted with
independent front suspension featuring upper and lower control arms, coil
springs and "Oriflow" shocks. Multi-leaf springs and Oriflow shocks
were used in the rear.
Taken for granted today, power brakes and steering
were luxury items in 1955, and both were standard on the Imperial. Just 3.75
turns lock-to-lock were required for the "Full-time Coaxial" power
steering. Four-ply 8.20 x 15-inch tires were mounted on 15-inch steel wheels,
with vented wheel covers to help cool the Newport's standard 12-inch drum
brakes.
Topped by a dash pad, the instrument panel was
logically arranged. Two round pods located pertinent instruments directly in
front of the driver--speedometer on the left and a grouping of ammeter, fuel,
oil pressure and coolant temperature gauges on the right. Between the pods were
indicators for the high beams and directional signals. Beneath the speedometer
were the heater controls and to their left, the parking brake and warning
light. Under the right pod was the ignition, flanked by the ash receiver. To
the right of the instruments was the shifter lever.
In the center of the instrument panel were five
knobs to operate headlamps, wiper, panel lamps, lighter and the map and dome
lamps. Beneath them was the radio, and under that, the cowl ventilator control.
On the passenger side was the glovebox, above which an optional clock could be
installed, and at the far right was the radio speaker grille. Newport
upholstery could be had in V-pattern nylon with leather bolsters or in all
leather.
Notable options included two-tone paint, Music
Master radio, Electro-Touch tuner radio with foot control, power windows and
chrome Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. A/C was available and cost $535. Also optional
was another clock mounted in the hub of the steering wheel.
The two-door Newport hardtop's base price was
$4,720 (equal to $41,890 today), and production reached 3,418. Total Imperial
production for the model year was just over 11,000 units.
1956 Imperial
Big news
for 1956 was the latest iteration of the Forward Look--Flight-Sweep design.
Chrysler's marketing materials summed it up thusly, "For in one clean
front-to-back stroke, the Flight-Sweep wraps up the whole idea of go. From
jutting headlight to crisply upswept tailfin, it displays a single clean line
that says action! It creates an almost wedge-shaped silhouette--like a jet
plane--conveying flashing power and motion."
Shrewdly, the stylists left the striking nose,
doors and roofline alone for 1956, and made only subtle refinements to the
headlamp bezels. However, the rear quarter panels grew pronounced fins, the
trim was revised and the wheel wells were squared off at their tops.
The "Imperial" lettering was moved from
the front fender, revised in design and placed near the leading edge of the
fin, just behind the door. New pull-type door handles and safety door latches
were used.
The rear bumper was reshaped to match the new
quarter panels, which also housed revised backup lamps, although the exhaust no
longer exited through the bumper. Overall length increased to 229.6 inches and
width to 78.8 inches. Hardtop models were now named Southampton.
Boasting a 354-cu.in. V-8, thanks to an increase
in bore size to 3.94 inches and compression ratio to 9.0:1, the Hemi produced
280hp. Pushbutton transmission controls were mounted to the left of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel, replacing the shift lever of 1955. The
PowerFlite was superseded by the new three-speed TorqueFlite around February of
1956, and the rear axle gear ratio was 3.36:1.
Wheelbase was increased to 133 inches, and a New
"Center Plane" braking system employed two wheel cylinders for each
drum up front. Rear control struts were added to reduce lean in the turns and
axle hop on rough roads, when using lower spring rates for comfort.
The interior was largely a carryover except for
upholstery patterns, and a 12-volt electrical system replaced the six-volt
system of 1955. Interesting options included: an all-transistor radio; and
Highway Hi-Fi phonograph, developed in partnership with CBS Columbia that
played special 7-inch records at 16 2/3 RPM.
With a base price of $5,094 for 1956, 2,094
two-door hardtop Imperials were built, and overall Imperial production,
including the Crown series, was over 10,600.
1957 Imperial
A two-door
Southampton remained in the Imperial series, but it was also added to the
higher-line Imperial Crown series, which also gained a convertible--the first
offered to the general public since 1951. The upscale LeBaron series debuted,
but a two-door wasn't offered.
The Forward Look shifted into high gear for 1957,
and the Imperial, completely redesigned, was over 3 1/2 inches lower than the
1956 models. Its front-end featured a horizontal motif with
"airfoil-like" browed headlamps, a finer-rectangular boxed grille with
three horizontal trim bars and five thin vertical divider bars, and a
two-tiered bumper, sans guards, that also housed the turn signal/parking lamps.
