Photo: eBay seller mega.ligh
Back in the first half of the ‘60s, the Imperial was already a stand-alone brand that Chrysler marketed as a luxury lineup of cars competing against Lincoln and Cadillac.
But one thing that set the Imperial apart during the early ‘60s was the strength of the car, something that eventually got the entire brand banned in demolition derbies.
Destroying an Imperial often proved pretty much impossible, mostly thanks to the improvements that Chrysler made to the frame, eventually obtaining increased rigidity that proved useful not only in such races but also on the street when the car was serving as a daily driver.
And with the Imperial being such a survivor without the need for any custom upgrades, the car ended up being banned in demolition derbies, as many considered it had just too many advantages to be thrown in a battle against other models.
And if you still needed confirmation of how tough the Imperial was, here’s a ’63 model that you can actually purchase and which stayed with the same owner for no less than 56 years.
Now listed on eBay, this Imperial is in an unbelievable condition after all these years, and the owner guarantees that it’s never been repainted or anything like that. So yes, the body looks great, obviously with some fixes still required here and there, but it’s still something that few cars can brag about after 57 years since they left the factory.
Described as a “barn find,” - albeit no information is provided about how the Imperial was found and saved - the vehicle is powered by a 413ci (6.7-liter) V8 engine, with improvements made to the brakes, exhaust, and power steering. Some extra money needs to be spent on getting the fuel gauge and the power windows working again.
The good news is that you can be the one completing the restoration of this legendary Imperial, and by the looks of things, this can be quite a bargain. The highest bid at the time of writing is $4,900.
Destroying an Imperial often proved pretty much impossible, mostly thanks to the improvements that Chrysler made to the frame, eventually obtaining increased rigidity that proved useful not only in such races but also on the street when the car was serving as a daily driver.
And with the Imperial being such a survivor without the need for any custom upgrades, the car ended up being banned in demolition derbies, as many considered it had just too many advantages to be thrown in a battle against other models.
And if you still needed confirmation of how tough the Imperial was, here’s a ’63 model that you can actually purchase and which stayed with the same owner for no less than 56 years.
Now listed on eBay, this Imperial is in an unbelievable condition after all these years, and the owner guarantees that it’s never been repainted or anything like that. So yes, the body looks great, obviously with some fixes still required here and there, but it’s still something that few cars can brag about after 57 years since they left the factory.
Described as a “barn find,” - albeit no information is provided about how the Imperial was found and saved - the vehicle is powered by a 413ci (6.7-liter) V8 engine, with improvements made to the brakes, exhaust, and power steering. Some extra money needs to be spent on getting the fuel gauge and the power windows working again.
The good news is that you can be the one completing the restoration of this legendary Imperial, and by the looks of things, this can be quite a bargain. The highest bid at the time of writing is $4,900.
Google News