I just bought a beautiful 1964 Imperial 2-door Crown Coupe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! It sat since 1979 in a garage! I’m actually rebuilding the Front End & Rear End! 👍
Imperial topped Lincoln in 1957, the only time in its brief history. By 59-60, Imperial sales slumped to the usual 12-16,000 units. I owned a '59 back in the mid-seventies. Loved that car. The gauges/speedometer cluster was beautiful and radiant.
Typical Virgil Exner glorious excess! There was an elderly lady in my hometown who drove one of these in an almost obscene metallic mauve. Great memories. Thank you!
In my 65 yrs I've only seen 1 on the road.A family @ our church in 67 had one w/ the fins w/ the taillight hanging from the fin,colored in a nice pale yellow.As luxurious as any & at least as big.I think the 73 Imperial was the longest passenger car @ 234 inches or just short of 20'.
When I was 23 yo I found a car exactly like this that had a for sale sign on it. It was an old farmer that had bought it new. It was 1977 and the old man told me he would let me have it for $200. I couldn't hardly give him the money fast enough. The car was in excellent shape both inside and out. Not a scratch on the paint and it was a creamy white. I forgot what the real color was called but it was very close to the car in the video, if not the exact same. He told me that there was a bad oil leak under the hood but did not know what was wrong even though it started right up. When I turned the wheel I knew exactly what was wrong. The power steering pump had a bad leak. I went and bought a repair kit and in no time it was repaired. After I cleaned that side of the engine it was mint. There was absolutely no oil leaks anywhere under the hood or the car. The interior was in mint condition also and the car had 46K on the clock. I cleaned the car very well and polished it up and it looked like a brand new 1960 Imperial Crown and it drove and rode like it too. The only negative about the car was that it only got about 13mpg on the highway and about 10 in town. But if you pushed down the passing gear in it and let it shift by itself you were hitting almost 95 when it shifted ot of second gear. The big old girl would absolutely fly down the highway.
@@sableminer8133 He wasn't any dummy. He was a good old man who thought he was helping a newly discharged veteran to give him some wheels to run around in. I had been knowing this old man for many years and worked on his farm quite a bit plowing fields and harvesting rice as a 14 y/o teenager.
@@FumariVI No I do not. I guess I was tempted too many times and sold it to buy another Mopar a few years later. I still see it every once in a while mostly at local car events. The guy I sold it to went through the car and had it professionally detailed and it looks and probably drives like a new car. It is beautiful and I get pissed at myself for letting it go.
1961 was the last year for the big fins on the Imperial. The 1962 had them clipped off with taillights mounted on top of the quarter panel. Last year for the separated taillights. I just bought a Dawn Mauve 1960 Custom Southampton, which as you mention is the base model. Mine has the mauve cloth and vinyl interior and is well equipped. I see this one has Auto Pilot with the control in the dash at the base of the steering wheel. These cars are considered a semi unibody by Chrysler with the full frame being unusual that it is a very thin and wide section under the passenger compartment so that it doesn't intrude like GM and Fords full frame cars. The 1960s are under appreciated which means there are good deals for people that like them. Just get a good one as they are very hard to get parts for. This one is lovely, thanks for sharing it.
They were recognizable fins in '62. '63s 'flatlined' with taillight strips atop. 1964 film 'Where Love Has Gone' has Susan Hayward fleeing in a '63 to kill herself.
@@nicksgarage2 Ah, thanks. My car is in primer, however, you can see the original colour on the glove compartment lid and steering wheel etc. I love the colour and also the metallic pink featured in the 1960 Imperial brochure.
I love these. They are one of my favourite cars and I’ve always wanted one. A few years ago I bought a blue 1960 LeBaron four door that needs full restoration but I wanted it regardless. It is one of only 999 made and is a great companion to my project 1960 Plymouth Fury sedan (I found via RUclips channel Carcheology) , my 1960 Windsor sedan (from RUclips channel Adventures Made from Scratch and a 1960 Chrysler Windsor pillarless wagon that was converted into Ambulance duties in the Detroit area. So, a full box of Virgil’s finest.
The two giant binnacles in the dashboard each have a "spike" sticking out toward the driver -- those are the turn signal indicators. For a left turn, a bulb in the tip of the left-land spike blinks, and the other spike blinks for a right turn. The sales brochure for the 1960 Imperial calls the steering wheel a "steering ellipse."
Nice styling touch for the indicator lights. The actual control, on the other hand, was a different story. I understand from a "Motor Life" article published back in the day that the control for the signals was placed on the dash, purely for symmetrical aesthetics, and making it much harder to get used to. If people today don't use the flip-lever which is the standard, just imagine how many would not use a dash-mounted turn-signal switch to signal their turns.
Great review of the 60 Imperial…One of my favorite “Forward Look cars from Exner….Loved my 61’ New Yorker 2dr Hrdtop…These cars handled quite well for their time with the torsion bar suspension…Thanks again and always appreciate and enjoy your videos
‘60 Imperial is my favorite of the finned Imperials. Fred Astaire owned one, too. By the way, it was the ‘67 Imperial that went to unibody construction.
@Eric Ruud I would like to find a ‘66 LeBaron just for that isolated quiet ride. I think the also moved the motor mounts closer together for ‘66, to further reduce engine shake.
I love your channel so much. Bless your heart. I can totally understand why this car appeals to you. Look at its happy face! For me, born as I was in ‘64, with a dad who spent his time fixing cars for people after hours, I look at this as some whacky fever dream. Why were cars so extreme in their styling in that conservative era? Me, I loved our ‘59 Buick that resembled a Batmobile but I also liked its replacement: a Chrysler station wagon because of its modern-looking station wagon. Still, that ‘59 Buick was for me the apex of style.