Since quad headlamps still weren't legal in a few states, one per side was
standard. Two per side was optional on the Imperial and were a no-cost option
on the Crown.
Visibility was improved via a "double
wraparound" windshield with 54 percent more glass area, and a larger
backlight. The roofline was more formal, with an overlapping rear section that
came to a point on top and also created a landau effect. Curved side glass was
used for the first time in a mass-produced American car, and the quarter window
shape was more angular. Body side sculpting was revised, a new lower-body
character line and trim were added, and the wheel-well openings were swept back.
Larger outward-canted fins housed redesigned
gunsight taillamps, and the much flatter deck lid was employed (an
"assimilated" spare tire cover was offered as an option) to
accentuate the fins, and the fuel filler was just to the left of it. The new
rear bumper had the backup lamps set into it. Overall length shrank to 224
inches, about 5 1/2 inches shorter than 1956, and width was 81.2 inches--2.4
inches wider.
New exterior door handles were recessed and the
mirrors, "Imperial" script, and eagle were redesigned. Crown models
had a crown emblem over the second "i" in Imperial and on the leading
edge of the front fenders.
The venerable FirePower V-8 Hemi engine grew to
392 cubic inches, thanks to a bore and stroke increase to 4.00 and 3.90 inches,
respectively. Compression was bumped to 9.25:1, and horsepower jumped to 325.
The TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission remained standard, and the
rear axle ratio was numerically reduced to 3.18, with an even higher 2.92 ratio
available.
A perimeter-style frame with boxed sections was
retained, but was redesigned for a shorter 129-inch wheelbase and Torsion-Aire
ride. The latter was advertised to reduce squat on launching, dive on braking
and sway in the turns. Control arms, torsion bars, ball joints and an anti-roll
bar were employed up front, and tapered-leaf outboard springs and axle struts
were used in the rear, with shocks all around. New 9.50 x 14-inch Rayon
Super-Soft-Cushion tires were used, and the front track was 61.9 inches, and
the rear was 62.4.
The all-new interior featured a shorter instrument
panel with a "safety cushion" on the top and bottom. A hooded unit in
front of the driver contained two round pods for gauges, a clock between them
and all controls for headlamps and accessories under them. Transmission
pushbuttons were mounted on the leading edge of the left side of the cluster
hood, and a rocker switch for the directional signals was under it. The heater
and A/C controls were on the right edge of the hood.
This driver-oriented design meant that the
passenger could only easily reach the centrally located radio or the glove box
in front of him. Seats and side-panel patterns and colors were new, and
different combinations of vinyl and cloth upholstery were used in the base
model with leather/cloth or full-leather groupings available in the Crown
models.
Power windows and a new six-way power seat were
optional on the Imperial and standard on the Crown models. The optional A/C
system was now integrated with the heating system, and a rear window defroster
was offered.
Given all it had going for it, Motor Trend awarded
the entire Chrysler Corporation "Car of the Year." Total Imperial
two-door sales, when including the new convertible, increased about 489 percent
for 1957! The Imperial two-door hardtop cost $4,736, and 4,885 were produced;
the Crown hardtop was $5,269, with 4,199 built; and the Crown convertible cost
$5,598, with 1,167 sold. Total Imperial production for the model year was
either approximately 35,700 or 37,500, depending upon the source.
1958 Imperial
The
cliche "nothing lasts forever" best describes Imperial's 1957
success, as in 1958, sales dropped to just over 16,000 units. Only 1,801 (or
1,901) Imperial two-door Southamptons were sold at a list price of $4,945;
1,939 Crown two-door Southamptons sold for $5,388 each, and the Crown
convertible, of which 675 were built, went for $5,759.
Given the extensive redesign of 1957, the 1958
models were essentially carried-over, except for some details. The grille was
simplified with multiple sets of elongated rectangles, the bumper grew larger
and heavier in appearance, and the turn signal/parking lamps were now round and
set into their own chromed bullet-shaped housings. Quad headlamps became
standard. The rear received revisions to the optional simulated spare tire
cover and its emblem. Overall length grew nearly two inches to 225.9.
The compression ratio increased to 10:1 for the
392-cu.in. Hemi V-8, and the horsepower rating was increased to 345. The
TorqueFlite transmission remained standard, the rear axle ratio was 2.93 and a
Sure-Grip (limited-slip) differential was offered as an option.
Interior design was largely carried over, except
for upholstery patterns and colors; the turn signal switch was redesigned. Auto
Pilot (cruise control), electric power locks, deluxe dual air conditioning,
remote rearview mirror and a chromed hood ornament were new options.
