The Imperial is a car worthy of heads of state and captains of industry, as we learn in this original 1960 campaign from the Chrysler Corporation.
The messaging in this original two-minute clip from the Chrysler Corporation’s Imperial division is more than obvious. A jet-black 1960 Imperial LeBaron Sedan with diplomatic plates and a police escort of four motorcycles carries a single passenger and his leather attache case to the airport, where a private aircraft is waiting for him. Clearly, we are to understand, the Imperial is the appropriate vehicle for very important people: heads of state, captains of industry. “One fine car has set itself apart from the others in its class,” the announcer explains. “This is Imperial, by Chrysler Corporation.”
In 1960, Imperial was not just a stand-alone Chrysler division with its own dedicated assembly plant on Warren Avenue on Detroit’s West side. It was a completely different car from the standard Chrysler, with body-on-frame construction instead of the Unibody system adopted that year by the rest of the corporation’s brands. The exterior sheet metal was unique as well, designed under the direction of Imperial studio chief Bill Browlie and vice president of styling Virgil Exner.
There were three model lines, in ascending order: Custom, Crown, and LeBaron, all riding on a 129-inch wheelbase and powered by a 413 cubic-inch V8, with list prices ranging from $4,923 to $6318. (There was also a 149.5-inch wheelbase Crown Imperial Limousine by Ghia listing for $16,500; 16 were built.) A special assembly process and quality checks supported a new tagline for ’60, “America’s most carefully built car.” The Imperial was exclusive in this sense as well: Only 17,719 cars were produced in 1960, a fraction of rival Cadillac with its 142,000 units that season. In those days, Cadillac towered over the rest of the domestic luxury car field, in sales volume at least. Video below.
The imperial was also the vehicle of choice for a certain Beverly hills banker of discerning taste
Yes, he seemed to live in a universe where almost every vehicle was a Chrysler Corporation product, except for a particular 1921 Oldsmobile…
Maybe some Chrysler Sponsorship!
Superb cars which arguably may have been held back a bit by their styling. It’s interesting to see the sedan body style has the same robust lower B-pillar structure as the pillarless hardtop.
If Cadillac and Imperial had swapped styling, the sales report would have been the same.
That particular universe led this impressionable child to believe that Chrysler Corporation was the American Mercedes, since I saw so few of each marque in my reality. Then Dad bought a dark blue 1973 Newport because it was a better price than the Oldsmobile 88 he was in the habit of buying. My high school buddies were sufficiently impressed when I drove it to band practice.
In 1968 my 8th grade teacher had bought a used one. He was the only one at May A Gallagher Jr High to own one!