We had a ‘59 Custom Imperial that we drove Seattle to Florida in 1963. Family of five on a month long vacation… easy peasy! Dad drove that beast to Cape Canaveral in three days flat! No air, no cruise. Stopovers in Denver and Montgomery, AL we’re the only motel stops. They were rare birds, indeed. I’ve always loved the Imperials.
Those trim pieces on the roof give the illusion of doors which cut way into the roofline. Interesting how the emblem is in the center of the rear seat-back, while the the one in front is on the driver seat because of that giant armrest. I don't care if I sound like a lout, but I would've stowed the console and speaker in the trunk, for the show. I hope you will do a feature on that beautiful blue Buick! (1967?) Its slab sides rival Lincoln's. Those always looked long and low and beautiful going down the street. I think the late '60s full size Buicks were the most elegant out of the GM lineup. And in keeping with that theme, I'd love to see a feature on that '70 Country Squire, with its crazy radio to the left of the steering column.
Thank you for the ACCURACY of your presentation. I grew up with Dodge (1950 Coronet Deluxe), DeSoto (1955 Fireflite 2-door hardtop), Chrysler (1954 New Yorker Coupe, 1964 300 Convertible was my 1st new car, 1967 300 hardtop and 1973 New Yorker Brougham) and Imperial, (1952 Town Sedan,1966 Crown 4-door hardtop and 1975 Le Baron.)
My uncle had a pink '61 once owned by Doris Day. I saw it mid-1980s in Canada where he'd shipped it during a move. Tailfins to extreme, planned so the lights could hang off them.
Exner’s cars were artwork on wheels. The 1960 is my favorite Imperial. I find the design to be very clean, nothing would I change. I miss the flair of that period. In more recent times cars, although quite amazing in what they can do, more resemble appliances .
I've got a Tom McCahill story for you from my childhood. In 1949 Cadillac and Oldsmobile introduced their OHV V8 engines which used hydraulic lifters for the first time, to my recollection. GM advised its customers that they had to use detergent oil in these engines, and that the use of non-detergent oil would void the warranty. McCahill was then writing for Mechanix Illustrated magazine and he tested the new GM V8 cars. He stated in his article that detergent oil was just a sales gimmick, and that owners should feel free to keep using non-detergent oil. Many of McCahill's readers took his advice because he was supposed to be such a car authority figure. Their hydraulic lifters and camshafts failed; GM refused to repair their engines under warranty; and McCahill backpedaled from the issue in a manner that would have made Muhammad Ali proud!
Wow, this really reveals something about Tom McCahill. I enjoyed his style, but I always wondered about him because he was always so "folksy" sounding in his reviews. I can sympathize with his being looked on as an "authority". I always wanted to be one. I know many times I have run off at the mouth when I was sure that I knew something I didn't. lol
This is by far my favorite year for Imperial, front end is clean and modern. The interior and amazing duel luminous dials with the center point on each the L/R turn indicator. The air conditioning vents look like something the old luxury steamer had for intakes. Just beautiful.
Interesting (?) story about those drivers seats. My parents owned Chrysler products exclusively from 1950 through 1988. In all those years, the one and only seat they found uncomfortable was the high backed driver’s seat in their 1961 Dodge. Both said it gave them a backache! Mom was 5’6”, dad was 5’7”. Maybe that had something to do with it?
My favorite car of all time! Thank you for taking the time to talk about this car! Yes they were their own brand until from 55 to 1975 and again in 81-73. The 60 imperial was the only mopar that was still body on frame while the rest were unibody construction. The silver roof inserts were available on crown models as the “silvercrest” roof option along with a plethora of other appearance options such as the rear flitesweep wheel hump on the deck.
Yes, there were many knowledgeable engineers in the auto industry who believed that unibody construction would be the way of the future (go figure!); they weren't only at Ford. On the other hand, most of those "unibody" cars weren't true unibodies; they were body-on-frame cars, the only exception being that the body was welded to the full-length frame, as opposed to being bolted on; it was that difference alone which would reclassify them as unit-bodies. It would make some sense, as that would be the cheaper route of addressing the construction of the future back then. TRUE unibody construction was very expensive, especially if you were talking about anything bigger than a Volkswagen...like Ford's two main examples, just in that year. Sure, over time that cost would be diluted by amortization and sticking to the true standard for unibody construction...but in the late-'50s they had to ease into it at the start. Well, except for Ford, of course, but you know how that is.
The one thing that helped save some of these Imperials is they were outright banned from demolition derbies. Because of their double frame they were deemed to have an unfair advantage.
Love the open taillight rings. I wonder how many pedestrians got clipped by them... I also love the symmetry of the controls - transmission buttons match the heating buttons, turn signal lever matches the fan lever.
Love the channel and how you stick to classic American cars, nice to have a channel that reviews cars I grew up with and even owned, took my driver's Ed class in a 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo, parallel parking was a challenge especially with the opera windows and mile long hood, though it did handle the 305 surprisingly well
Fascinating as a period piece, but not what I would call an attractive car. Moving into the so called Age of Camelot a new, fresher, younger approach is the direction other car makers were moving. This car has too much of the esthetics of the 1950s about it. Consider what a Lincoln Town car looked like 61-63. Then consider what a 64 Imperial looks like. It's clear they were chasing after Lincoln's coattails. It could be that Exner was fired because Chrysler's BOD thought he was looking backwards rather than forward where design was concerned. Just a thought. Interesting car. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.
You summed up my thoughts, too. "Suddenly, it's 1960!" was replaced with "Suddenly, it's 1965!" when the '61 Lincoln hit the market. Of course, VW continued to flourish well into the 1970's with "Suddenly, it's 1938!" designs.
