The 1981 Imperial by Chrysler was a Beautiful Malaise Era Luxury Coupe That Failed Spectacularly
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- Опубликовано: 21 сен 2024
- The Chrysler Imperial has a long and storied history, dating back to 1926. It was created by Walter P. Chrysler himself, in an effort to compete with other luxurious cars of the times, and put the Chrysler name in more than just a pedestrian setting. He succeeded very well - the Imperial would go on to be a car of choice for celebrities, dignitaries, and other glamorous types. Even Richard Nixon liked to drive in an Imperial.
The Imperials would be made in one form or another through 1975, up until Chrysler was running in to hard times, and having an expensive car selling in low quantities was an easy program to put on the chopping block. Chrysler's woes continued until the fabled Lee Iacocca took over the company, and began a restructuring that would pull Chrysler back from the brink and in to profitability.
While it was the inexpensive and economical K-Car that would ultimately save Chrysler, and especially the minivan built on that platform. But Iacocca wanted something to take it to Cadillac and Lincoln, and possibly to relive the success he had at Ford with the Mark III. The Imperial program was already up and running, to be based on the new Cordoba's J Platform. Iacocca embraced the project, and pushed it hard with his friend Frank Sinatra and even a few team memebers from the original Mark III project.
The result was an attractive, tech-laden car with an amazing variety of standard equipment, V8 power, and a shocking price tag - more than most of the Cadillacs and Lincolns in would compete with.
While the timing for the car was right, and the car itself had the goods, there was one thing it failed to do - run. Unfortunately, this was the one thing it had to do to succeed.
As a result of these problems, the Imperial failed spectaculalry, being made for only three model years and less than 13k cars. When it was gone, nobody - and particularly not Lee Iacocca, missed it very much. It's now fodder for collectors, and an interesting footnote in Chrysler - and Imperial - history.
In-depth review and test drive by Bill. Vehicle is for sale at Autohaus of Naples, on the web at www.AutohausNaples.com, or by phone at (239) 263-8500.
"This is gonna be a fairly quick review" 48 minutes, LOL
Go Bill go!
I know. I'm interested in his cars sometimes but don't want to hear him complain about the weather and then a whole history of stuff.
'it'll probably be real short this time... I know I always say that and then go on for 40 minutes...'
@@hellcat9996 That's what he does so live with it or press on to something else. The 'history stuff' is very informative and important to the description of the car.
1981 Chrysler Imperial Frank Sinatra edition with Glacier blue exterior and interior color famous blue eyes soul 👍
My first thought upon that his utterance of that statement LOL
I was always surprised this car failed. These cars were absolutely gorgeous! And still look amazing today.
It was in a competitive market, Cadillac offered something similar for less and for a little bit more you could get a Mercedes 300. I guess once the word got out from owners of how unreliable the EFI system was, potential buyers quickly decided not to deal with Chrysler unreliability for that steep of a price.
Too bad, if they had gotten the engine right from the start, it probably would have had a slightly longer run with the J-body, or at least the 25k cars they anticipated building. However all the other coups that used the J-body ended in 83', so maybe it was inevitable that it ended so quickly. Personal luxury cars were quickly becoming a thing of the past by the mid 80's.
The only one I saw actually running was converted to carb, that was a real issue
I’ve always been a GM guy, with a love for certain Ford products like Lincolns….that said, I love this car.
I’ve always thought it was a nice looking car. I think it has class.
I’ve liked a lot of the imperials and Newports, Charger & Challenger, Barracuda…..
They were thirsty, slow, and not particularly luxurious. And dangerous af to drive. It was all we had back then, but this car's a relic, and not as comfy, fast or reliable as your sister's Focus S.
Imperial ran from 55 to 66. Always had a different frame than other Chrysler products. When Chrysler switched to uni-body in 1960, Imperial remained as a body on frame construction. Starting 1969, they began using the Chrysler platform. Sharing sheet metal between the models.