1959 Imperial
For 1959,
there was the Imperial Custom series, Crown series and the LeBaron series.
Despite the fact that we have a factory photo of a two-door with LeBaron trim,
none were sold to the public. Quad headlamps were lowered relative to the
fenders, and a thick chrome toothy grille was mounted on the same plane between
the two sets. "Imperial" block lettering replaced the eagle emblem
and hood ornament and also adorned the front fenders. The side sweep trim was
widened after the rear wheel wells to provide the appearance that the trim was
integrated into the rear bumper. The latter was revised with a large single
oval area instead of two smaller ovals, and the optional deck lid simulated
spare tire cover was updated. Length increased slightly to 226.3 inches.
A new Silvercrest Landau roof treatment placed a
stainless steel panel on the forward section of the roof and a black
"textured Scotch grain finish" canopy behind it. The Silvercrest roof
featured the stainless steel panel with a body-colored canopy, while the Landau
roof offered a body-colored front section with a black, textured canopy.
The new 413-cu.in. V-8 featured conventional
wedge-shaped combustion chambers and inline valves, was 101 pounds lighter, and
cost less than the Hemi to build. It had a 4.188/3.75-inch bore/stroke, a
four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, and was rated at 350hp. The
tried-and-true TorqueFlite remained standard, and the rear axle ratio remained
the 2.93. A new frame was stronger, thicker and provided for a lower floor, and
an updated ball-joint suspension design was used.
Along with yearly changes in seat and side-panel
patterns and colors, this year's instrument panel received a new aluminum
facing, a horizontal speedometer at the top, gauges and clock on the next
level, control knobs and ignition switch under that and switchgear at the
bottom. Newly styled pushbutton heater and A/C controls were also added.
The Imperial Crown's standard features included a
folding center armrest in front, tilt-type inside rearview mirror, outside left
mirror, vanity mirror and power windows and seat.
Notable options were: swivel seats that swung out
to meet you, an Automatic Beam Changer that turned off the high beams when
oncoming headlamps were sensed, and air-assisted rear suspension that augmented
the leaf springs ensuring a level ride, even when fully loaded. The Mirrormatic
Rearview mirror automatically tipped the mirror when shining headlamps were
sensed to reduce glare.
The Custom series two-door hardtop cost $4,910,
and 1,743 were built. The Crown hardtop was $5,403, and 1,728 were sold; the
convertible was $5,774, with just 555 built. Total Imperial sales topped 17,000.
1960 Imperial
Featuring
updated styling for 1960, the nose was the most aggressive yet. A dramatic
V-shaped fine-rectangular-mesh grille used a recontoured bumper to accentuate
its shape, and heavily browed headlamps were pushed up high into the new
fenders. A stylized eagle emblem reappeared on the hood, and
"Imperial" script was added to the grille. Though the roofline was
similar to 1959, its treatment was different, with the canopy area drawn
forward to the windshield trim.
Imperial script was used on the fenders, the
flanks were reshaped and the fins grew even higher and now featured an abrupt
upturn where they initiated on the rear quarters. Restraint came in the form of
a thin single sweep trim piece on the sides, and the taillamps and rear bumper
were new. The fuel filler was now in the tail panel beneath the deck lid.
The optional stainless steel roof section was
dropped for two-door hardtops, and a new double-layer "Triple-Life"
plating process promised longer life for chrome trim.
Carried over from the previous year were the
350-hp, 413-cu.in. V-8 and TorqueFlite transmission. Wheel size increased to 15
inches, and the tire size went up to 8.20 x 15.
The driver seatback featured a new "high
tower" design, for more back and shoulder support. A completely new dash,
with two very large, heavily hooded, round pods housed the speedometer in the
left and gauges and clock in the right, all of which were lit by the glow of
"Electroluminescence" to eliminate glare, thanks to Imperial's
"Panelescent" lighting. Controls were below the gauges, and the
transmission and heater pushbuttons remained in the same positions, but the
turn signal indicator was moved to the left. The steering wheel shape became
"elliptical" (a rounded square in this case), and the rearview mirror
was moved from the dash top to the windshield header.
Power vent windows became optional, and the swivel
seats were revised to swing out 40-degrees automatically.
The Custom two-door Southampton's price was
$4,923, and production totaled 1,498. The Crown two-door Southampton was
$5,403, and 1,504 were produced; the Crown convertible commanded $5,774, with
just 618 built. Total Imperial production was just over 17,700.