@@donswier VW had an unusual and new niche market. Virtually all younger and very few older for whom VW represented something too damned German. Memories of WWII lingering in their minds. America's youth were suddenly affluent post WWII and VW was smart enough to go after it. Affluence among the young was something completely new and those youthful buyers wanted something all their own that was totally different than mom and pop's big square sedan. Affluence and rebellion and VW cashed in on it. What better way to piss off mom and dad than by buying something small, round and made in a country that mom and dad's brothers just died defeating in a global war. Humorously those same rebels got married and had kids and quickly learned the value and absolute necessity of having a larger US made car. You have to laugh. All this proves how very wise and true are the words of the late William F. Buckley. IF YOU ARE IN YOUR 20S AND NOT A LIBERAL YOU HAVE NO HEART, BUT IF BY THE TIME YOU REACH YOUR THIRTIES YOU ARE NOT A CONSERVATIVE YOU SIMPLY HAVE NO BRAIN.
Honestly Adam, I don't know what is cooler: This 1960 Imperial or Tyler Hoover's 1949 Cadillac. And this comes from a die-hard Porschephile... Great video!
It's a shame Hoovie got another restomod Though it is a cool car and the wizard fixed his a/c Can't wait for a classic breakdown though it isn't as fun as watching an expensive high end German car doing it's inevitable expensive breakdown
@@althunder4269 I thought his buying BMWs and Mercedes Benz was ground breaking in that it broke the German luxury car myth of well engineered dependable cars. Though they are well engineered it's their reliability and repairability that he brought to light was his shining moment
@@hynestimothy411 Was there ever a myth German luxury cars were well engineered and dependable cars? I never thought they were. Hoovie decided to go upmarket with his channel and it ruined it. Plus, he never does any work himself, the wizard does all the repairs and Tyler writes a check.
i saw one in a kinda salmon color. i remember 1974-1975 imperial LeBaron then 1976 Chrysler new yorker got moved up same look as the LeBaron until 1978 but 1969-1978 nice Era.
I inherited my parents ‘64 Imperial LeBaron. I had it a few years until I sold it in the mid 80s. The man who bought it used it in a demolition derby! I wish I had never sold it!
Remembering Jacqueline Kennedy's White House limousine, it was a black 1960 Crown Imperial that was lengthened and upgraded from a stock Imperial by Ghia in Italy. I think Mamie Eisenhower probably used it first.
Ha ha, I love the Tom McCahill impression! I used to read him in Mechanix Illustrated all the time and I loved his opinionated reviews. Iʻm sure RUclips has some of the films he made touting the Chrysler suspensions back in the late 1950ʻs. I always thought the Imperials from the 50ʻs and 60ʻs were special, thanks for sharing this.
Loved many of Virgil's Forward Look cars. The Dashes on these Imperials, and other Chryslers of that era, were Electroluminescent Dashes. They are quite unique. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!
I've always wanted a car from my birth year 1960. I've heard the big downfalls of these cars are the body rust and the "One stop brakes" that fade almost instantly
I would like to see a good video on the 1960 Chrysler Windsor, my first favorite car. With that cool domed instrument panel, push button controls with green back and segmented lighting. Including the 383 "Golden Lion" engine. The 300 is very similar.
-If you look at a lot of Cadillacs and this Imperial, you see two headlights on each side with a prominent shroud. Especially on the Cadillacs, you see in the middle a prominent rounded body colored hood bulge, that tapers down to meet the grill. This reminds me of a parade with the President or other VIP in an open car, the bald forehead of the VIP being the hood, and the headlights and shroud on each side evoking police on motorcycles wearing helmets. I think they did this to signify that a very important person was coming through. This sounds silly but people subconsciously respond to this sort of thing. To this day you still see front end automotive design aping persons faces or a visage like the above. Today, a lot of SUV's convey "safety" by purposely large and scowling front ends, rather like the gargoyles that were installed on medieval churches to ward off evil spirits.
Regarding the designs of the 1959 Chrysler (Corp.) products, Virgil Exner was still recovering from a heart attack. He wasn't yet able to sign off on the finished products.
..hi Adam..you're certainly getting some good mileage out of that car show....that Imperial was a beauty...I owned a 61 and a 64 at the same time back in the 90's, though neither was as remotely nice is that one...still, they were great cars......
Truly, a magnificent ride; you ramp-up a busy interstate in this thing, folks just move out of the way in deference... you don't even need to gun it. I think Jackie Kennedy went to her husband's funeral in the Ghia limo version of these things... an even more beautiful automobile... 100% class, as though the car were tailor-made for her.
What an terrific beauty the front says in a subtle way get the F out of my way while the back says oops I farted but you didn't hear that and the interior I fell asleep on like a baby in a cradle! Imperial's were the Cadillac of Chrysler😁
I have to say, if I were forced into picking a car from the befinned '50s that was *not* the Continental Mark II, the 1960 Imperial would be my top choice. It was the best-looking of the Imperials from that time; and unlike most cars of that period, somehow it looked slim compared to the obese contemporary monstrosities. True, most cars by that year were starting to adopt slimmer looks, but the oversculpting and the extraneous styling-only fins offset that slimness. Yet, it seemed to work well for Imperial. I read in an article in 1991 that Chrysler actually adopted fins for a purpose other than pure styling. After conducting some experiments, they discovered that fins could contribute to aerodynamic stability, the first such (re-)discovery since the Airflow (and shortly afterward, Zephyr) days of the Depression. Plus, Virgil Exner, Sr., designed those fins to look like they were intrinsic to the overall construction and not tacked on as afterthoughts, like nearly all others did...and his pioneering of curved side glass on Imperials starting in '57 gave more to the overall look that could help those Imperials move past the decade they were built in. Flat glass is just so bland, so '50s...so *OLD.* On the other hand, finding one that hasn't gone through terminal cancer is the real challenge, never mind the very low production numbers of that year. That was what really sullied Chrysler's reputation, which it never fully recovered from: Every '57 and '58 Highland-Park car, from Plymouth to Imperial, rusted with a vengeance, something the buyers discovered right at the time the flash recession of '58 came crashing down on the U.S. economy. By the end of that year, only about 1 in 10 buyers who switched to a Chrysler product from a rival make in '57 would have thought about buying another Chrysler product. But, enough history. I find the '60 Imperial to be one of my top non-Lincoln choices of vintage car, especially an example of this one with its B-pillars. However, that turn-signal switch would have to take some getting used to; it's not a flip-lever like all other cars have. It's a toggle on the dash, placed there strictly for dash aesthetics. Even "Motor Life" back in the day criticized that setup.