The Chryslers that I have owned had much better handling on the road because of the torsion bar set up in the front suspension. I only wish they had gone the Packard route and added torsion bar suspension to the rear at the beginning of 1957.
Whenever I hear "Imperial" I think of the mother-in-law's line in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.": "We're the ones in the Imperial and we're running last?"
Love it!
Great movie!!! 👍👍
Patrick Allen for the win! Anyone who can quote Ethel Merman bitching out Milton Berle gets respect
Such a great movie that has the capability to melt snowflakes.
Totally remember that!!!!
Patrick Allen... Trivia ...in the Flim" It's A Mad,mad, mad, mad world" The Man who played the Blond woman's husband was comedian Milton Berle and the woman who played the bothersome, quarreling mother-in-law was an Early 20 th century burlesque Singer named Ethel Merman😊
My Uncle was an executive at Chrysler. He always drove Imperials. Such magnificent vehicles.
Bill, please don’t make them shorter. I love the detail you put in these videos. What a great source of entertainment and automotive history. You’re a true gem!
Bill tells us who he is through his rants. I'm an old phart, too, and I'm not much like him, but we could talk cars all day long.
Bill says that a lot, 'Going to be a shorter one'
But then he always comes through with the goods at full length. Never a disappointment
Stored an 81 Sinatra edition over the 2020 - '21 winter for my brother, 65000 mile 2nd owner car, I can tell you honestly the nicest riding non - air suspension vehicle I ever drove. 318 carburetor engine was as smooth as glass. Interior was Mark Cross leather in "Glacier Blue" as was the exterior. The only color you could get in "fs" edition, supposedly the color of Frank's eyes. Thank you so much for sharing this video!
They didn't come with a carburetor, they came with the lean burn system which was garbage. Your brothers car would not pass inspection in NY.
@@dannysdailys Yup, was converted from EFI long ago, virtually every single vehicle, by dealer, as per Chrysler recall. A true EFI Imperial of this vintage is very rare. Don't care about NY state inspection, our jurisdiction got rid of that tax grab years ago.
@@dannysdailys are you not aware of the massive recall on these cars? To to remove tge EFI?
A good friend had that same model. It was cool.
Omg I love that edition
I have always thought that this was a beautifully styled automobile. Very rare then and now. Beautiful!
“But right now it’s hopeless, it’s miserable, and frankly I’d just like to go find a hole somewhere, curl up, and possibly take my own life...” - Bill from Curious Cars & Autohaus of Naples
My senior quote, ladies and gentlemen.
He needs to go back to new york with all of the other idiots that come here and ruin it.
"The garbage truck Seville," best line since, "An attractive lady carrying a bag of dog crap."
Yeah! Both are great quips! 😅
I'll stop watching if you quit your rambling stories! That's what makes you great and worth watching!
Right?! 💯
I just love the rants and ramblings! Gotta love it!
I'll drink to that.
And I will just...agree
Screw that rambling , it’s the guy’s 1 annoying trait . He’s very knowledgeable about the cars & relays their details very well , but all that boring & irrelevant nonsense about the birds & weather is annoying as shit - those parts are permanent fast forward
That car symbolizes retired corrupt NYFD chief with a huge pension and a mild coke habit who retired to golf in Florida and died in 1984
What was his name?
Brilliant
@777jones: What a specific quote - hilarious……!!
It is FDNY not NYFD if you mean New York
I can see why! That dashboard is ideal for doing rails of blow.
Another rare beast. You're definitely on a roll Bill.
Bill needs to see a psychairist.
@@tonygalano6825 Bill does plenty of venting in these near 50 minute, whiskey-inspired vent sessions. I'm sure he's pretty chipper otherwise! 🥃🥴
@@egold2071 Chipper than, a Canadian?
@@douglasb.1203 If Bill were any more chipper, he'd get honorary royal citizenship from Canada! 🇨🇦
@@douglasb.1203
BAHAHAHA
My grandparents had an Imperial back in the late 80s, early 90s. When I was a kid I used to absolutely love this car, thought it was the ritziest car ever! Nice to see one in such great condition 👌👏
Florida Weather: *exists*
Bill: "Frankly I just want to find a hole somewhere, curl up and possibly take my own life"
It got dark real quick
SIGH Whay can you do?
