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Imperial automobile

Imperial
Imperial Crown Convertible 1960.jpg
1960 Imperial Crown Convertible
Overview
Manufacturer Chrysler
Production 1955–1975
1981–1983
Body and chassis
Class luxury car
Layout FR layout
Chronology
Predecessor Chrysler Imperial
First generation
Imp55rsf.jpg
1955 Imperial Four Door Sedan
Overview
Model years 1955–1956
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer Virgil Exner
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door Newport hardtop
4-door sedan
4-door Southampton hardtop
Related Imperial Parade Phaeton
Powertrain
Engine 331 cu in (5.4 L) Hemihead V8
354 cu in (5.8 L) Hemihead V8
Transmission 2-speed PowerFlite automatic
3-speed TorqueFlite A488 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 1955:130.0 in (3,302 mm)
1956:133.0 in (3,378 mm)
Length 1955: 223.0 in (5,664 mm)
1956: 229.6 in (5,832 mm)
Width 1955: 79.1 in (2,009 mm)
1956: 78.8 in (2,002 mm)
Height 1955: 61.2 in (1,554 mm)
1956: 61.5 in (1,562 mm)
Curb weight 4,700–4,900 lb (2,100–2,200 kg)
Second generation
Chrysler Imperial Crown BW 1.JPG
1958 Imperial Crown Southampton coupe
Overview
Production 1956–1966
Model years 1957–1966
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer Virgil Exner and Elwood Engel
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door hardtop
2-door convertible
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop
Platform D-body
Powertrain
Engine 392 cu in (6.4 L) Hemihead V8
413 cu in (6.8 L) Wedgehead V8
440 cu in (7.2 L) Wedgehead V8
Transmission 3-speed TorqueFlite A488 automatic
3-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 129.0 in (3,277 mm)
Length 1957: 224.4 in (5,700 mm)
1958: 225.9 in (5,738 mm)
1959–60: 226.3 in (5,748 mm)
1961–62: 227.1 in (5,768 mm)
1963–66: 227.8 in (5,786 mm)
Width 1957: 81.2 in (2,062 mm)
1958: 81.3 in (2,065 mm)
1959: 81.0 in (2,057 mm)
1960: 80.1 in (2,035 mm)
1961–63: 81.7 in (2,075 mm)
1964–66: 80.0 in (2,032 mm)
Height 1957: 57.5 in (1,460 mm)
1958: 56.7 in (1,440 mm)
1959: 56.9 in (1,445 mm)
1960–61: 56.7 in (1,440 mm)
1962–64: 56.8 in (1,443 mm)
1965: 57.2 in (1,453 mm)
1966: 55.8 in (1,417 mm)
Curb weight 4,800–5,500 lb (2,200–2,500 kg)
Third generation
1967 Chrysler Imperial Le Baron photo-6.JPG
1967 Imperial LeBaron
Overview
Production 1966-1968
Model years 1967–1968
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer Elwood Engel
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door hardtop
2-door convertible
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop
Platform C-body
Related Chrysler 300
Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler Newport
Chrysler Town & Country
Powertrain
Engine 440 cu in (7.2 L) Wedgehead V8
Transmission 3-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 127 in (3,226 mm)
Length 1967: 224.7 in (5,707 mm)
1968: 224.5 in (5,702 mm)
Width 79.6 in (2,022 mm)
Height 1967: 56.7 in (1,440 mm)
1968: 57.0 in (1,448 mm)
Curb weight 4,900–5,200 lb (2,200–2,400 kg)
Fourth generation
1972 Chrysler Imperial Le Baron photo-4.JPG
1972 Imperial Le Baron
Overview
Production 1968–1973
Model years 1969–1973
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer Elwood Engel
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door hardtop
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop
Platform C-body
Related Chrysler 300
Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler Newport
Chrysler Town & Country
Powertrain
Engine 440 cu in (7.2 L) Wedgehead V8
Transmission 3-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 127.0 in (3,226 mm)
Length 1969–71: 229.7 in (5,834 mm)
1972: 229.5 in (5,829 mm)
1973: 235.3 in (5,977 mm)
Width 1969–71: 79.1 in (2,009 mm)
1972–73: 79.6 in (2,022 mm)
Height 1969–70: 55.7 in (1,415 mm)
1971: 56.1 in (1,425 mm)
1972: 56.0 in (1,422 mm)
1973: 56.2 in (1,427 mm)
Curb weight 4,900–5,200 lb (2,200–2,400 kg)
Fifth generation
Imperial 1975.png
Overview
Model years 1974–1975
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Designer Elwood Engel
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door Crown coupe
2-door hardtop
4-door hardtop
Platform C-body
Related Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler Town and Country
Chrysler Newport
Powertrain
Engine 440 cu in (7.2 L) Wedgehead V8
Transmission 3-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 124.0 in (3,150 mm)
Length 1974: 231.1 in (5,870 mm)
1975: 232.7 in (5,911 mm)
Width 79.7 in (2,024 mm)
Height 1974: 54.7 in (1,389 mm)
1975: 54.5 in (1,384 mm)
Curb weight 5,000–5,200 lb (2,300–2,400 kg)
Chronology
Successor Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
Sixth generation
81Imperial.jpg
Overview
Production 1980–1983
Model years 1981–1983
Assembly Windsor Assembly
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door coupé
Platform Chrysler J platform
Related Chrysler Cordoba
Dodge Mirada
Powertrain
Engine 318 cu in (5.2 L) LA V8
Transmission 3-speed A904 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 112.7 in (2,863 mm)
Length 213.3 in (5,418 mm)
Width 72.7 in (1,847 mm)
Height 52.6 in (1,336 mm)
Curb weight 3,968 lb (1,800 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
Crown Imperial
Imperial Crown Sedan (Orange Julep).JPG
Overview
Production 1954–1965
Model years 1955–1965
Assembly Jefferson Avenue Assembly
Detroit, Michigan, United States (1955-1956)
Designer Virgil Exner and Elwood Engel
Body and chassis
Body style 4-door limousine
Platform D-body (1957–1965)
Powertrain
Engine 331 cu in (5.4 L) Hemihead V8
354 cu in (5.8 L) Hemihead V8
392 cu in (6.4 L) Hemihead V8
413 cu in (6.8 L) Wedgehead V8
Transmission 2-speed PowerFlite automatic
3-speed TorqueFlite A488 automatic
3-speed TorqueFlite A727 automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase 149.5 in (3,797 mm)
Length 1955: 242.5 in (6,160 mm)
1956: 246.1 in (6,251 mm)
1957: 244.9 in (6,220 mm)
1958: 246.4 in (6,259 mm)
1959–61: 246.8 in (6,269 mm)
1963–65: 248.3 in (6,307 mm)
Width 1955: 79.1 in (2,009 mm)
1956: 78.8 in (2,002 mm)
1957: 81.2 in (2,062 mm)
1958: 81.3 in (2,065 mm)
1959: 81.0 in (2,057 mm)
1960-61: 80.1 in (2,035 mm)
1963: 81.7 in (2,075 mm)
1964–65: 80.0 in (2,032 mm)
Height 1955–56: 62.5 in (1,588 mm)
1957–65: 58.5 in (1,486 mm)
Curb weight 5,300–6,300 lb (2,400–2,900 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor Chrysler Imperial Crown