This year was so much nicer than the '59, and the '61 had those ugly inverted fins/lights. Period mags said the front end looked like a cowcatcher, and of course this has the famous 'toilet seat' on the trunk lid. The massive dashboard with its "panelescent" lights was the best of the '60 luxury cars. Check out the brochure on Old Car Brochures, including a beautiful woman at that dashboard using a radio-telephone! Amazed that Mopar stuck with that turn signal lever, as the car mags uniformly condemned it through '63.
I forget exactly what year it was, but it was very very close to what we are looking at here, but my dad had a Imperial, and it was very very recognizable because Barbie would have loved it. It was pink with white inserts on the roof, where the chrome banding separated it. This was back in the late 60s when he owned it but I do remember it was fast and I do believe it had a hemi. I know it shamed a few mustangs and Camaros in its day.
They were simply Sooo flamboyant. With 1961 being the penical of outrageousness surely Liberace would love. Talking about celebraty Jackie Kennedy had her own personal 1960 Imperial Limousin. She allegedly adored it. Pictures of 1960 Imp. Limo at White House can be found on internet.
Hey Adam thanks for this great review of the 1960 Imperial Crown. I love all the model years of the Imperials. I understand that from 1955 to 1966 these cars were not to be called "Chrysler " Imperials, they were Imperials all to their own. However, when you look closely at them they are unmistakably Chryslers. On the exterior, the grill, headlights and front bumpers these were all very strong Chrysler styling ques. Out back as you pointed out, by 1960 those fins are pure Chrysler. And the interior, well, the push button drive, the square steering wheel and the Panelesent IP lighting are all Chrysler exclusives. But if they wanted to be known as Imperials, I'll go along with them, but everyone knows in the real world these are Chrysler Imperials. I also understand Chrysler wanted them to be known as just Imperials to better compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, knowing full well they were products of General Motors and the Ford Motor Company respectively. There wasn't a car with the brand name of General Motors by itself and the Ford Motor Company had separate brand names for all its Division's. Chrysler should have realized the Imperial was a proud brand, but clearly a Chrysler Corporation division the same as Dodge and Plymouth. But as I said, I'll go along with them.
Авто/Мото
How can you not love these big, beautiful sleds?
All I can say is that was one heck of a car show!
Pretty sure this was a Gay car show & us guys like big beautiful luxury cars. LOL
@@paulpeterson4311
To me a good car show is a good car show. I am so sick of Mustangs and Camaros.
@@dave1956
Agreed!! I would have killed to be at this show!
I just bought a beautiful 1964 Imperial 2-door Crown Coupe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! It sat since 1979 in a garage! I’m actually rebuilding the Front End & Rear End! 👍
Imperial topped Lincoln in 1957, the only time in its brief history. By 59-60, Imperial sales slumped to the usual 12-16,000 units. I owned a '59 back in the mid-seventies. Loved that car. The gauges/speedometer cluster was beautiful and radiant.
Typical Virgil Exner glorious excess! There was an elderly lady in my hometown who drove one of these in an almost obscene metallic mauve. Great memories. Thank you!
That is one of the best colours!
In my 65 yrs I've only seen 1 on the road.A family @ our church in 67 had one w/ the fins w/ the taillight hanging from the fin,colored in a nice pale yellow.As luxurious as any & at least as big.I think the 73 Imperial was the longest passenger car @ 234 inches or just short of 20'.
That has to be one of the most elegant interiors I have ever seen.
Beautiful seat upholstery. Looks very comfy and nice looking pattern.
When I was 23 yo I found a car exactly like this that had a for sale sign on it. It was an old farmer that had bought it new. It was 1977 and the old man told me he would let me have it for $200. I couldn't hardly give him the money fast enough. The car was in excellent shape both inside and out. Not a scratch on the paint and it was a creamy white. I forgot what the real color was called but it was very close to the car in the video, if not the exact same. He told me that there was a bad oil leak under the hood but did not know what was wrong even though it started right up. When I turned the wheel I knew exactly what was wrong. The power steering pump had a bad leak. I went and bought a repair kit and in no time it was repaired. After I cleaned that side of the engine it was mint. There was absolutely no oil leaks anywhere under the hood or the car. The interior was in mint condition also and the car had 46K on the clock. I cleaned the car very well and polished it up and it looked like a brand new 1960 Imperial Crown and it drove and rode like it too. The only negative about the car was that it only got about 13mpg on the highway and about 10 in town. But if you pushed down the passing gear in it and let it shift by itself you were hitting almost 95 when it shifted ot of second gear. The big old girl would absolutely fly down the highway.
Omfg I am so jealous! That the farmer was a dummy sure was a fortunate thing so obviously the Universe wanted you to have this yaught! Cool story
@@sableminer8133 He wasn't any dummy. He was a good old man who thought he was helping a newly discharged veteran to give him some wheels to run around in. I had been knowing this old man for many years and worked on his farm quite a bit plowing fields and harvesting rice as a 14 y/o teenager.
@@TBullCajunbreadmaker Aww, sweet I was thinking how he could be cuz farming you have to work a lot on machinery & stuff!
@@TBullCajunbreadmaker I'm jealous too. What a wonderful deal that was. Do you still have it?
@@FumariVI No I do not. I guess I was tempted too many times and sold it to buy another Mopar a few years later. I still see it every once in a while mostly at local car events. The guy I sold it to went through the car and had it professionally detailed and it looks and probably drives like a new car. It is beautiful and I get pissed at myself for letting it go.
