Imperial Crown Convertible

Imperial Crown Convertible

The Imperial Crown represented the absolute pinnacle of Chrysler Corporation's luxury ambitions during the 1950s and 1960s. Marketed as a standalone brand separate from Chrysler to elevate its prestige, the Imperial was positioned as a direct competitor to Cadillac's Eldorado and Lincoln's Continental, offering a level of exclusivity, craftsmanship, and engineering sophistication that aspired to match or exceed America's most prestigious automobiles.

The 1957 Imperial Crown was the first model year to benefit fully from Virgil Exner's Forward Look design revolution, and the result was arguably the most dramatically styled luxury car in America. The Imperial's design was distinguished from lesser Chrysler products by unique bodywork, including a distinctive split grille, free-standing gun-sight taillights mounted atop the rear fenders, and curved side glass that was manufactured exclusively for Imperial, as no other Chrysler product used the same tooling.

Power came from Chrysler's masterpiece 392-cubic-inch FirePower Hemi V8, the largest and most powerful version of the legendary hemispherical-head engine. Producing 325 horsepower with a single four-barrel carburetor, or up to 375 horsepower in the optional dual-quad configuration, the Hemi provided effortless performance appropriate for the heaviest passenger car in Chrysler's lineup. The engine's smoothness and refinement were critical qualities in the ultra-luxury segment, where any mechanical coarseness would be unacceptable.

The Imperial Crown convertible was the rarest and most prestigious body style, with just 1,167 produced for 1957. Every example was equipped with virtually every power accessory available, including power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats, power antenna, and automatic headlamp dimmer. The convertible top operated via a complex hydraulic mechanism that stowed the fabric roof beneath a power-operated steel boot cover.

The interior was sumptuous even by the standards of the ultra-luxury segment. Genuine leather upholstery, deep-pile carpeting, and extensive chrome trim created an atmosphere of refined opulence. The Auto-Pilot cruise control system, one of the earliest in the industry, allowed the driver to maintain a set speed on the new Interstate highways. The ElectroTouch push-button TorqueFlite transmission added a further element of space-age sophistication.

Imperial continued as a separate brand through 1975, with the name reverting to a Chrysler trim level in later years. The 1957-1966 period is generally considered the golden age of Imperial, when the brand was most distinct from its Chrysler parent and most competitive with the established luxury makes. The later full-size Imperials of the 1960s, particularly the striking 1964-1966 models designed by Elwood Engel, maintained the brand's engineering excellence while adopting cleaner, more formal styling.

Today, the Imperial Crown, particularly in convertible form, is recognized as one of the most desirable American luxury cars of its era. The combination of rarity, Hemi V8 power, innovative engineering, and spectacular styling makes these cars the subject of intense collector interest, with well-documented examples commanding substantial prices at auction.