Imperial was the Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand between 1955 and 1975, with a brief reappearance from 1981 to 1983.

The Imperial name had been used since 1926, but was never a separate make, just the top-of-the-line Chrysler. However, in 1955, the company decided to spin Imperial off as its own make and division to better compete with its North American rivals, Lincoln and Cadillac. Imperial would see new or modified body styles introduced every two to three years, all with V8 engines and automatic transmissions, as well as technologies that would filter down to Chrysler corporation's other models.

For the 1955 model year, the Imperial was launched and registered as a separate marque (make), apart from the Chrysler brand. It was a product of the new Imperial Division of Chrysler Corporation, meaning that the Imperial would be a make and division unto itself, and not bear the Chrysler name. Chrysler Corporation sent notices to all state licensing agencies in the then-48 states that the Imperial, beginning in 1955, would no longer be registered as a Chrysler, but as a separate make . Chrysler introduced Forward Look Styling by Virgil Exner, who would define Imperial's look (and the look of cars from the other four Chrysler divisions) from 1955 to 1963. Even as early as in 1954, Chrysler Corporation ads at the time began to visibly and consciously separate The Imperial from the Chrysler Division car line in the eyes of the public, to prepare for the big change coming in 1955. Once the "Imperial" brand was introduced, Cadillac no longer used the "Imperial" name for its top-level limousines starting in 1955.

The 1955 models are said to be inspired by Exner's own 1952 Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton show cars (which were themselves later rebodied to match the 1955-56 Imperials). The platform and bodyshell were shared with that year's big Chryslers, but the Imperial had a wheelbase that was 4.0 inches (102 mm) longer, providing it with more rear seat legroom, had a wide-spaced split eggcrate grille, the same as that used on the Chrysler 300 "executive hot rod", and had free-standing "gunsight" taillights mounted above the rear quarters, which were similar to those on the Exner's 1951 Chrysler K-310 concept car. Gunsight taillights were also known as "sparrow-strainer" taillights, named after the device used to keep birds out of jet-engines. Such taillights were separated from the fender and surrounded by a ring and became an Imperial fixture through 1962, although they would only be free-standing in 1955-56 and again in 1961-62. Two "C-69" models were available, including the two-door Newport hardtop coupe (3,418 built) and pillared four-door sedan (7,840 built), along with an additional "C-70" Crown limousine model (172 built). The "FirePower" V8 engine was Chrysler's first-generation Hemi with a displacement of 331 cu in (5.4 L) and developing 250 brake horsepower (186 kW). Power brakes and power steering were standard, along with Chrysler's "PowerFlite" automatic transmission. One major option on the 1955 and 1956 Imperials was air conditioning, at a cost of $535. Production totaled 11,430, more than twice the 1954 figure, but far below Lincoln and Cadillac.


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