This car was built to be photographed at a picturesque roadside motel somewhere on Route 66. It certainly puts me in the mood for a road trip.
Now those are some fins!
The only Fins that were bigger were in Finland !
LOL!
I always found the headlights on the 61 Imperial to be the most unusual on any car.
1961 was the last year for the big fins on the Imperial. The 1962 had them clipped off with taillights mounted on top of the quarter panel. Last year for the separated taillights. I just bought a Dawn Mauve 1960 Custom Southampton, which as you mention is the base model. Mine has the mauve cloth and vinyl interior and is well equipped. I see this one has Auto Pilot with the control in the dash at the base of the steering wheel. These cars are considered a semi unibody by Chrysler with the full frame being unusual that it is a very thin and wide section under the passenger compartment so that it doesn't intrude like GM and Fords full frame cars. The 1960s are under appreciated which means there are good deals for people that like them. Just get a good one as they are very hard to get parts for. This one is lovely, thanks for sharing it.
They were recognizable fins in '62. '63s 'flatlined' with taillight strips atop. 1964 film 'Where Love Has Gone' has Susan Hayward fleeing in a '63 to kill herself.
What a great colour. My Windsor sedan is that colour (or a similar shade?)
@@markbehr88 Petal Pink would be the Windsor color.
@@nicksgarage2 Ah, thanks. My car is in primer, however, you can see the original colour on the glove compartment lid and steering wheel etc. I love the colour and also the metallic pink featured in the 1960 Imperial brochure.
Dig that roof cut out and the pearl paint job. Nice crown emblem in the middle of the headlight 'eyebrows'. That push button shifting was crazy.
I love these. They are one of my favourite cars and I’ve always wanted one. A few years ago I bought a blue 1960 LeBaron four door that needs full restoration but I wanted it regardless. It is one of only 999 made and is a great companion to my project 1960 Plymouth Fury sedan (I found via RUclips channel Carcheology) , my 1960 Windsor sedan (from RUclips channel Adventures Made from Scratch and a 1960 Chrysler Windsor pillarless wagon that was converted into Ambulance duties in the Detroit area. So, a full box of Virgil’s finest.
That's quite the collection. Is that ambulance a Briarean?
Thanks Nick. You are exactly correct.
You have a fantastic collection! I love late 50s and early 60s Mopars.
@@Richard4point6 Thank you Richard. That is very nice of you. I will progressively feature them over time as I get the chance.
One Incredibly Beauuutiful Car!💕
Thanks for the tutorial!
The two giant binnacles in the dashboard each have a "spike" sticking out toward the driver -- those are the turn signal indicators. For a left turn, a bulb in the tip of the left-land spike blinks, and the other spike blinks for a right turn. The sales brochure for the 1960 Imperial calls the steering wheel a "steering ellipse."
Needed a tiller for this car...
Nice styling touch for the indicator lights. The actual control, on the other hand, was a different story. I understand from a "Motor Life" article published back in the day that the control for the signals was placed on the dash, purely for symmetrical aesthetics, and making it much harder to get used to. If people today don't use the flip-lever which is the standard, just imagine how many would not use a dash-mounted turn-signal switch to signal their turns.
Virgil Exner certainly created some very distinct & off beat designs!!! This Imperial is huge!!! Thanks for sharing this informative video!!! 👍👍🙂
Great review of the 60 Imperial…One of my favorite “Forward Look cars from Exner….Loved my 61’ New Yorker 2dr Hrdtop…These cars handled quite well for their time with the torsion bar suspension…Thanks again and always appreciate and enjoy your videos
‘60 Imperial is my favorite of the finned Imperials. Fred Astaire owned one, too.
By the way, it was the ‘67 Imperial that went to unibody construction.
@Eric Ruud I would like to find a ‘66 LeBaron just for that isolated quiet ride. I think the also moved the motor mounts closer together for ‘66, to further reduce engine shake.
1967 (my favorite year because of the styling) was also the year these cars went back to being Chrysler Imperials.
No they were still just Imperials. Not until 1990, they became Chrysler's again.
I love your channel so much. Bless your heart. I can totally understand why this car appeals to you. Look at its happy face! For me, born as I was in ‘64, with a dad who spent his time fixing cars for people after hours, I look at this as some whacky fever dream. Why were cars so extreme in their styling in that conservative era? Me, I loved our ‘59 Buick that resembled a Batmobile but I also liked its replacement: a Chrysler station wagon because of its modern-looking station wagon. Still, that ‘59 Buick was for me the apex of style.
We had a ‘59 Custom Imperial that we drove Seattle to Florida in 1963. Family of five on a month long vacation… easy peasy! Dad drove that beast to Cape Canaveral in three days flat! No air, no cruise. Stopovers in Denver and Montgomery, AL we’re the only motel stops. They were rare birds, indeed. I’ve always loved the Imperials.
No AC? On an Imperial? That sounds odd indeed.
Those trim pieces on the roof give the illusion of doors which cut way into the roofline. Interesting how the emblem is in the center of the rear seat-back, while the the one in front is on the driver seat because of that giant armrest. I don't care if I sound like a lout, but I would've stowed the console and speaker in the trunk, for the show.
I hope you will do a feature on that beautiful blue Buick! (1967?) Its slab sides rival Lincoln's. Those always looked long and low and beautiful going down the street. I think the late '60s full size Buicks were the most elegant out of the GM lineup. And in keeping with that theme, I'd love to see a feature on that '70 Country Squire, with its crazy radio to the left of the steering column.
Thank you for the ACCURACY of your presentation.
I grew up with Dodge (1950 Coronet Deluxe), DeSoto (1955 Fireflite 2-door hardtop), Chrysler (1954 New Yorker Coupe, 1964 300 Convertible was my 1st new car, 1967 300 hardtop and 1973 New Yorker Brougham) and Imperial, (1952 Town Sedan,1966 Crown 4-door hardtop and 1975 Le Baron.)