It's his shtick. Whachgonado?
“Definitely gonna be a short video”… this is the longest video in months 😂 love it
I have a 1981 imperial. Took it on the power tour in 2014 and had a great time. Still have it to this day
This has to be one of the Malaiziest™ of the Malaise Era cars.
The 80s fixation with digital read outs really is something else. It looks like Space Invaders in there.
The 79 continental is hard to beat as malaise car.. But sure this one is close
In hoping malaise era had ceased, I bbought an '05 Hemi Magnum with the idea it would be my last car.
No, not to be.
Trans replaced after one year, electrical was beginning to fail.
Sold it to a Mopar nut, he didn't have much luck, either
"And now the weather with Bill" "This morning will be crappy, followed by early afternoon crap, with a real possibility of crap this evening. Five-day forecast, don't ask"
It will be like that until after Thanksgiving.
Bill, you are a treasure. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face and these forgotten beasts.
“PEAK SHIT WEATHER” - Bill. (we love you man)
"Hot as balls!"
He isn’t kidding, the first or second week of September is peak hurricane season!
I laughed pretty hard when he said that
The transition of American car interiors from chrome, wood, and shag carpet to cheap plastic because everybody loves Japanese cars will never not be a tragedy.
That is definitely gorgeous. Iococa really loved that Rolls Royce style grille.
If that is a Rolls Royce style grille, did you mistake the Ford Granada for a Mercedes Benz?
'ok and now onto the weather, what's it like out there in Naples Bill!'
'oh for the love of God!'
'thanks Bill and now a word from our sponsor.'
Lol! That’s awesome
@@mikeware1002 if 'oh for the love of God!' was on a bumper sticker I bet more people than not would know what it meant hehe
If Stellantis wants to succeed in America it needs to build future Chrysler models inspired by this car. Absolutely beautiful and uniquely American.
From 1955 through 1983, Imperial was it's own luxury division. I agree with you, Bill about the rear end of the Imperial. I also think the rear end was done better than the Seville .
*’55-‘75. The Imperial car line was gone for 1976. In 1976 the flagship car for the Chrysler Corporation became the Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, which was basically just a rebranded Imperial LeBaron. There were no more Imperials until 1981-1983.
@@erichiatt6119 By 1990, the Imperial returned as a soup-upped 4-door New Yorker.
I love listening to this guy. Could have a radio show.
Thank you Bill for everything you do to bring these classics to us. She giving all she had at 85 MPH beautiful Car.
Can you imagine listening in on that phone call from Frank to Lee after his car died? I bet it was epic!
Ha! Right?
I'm sure he cussed him out ...
What a beautiful car, have wanted one of these since they first launched. As a teenager in rainy old England this looked impossibly glamorous, like a slice of Palm Springs on wheels. Those crisp fender lines, sleek grille and lights, and that nostalgic bustleback .... I had not seen the connection to the Daimler limousine until this video. A design triumph, what a shame it had so many troubles. I would have this today in a heartbeat.
Good stuff, Bill, you lower my general life discomfort with every one of your episodes. You are never allowed to stop.
I remember this car, back in 81 I decided against it, bought the 81 dodge mirada instead. 20k vs 12k, I was only 17 at the time, 1st car so 👍🏼 light blue, slant 6, loaded,,, what a great car that Mirada was.
That's the same as me! In Chicagoland and 17 couldn't get the financing on the Imperial so I bought '81, "82, & '83 Cordoba s. All 318's and slow as all hell. But loved the styling.
Good evening Bill from Ron in Manchester UK, we have had rain all day. Sorry the weather is awful, I hate the hot weather it makes me sweat. What a fantastic car Bill
Back to back uploads, a Tuesdee and a Weds pair? What a joy! Thanks Bill!