1961 Imperial
For the
1961 model year, the front exterior was completely redesigned, yet again. Its
grille became rectangular and featured chrome horizontal ribs. Harking back to
1930s design, the headlamps each had their own chrome pods mounted on
stanchions. They were set into pockets created by the protruding grille,
chrome-trimmed upper fender brow with inset turn signal/parking lamps and the
bumper. The latter was simplified into a thin blade shape with small wings on
either end.
The new hood did not extend to the grille as it
had before, and the seams between the new header panel and fenders were filled
and smoothed. "Imperial" lettering was in the upper grille trim, and
a small eagle emblem was set into the grille. The side trim was widened, and
the rear fins were reshaped with revised gunsight taillamps set into their
recesses.
Additional bright trim on the rocker panels and
above the rear bumper augmented that adorning the wheel-wells. The new body was
an inch longer, at 227.3 inches and slightly wider at 81.7 inches, but was
still as low as the previous few years at 56.7 inches when loaded. The chassis
and drivetrain were mostly carried over from 1960, and instead of a generator,
a more efficient alternator was now standard.
A new instrument panel featured a rectangular
gauge cluster in front of the driver with a horizontal speedometer, accessory
gauges beneath it, the clock in the center and controls and switches down
lower. Transmission and heater-A/C pushbuttons were set into outwardly canted
vertical ovals on either side, with turn signal indicators at the top of each
one. After years of road tester complaints regarding the dash-mounted
turn-signal switch, it was finally moved to a column-mounted lever. And the
swivel seats were no longer automatic, and once again required pulling a lever
to swing them out and back in.
The Imperial Custom two-door Southampton's price
was $4,925, and production totaled 889. The Imperial Crown two-door Southampton
was $5,405, and 1,007 were produced; the Crown convertible was $5,776, and 429
were built. Total Imperial production was approximately 12,250.
1962 Imperial
For 1962,
the big news was that the tailfin era had ended for the Imperial--their height
having shrunk to a subtle suggestion. However, there was a nostalgic styling
cue that did return--the familiar though updated gunsight taillamps were once
again mounted atop the rear quarters--a placement not seen since 1956. The rear
trim was also revised, with brightwork running from the tops of the quarters
and down across the tail panel, and "Imperial" lettering was used
above the bumper.
The near-full-length side trim was also
deemphasized by making it thinner. Up front, a V split the grilles, and there
was a new eagle hood ornament.
Though the character lines remained, bright
moldings were no longer used to create a canopy look for the roof. The Crown
series was identified by a small Crown emblem on the rear quarter panels.
Rated engine output for the 413-cu.in. V-8 dropped
to 340hp, as a single exhaust system replaced the dual system except on the
convertible, and the TorqueFlite was treated to durability upgrades, and an
aluminum case with more compact outer dimensions helped it shed 60 pounds. The
new high torque gear-reduction starter required less current and was lighter.
Swivel seats were discontinued. Imperial Custom
two-door Southampton price was $4,920, and production totaled 826. The Imperial
Crown two-door Southampton was $5,400, and 1,010 were produced; the Crown
convertible commanded $5,770, and 554 were built. Total Imperial production was
14,337.
1963 Imperial
The
famous "5 years/50,000-mile powertrain warranty" was offered. In the
typical era-specific practice of ensuring that the same grille design is almost
never repeated two years in a row, the grille lost its V-split and was instead
divided by an eagle emblem. Its pattern was also changed for 1963 to elongated
rectangles that were somewhat similar to that of 1958.
The side sweep trim was once again slightly
widened at the rear, but now wrapped all the way around the tailpanel, and the
taillamps were redesigned and set into the rear quarter-panels. Lessening its
V-look, the rear bumper was revised, and the backup lamps were mounted out near
the ends in round chrome housings. The new, more formal roofline with its
differently shaped backlight added a distinctive appearance and another inch of
headroom in the rear. Overall body length was 227.8 inches.
The drivetrain and suspension was carried over
from 1962, but a new parking lever, when applied, shifted the transmission into
neutral and locked the driveshaft. Brake drum size was changed to 11 x
3-inches, and flared drums were employed.
Power windows and remote-controlled outside
rearview mirror were standard on the Custom Series. Along with upholstery
pattern updates, new seats were used in all models, and storage compartments
returned to the front door armrests. The automaker boasted that 245 pounds of
insulating materials were used in the Imperial.
The Custom two-door hardtop's price was $5,058, and
production totaled 749. The Crown hardtop was $5,412, and 1,067 were produced;
the Crown convertible cost $5,782, and 531 were built. Total Imperial
production was just over 14,100.