My uncle had a pink '61 once owned by Doris Day. I saw it mid-1980s in Canada where he'd shipped it during a move. Tailfins to extreme, planned so the lights could hang off them.
That was the '61, and truly the last year before Virgil was given the boot.
Gawd, Day was such a wonderful woman, cool to know she thought so too.
Exner’s cars were artwork on wheels. The 1960 is my favorite Imperial. I find the design to be very clean, nothing would I change. I miss the flair of that period. In more recent times cars, although quite amazing in what they can do, more resemble appliances .
I've got a Tom McCahill story for you from my childhood. In 1949 Cadillac and Oldsmobile introduced their OHV V8 engines which used hydraulic lifters for the first time, to my recollection. GM advised its customers that they had to use detergent oil in these engines, and that the use of non-detergent oil would void the warranty. McCahill was then writing for Mechanix Illustrated magazine and he tested the new GM V8 cars. He stated in his article that detergent oil was just a sales gimmick, and that owners should feel free to keep using non-detergent oil. Many of McCahill's readers took his advice because he was supposed to be such a car authority figure. Their hydraulic lifters and camshafts failed; GM refused to repair their engines under warranty; and McCahill backpedaled from the issue in a manner that would have made Muhammad Ali proud!
Wow, this really reveals something about Tom McCahill. I enjoyed his style, but I always wondered about him because he was always so "folksy" sounding in his reviews.
I can sympathize with his being looked on as an "authority". I always wanted to be one. I know many times I have run off at the mouth when I was sure that I knew something I didn't. lol
@@dansmusic5749 well, at least you admit it. Most peeps do at some point. I loved Adam's mock version of Tom, hilarious
This is easily my number 1 dream car. If I could own any car it would be this. The only ones I've found in my price range were rusted out badly.
This is by far my favorite year for Imperial, front end is clean and modern. The interior and amazing duel luminous dials with the center point on each the L/R turn indicator. The air conditioning vents look like something the old luxury steamer had for intakes. Just beautiful.
One of my favorite Imperial model years!
A true classic beauty...from an era of style and class.......unlike today.
I still say the worst decade for style was the 1980s. Especially 80-85.
Nice car!
I love this era........and that dashboard is badass!!
59 and 60 Imperials we're my favorite!!
Interesting (?) story about those drivers seats. My parents owned Chrysler products exclusively from 1950 through 1988. In all those years, the one and only seat they found uncomfortable was the high backed driver’s seat in their 1961 Dodge. Both said it gave them a backache! Mom was 5’6”, dad was 5’7”. Maybe that had something to do with it?
Great video, thanks
The sweep flight deck lid was only available on the 60 Imperial. Magnificent Virgil Exner design 🏆
It was available from 1957-63 on the Imperial. 1960-61 on the Chryslers. I have a 1960 300F and a 1960 Imperial. Both with the flightsweep deck lid.
@@nicksgarage2 Ahh I am mistaken. Thank you for the info.
My favorite car of all time! Thank you for taking the time to talk about this car! Yes they were their own brand until from 55 to 1975 and again in 81-73. The 60 imperial was the only mopar that was still body on frame while the rest were unibody construction.
The silver roof inserts were available on crown models as the “silvercrest” roof option along with a plethora of other appearance options such as the rear flitesweep wheel hump on the deck.
Yes, there were many knowledgeable engineers in the auto industry who believed that unibody construction would be the way of the future (go figure!); they weren't only at Ford. On the other hand, most of those "unibody" cars weren't true unibodies; they were body-on-frame cars, the only exception being that the body was welded to the full-length frame, as opposed to being bolted on; it was that difference alone which would reclassify them as unit-bodies. It would make some sense, as that would be the cheaper route of addressing the construction of the future back then. TRUE unibody construction was very expensive, especially if you were talking about anything bigger than a Volkswagen...like Ford's two main examples, just in that year. Sure, over time that cost would be diluted by amortization and sticking to the true standard for unibody construction...but in the late-'50s they had to ease into it at the start. Well, except for Ford, of course, but you know how that is.
Wow!!truly a beautiful car,a work of art.
The one thing that helped save some of these Imperials is they were outright banned from demolition derbies. Because of their double frame they were deemed to have an unfair advantage.
Great video. Thanks. That show is amazing. Enough walkaround kit to keep you going for some time by the look of it.
The interior is spectacular!
Love the open taillight rings. I wonder how many pedestrians got clipped by them... I also love the symmetry of the controls - transmission buttons match the heating buttons, turn signal lever matches the fan lever.
Luv these old Imperials.
Love the channel and how you stick to classic American cars, nice to have a channel that reviews cars I grew up with and even owned, took my driver's Ed class in a 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo, parallel parking was a challenge especially with the opera windows and mile long hood, though it did handle the 305 surprisingly well
Panel fit is very impressive, especially considering the year and the size. That new dedicated plant must have been really dialed in.
That was a great Tom McCahill vocal impression.
Beautiful! Thanks for keeping the memories alive.
Fascinating as a period piece, but not what I would call an attractive car. Moving into the so called Age of Camelot a new, fresher, younger approach is the direction other car makers were moving.
This car has too much of the esthetics of the 1950s about it. Consider what a Lincoln Town car looked like 61-63. Then consider what a 64 Imperial looks like. It's clear they were chasing after Lincoln's coattails. It could be that Exner was fired because Chrysler's BOD thought he was looking backwards rather than forward where design was concerned.
Just a thought. Interesting car. Thanks for sharing and have a great weekend.
Elwood Engle who replaced him did okay but a bit too stoodgey his efforts were. I didn't like all the angles on many of his boxy designs!
@@sableminer8133 Unlike many, I was not a fan of the boring Engle designs. Exner cars had much more flair.
