Introduced in 1926 as Chrysler's luxury model, the Imperial became a stand-alone division in 1955. It soldiered on until 1983 when it was discontinued due to slow sales. While it's not among the most celebrated American carmakers, Imperial left a few cool vehicles behind.
The 1955 Newport hard-top, which was essentially a fancied-up Chrysler C-300 is perhaps the most coveted, but third-generation Imperials are downright amazing if you're into the square body designs that became popular in the late 1960s.
The coupe you're looking at here is a 1968 Imperial Crown that's almost six meters (19.7 feet) long. But it's not just the size that makes the Crown an impressive rig, this thing sports chrome-loaded front and rear fascias.
Yeah, I know, chrome-laden cars were nothing new in the 1960s, but just look at this thing. The front fascia is all-chrome except for the thin upper section and the rear is so loaded that you can barely see the taillights.
And check out the thick fins that extend on each side for the rear end. You won't see this type of thing on other 1960s cars.
But even if you're not into chrome-heavy land yachts with really long trunks, you have to appreciate the fact that this Imperial is an authentic survivor. This car shows only 27,000 miles (43,452 km) on the odometer and everything looks impeccable save for a few paint touch-ups. Would you believe that the chrome parts are all-original with no restoration whatsoever?
And I don't know about you, but I just love an American classic that combines an "arrest me red" exterior with a white interior. In fact, this Imperial has a two-tone layout with a black dashboard and carpets, but it only makes things that much more interesting.
Things get even better when you look under the hood. Imperials weren't just fancied-up Chryslers, they also came with powerful V8s under the hood. Third-gen Imperials were sold with the 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Wedge V8 rated at 350 horsepower and this Crown still sports its numbers-matching mill.
And not only does it sound mean, but it's also capable of pushing the heavy, 5,000-pound convertible from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in less than 10 seconds. Oh, and it's a rare one too, as Imperial built only 474 convertibles in 1968. Hit the play button below for a cool walkaround and a taste of its beefed-up V8.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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