You summed up my thoughts, too.
"Suddenly, it's 1960!" was replaced with "Suddenly, it's 1965!" when the '61 Lincoln hit the market.
Of course, VW continued to flourish well into the 1970's with "Suddenly, it's 1938!" designs.
@@donswier VW had an unusual and new niche market. Virtually all younger and very few older for whom VW represented something too damned German. Memories of WWII lingering in their minds. America's youth were suddenly affluent post WWII and VW was smart enough to go after it. Affluence among the young was something completely new and those youthful buyers wanted something all their own that was totally different than mom and pop's big square sedan. Affluence and rebellion and VW cashed in on it.
What better way to piss off mom and dad than by buying something small, round and made in a country that mom and dad's brothers just died defeating in a global war.
Humorously those same rebels got married and had kids and quickly learned the value and absolute necessity of having a larger US made car. You have to laugh.
All this proves how very wise and true are the words of the late William F. Buckley. IF YOU ARE IN YOUR 20S AND NOT A LIBERAL YOU HAVE NO HEART, BUT IF BY THE TIME YOU REACH YOUR THIRTIES YOU ARE NOT A CONSERVATIVE YOU SIMPLY HAVE NO BRAIN.
Fantastic designer's during this Era. 👏
Honestly Adam, I don't know what is cooler: This 1960 Imperial or Tyler Hoover's 1949 Cadillac. And this comes from a die-hard Porschephile...
Great video!
It's a shame Hoovie got another restomod
Though it is a cool car and the wizard fixed his a/c
Can't wait for a classic breakdown though it isn't as fun as watching an expensive high end German car doing it's inevitable expensive breakdown
@@hynestimothy411 Hoovie has lost the plot. He was better a few years ago when he bought regular cars.
@@althunder4269 I thought his buying BMWs and Mercedes Benz was ground breaking in that it broke the German luxury car myth of well engineered dependable cars. Though they are well engineered it's their reliability and repairability that he brought to light was his shining moment
@@hynestimothy411 Was there ever a myth German luxury cars were well engineered and dependable cars? I never thought they were. Hoovie decided to go upmarket with his channel and it ruined it. Plus, he never does any work himself, the wizard does all the repairs and Tyler writes a check.
@@althunder4269 He bought a 928, and those are less than expensive...
The 1960 Imperial is my dream car!
i saw one in a kinda salmon color. i remember 1974-1975 imperial LeBaron then 1976 Chrysler new yorker got moved up same look as the LeBaron until 1978 but 1969-1978 nice Era.
To me this is THE most beautiful car, although I like the LeBaron a tiny bit more than the Crown. I also like the regular sedan more than the hardtop.
Arguably a better part of the century for build quality
The Great White Shark!!! My Dads boss had one with the 413 2 long Ram 4 barrels and the rear end was a locker.
I inherited my parents ‘64 Imperial LeBaron. I had it a few years until I sold it in the mid 80s. The man who bought it used it in a demolition derby! I wish I had never sold it!
Demo derbies sought those out specificly because of their body on frame construction.
@@Henry_Jones yes, the space between the grille and radiator was significant. That was a big advantage
Remembering Jacqueline Kennedy's White House limousine, it was a black 1960 Crown Imperial that was lengthened and upgraded from a stock Imperial by Ghia in Italy. I think Mamie Eisenhower probably used it first.
Ha ha, I love the Tom McCahill impression! I used to read him in Mechanix Illustrated all the time and I loved his opinionated reviews. Iʻm sure RUclips has some of the films he made touting the Chrysler suspensions back in the late 1950ʻs. I always thought the Imperials from the 50ʻs and 60ʻs were special, thanks for sharing this.
That's my kind of car show. Lots of 50s 60s American luxury cars.
That inset photo of the Chrysler Imperial looks like a Cadillac clone!
Loved many of Virgil's Forward Look cars. The Dashes on these Imperials, and other Chryslers of that era, were Electroluminescent Dashes. They are quite unique. Love your channel. Keep up the good work!
I've always wanted a car from my birth year 1960. I've heard the big downfalls of these cars are the body rust and the "One stop brakes" that fade almost instantly
I could get either a 1957 or 1958 car as my birth year car, since the 1958s came out in 1957... I like the 1958 Cadillac Coupe de Ville a lot.
I would like to see a good video on the 1960 Chrysler Windsor, my first favorite car. With that cool domed instrument panel, push button controls with green back and segmented lighting. Including the 383 "Golden Lion" engine. The 300 is very similar.
Sedans are better car than hard tops. Noise, strength. Take function over form any day. Great content.
I love the early 60s imperial. I own a 1962 Chrysler crown. It was my fathers.
-If you look at a lot of Cadillacs and this Imperial, you see two headlights on each side with a prominent shroud. Especially on the Cadillacs, you see in the middle a prominent rounded body colored hood bulge, that tapers down to meet the grill. This reminds me of a parade with the President or other VIP in an open car, the bald forehead of the VIP being the hood, and the headlights and shroud on each side evoking police on motorcycles wearing helmets. I think they did this to signify that a very important person was coming through. This sounds silly but people subconsciously respond to this sort of thing.
To this day you still see front end automotive design aping persons faces or a visage like the above. Today, a lot of SUV's convey "safety" by purposely large and scowling front ends, rather like the gargoyles that were installed on medieval churches to ward off evil spirits.
Fascinating perspective!
Spot on,I always thought the 59s were butt ugly!
Even when Imperial had its own factory and a unique body, its Mopar genes show through. Peak Virgil Exner, like you said, Adam.
Beautiful car!! So much detail, a work of art
Beautiful car, love that Jetsons interior - digging that '66 Connie Coupé behind it too .. since I'm admittedly biased 😎
1:21 A yellow NEW car! Cool colors are coming back!
That’s my 2022 Kia EV6 First Edition in Urban Yellow. I call her Céline Dijon. 🤓
Regarding the designs of the 1959 Chrysler (Corp.) products, Virgil Exner was still recovering from a heart attack. He wasn't yet able to sign off on the finished products.
Nice car.
It is shocking to think there was only one model year between this Imperial and the 1961 Lincoln Continental. Wow.
I seen a white convertible in the tv series the Lieutenant! Hot blonde was driving it. So cool
..hi Adam..you're certainly getting some good mileage out of that car show....that Imperial was a beauty...I owned a 61 and a 64 at the same time back in the 90's, though neither was as remotely nice is that one...still, they were great cars......
It was a great show!
Most beautiful car they ever made! Modern
Truly, a magnificent ride; you ramp-up a busy interstate in this thing, folks just move out of the way in deference... you don't even need to gun it. I think Jackie Kennedy went to her husband's funeral in the Ghia limo version of these things... an even more beautiful automobile... 100% class, as though the car were tailor-made for her.
What an terrific beauty the front says in a subtle way get the F out of my way while the back says oops I farted but you didn't hear that and the interior I fell asleep on like a baby in a cradle! Imperial's were the Cadillac of Chrysler😁
Cadillac was the Imperial of GM.
Real legroom in the backseat is true luxury
I have to say, if I were forced into picking a car from the befinned '50s that was *not* the Continental Mark II, the 1960 Imperial would be my top choice. It was the best-looking of the Imperials from that time; and unlike most cars of that period, somehow it looked slim compared to the obese contemporary monstrosities. True, most cars by that year were starting to adopt slimmer looks, but the oversculpting and the extraneous styling-only fins offset that slimness. Yet, it seemed to work well for Imperial. I read in an article in 1991 that Chrysler actually adopted fins for a purpose other than pure styling. After conducting some experiments, they discovered that fins could contribute to aerodynamic stability, the first such (re-)discovery since the Airflow (and shortly afterward, Zephyr) days of the Depression. Plus, Virgil Exner, Sr., designed those fins to look like they were intrinsic to the overall construction and not tacked on as afterthoughts, like nearly all others did...and his pioneering of curved side glass on Imperials starting in '57 gave more to the overall look that could help those Imperials move past the decade they were built in. Flat glass is just so bland, so '50s...so *OLD.*
On the other hand, finding one that hasn't gone through terminal cancer is the real challenge, never mind the very low production numbers of that year. That was what really sullied Chrysler's reputation, which it never fully recovered from: Every '57 and '58 Highland-Park car, from Plymouth to Imperial, rusted with a vengeance, something the buyers discovered right at the time the flash recession of '58 came crashing down on the U.S. economy. By the end of that year, only about 1 in 10 buyers who switched to a Chrysler product from a rival make in '57 would have thought about buying another Chrysler product.
But, enough history. I find the '60 Imperial to be one of my top non-Lincoln choices of vintage car, especially an example of this one with its B-pillars. However, that turn-signal switch would have to take some getting used to; it's not a flip-lever like all other cars have. It's a toggle on the dash, placed there strictly for dash aesthetics. Even "Motor Life" back in the day criticized that setup.
I saw a convertible of this model at a car show!
This year was so much nicer than the '59, and the '61 had those ugly inverted fins/lights. Period mags said the front end looked like a cowcatcher, and of course this has the famous 'toilet seat' on the trunk lid. The massive dashboard with its "panelescent" lights was the best of the '60 luxury cars. Check out the brochure on Old Car Brochures, including a beautiful woman at that dashboard using a radio-telephone! Amazed that Mopar stuck with that turn signal lever, as the car mags uniformly condemned it through '63.
Actually the back end of a 1971 Imperial Lebaron has a plate which says, "Imperial by Chrysler."
I like the Rear End of the Car ❤
I forget exactly what year it was, but it was very very close to what we are looking at here, but my dad had a Imperial, and it was very very recognizable because Barbie would have loved it. It was pink with white inserts on the roof, where the chrome banding separated it. This was back in the late 60s when he owned it but I do remember it was fast and I do believe it had a hemi. I know it shamed a few mustangs and Camaros in its day.
What a great car to feature, Adam. I like the white-on-white color scheme as well.
Very nice.
They were simply Sooo flamboyant. With 1961 being the penical of outrageousness surely Liberace would love. Talking about celebraty Jackie Kennedy had her own personal 1960 Imperial Limousin. She allegedly adored it. Pictures of 1960 Imp. Limo at White House can be found on internet.
It was the best handling luxury car from the late 50's early 60's, very rare and high end
Thanks ! Straight Ahead ✌😎
Great color.
No doubt great looking car.
A beautiful, unique American car from a happier time.
I recently read a biography on "Ex" that I picked up at the Studebaker Museum.
It had unique style unlike today's cars which all look alike.
It looks like it's rocket powered!
A face only a mother could love
Hey Adam thanks for this great review of the 1960 Imperial Crown. I love all the model years of the Imperials. I understand that from 1955 to 1966 these cars were not to be called "Chrysler " Imperials, they were Imperials all to their own. However, when you look closely at them they are unmistakably Chryslers. On the exterior, the grill, headlights and front bumpers these were all very strong Chrysler styling ques. Out back as you pointed out, by 1960 those fins are pure Chrysler. And the interior, well, the push button drive, the square steering wheel and the Panelesent IP lighting are all Chrysler exclusives. But if they wanted to be known as Imperials, I'll go along with them, but everyone knows in the real world these are Chrysler Imperials. I also understand Chrysler wanted them to be known as just Imperials to better compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, knowing full well they were products of General Motors and the Ford Motor Company respectively. There wasn't a car with the brand name of General Motors by itself and the Ford Motor Company had separate brand names for all its Division's. Chrysler should have realized the Imperial was a proud brand, but clearly a Chrysler Corporation division the same as Dodge and Plymouth. But as I said, I'll go along with them.
Beautiful 😻