You're the Denis Leary of car reviewers. Love it!
I have to say your weather reports and Wildlife reports are truly some of my favorite parts of these reviews. Keep it up . Cheers mate
This was easily one of the best looking 30's throwback, luxury designs of the era. Would love to see you do a Dodge Mirada, the personal sport-lux car from the same early 80's press. Good stuff.
Mid 60's Imperials, the 65 -66 in particular were built so well and so heavy that they had to ban them in the 80's on in demolition derby's because they were basically unstoppable. They destroyed everything.
It has something to do with the frame. Lader style? It's the same system that was used in heavy equipment like fire trucks. The engine and all the important parts were protected inside the frame.
If you ever see one with the original wood interior bits, there's a reason the wood has such a deep color. They were the last ones treated with whale oil.
It was so effective at destruction derby in large part b/c the radiator was mounted very far within the hood, meaning that all the crashing didn’t impact the radiator & cause the coolant to leak out
I know an entertainer when I hear one. The man is a born- comedian. Anyone can talk cars on RUclips from a script but not everyone can entertain for 48 minutes.
Great review of a rare car, thanks Bill!
We read some time ago in what we think was an old 1971 New Car Annual, the issues that Chrysler had trying to buoy the Imperial in the marketplace. They did try to get some Imperial dealerships going; apparently only one took hold. Like you said, probably lack of funding resulted in the Imperial never being a serious contender in the luxury car marketplace.
The 1981 Imperial, at $18,400, had the highest base MSRP of any American production car - higher than the Seville/El Dorado, Mark VI and the Corvette.
You would've thought Lee would've learned from the giant mistakes made at Lincoln when they price tagged the Versailles at over $20k in 78, and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't sell...
@@adamtrombino106 At a base MSRP of $12,500, the 1978 Versailles REALLY WAS a tarted-up Granada. The Imperial, although it resembled and was heavilly based upon the Cordoba, was hand-built, with hand fittment of body panels and interior assemblies. As such, the Imperial had truely astounding build quality for the time: when the two Chrysler cars were examined side-by-side, it was easy to see the superiority of the Imperial's door fit, panel gaps and trim alignment, for instance. Although well-trimmed, the Versailles is not substantially different from the Granada in this respect. The Imperial's quality was more expensive to produce, and that high price came with real, visible advantages, but the car's horribly unreliable fuel injection was unforgivable and ultimately its undoing.
Well, I'm sure Iacocca was under the delusion people from the 40's through the 60's were still alive and carried the name.... Top end Imperials of that era were the most expensive US manufactured cars and stickered the same as a Rolls for a few years. LOL! talk about delusion.
@@chuckhaugan4970 I appreciate the sentiment, Chuck, but there was always a big price difference between those two makes, and it's widened over time. My fully-loaded '67 Imperial LeBaron, the most expensive American luxury sedan, stickered at $8K, about half of the MSRP of the cheapest RR in '67. By '75, my Silver Shadow (again, the lowest-priced RR) was $42K, compared to the fully-loaded '75 Imperial at $12K, about one-quarter the RR's price. The imperial's true price trended down throughout the '60s & 70s while RR's trended sharply up. As an Imperial lover, I'm saddened by the cheapening of the Imperial car and image that predicated this "bargain" pricing, something that RR never attempted to do.
@@bobtepedino5661 I feel your pain!!! I'm a Chrysler 300 guy and consider the 65, "L" not worthy of letter series designation, as the performance options left the Chrysler line to compete with the pony cars. Sadly, the decline of Chrysler began with their modular design, back in the mid 60's. Let's face it, Chrysler built better cars, mechanically, than Ford and GM, but blundered with reliance of Exner's designs for a few too many years. By the time Chrysler righted the design department, in the late 60's, it was too late.
My first car was a 66, 300, coupe, fully optioned. Wish I never sold it. And, my 300K, I bought years later. Those cars were quality built and had performance even for 4000 pounds, with the aerodynamics of a brick. I miss that era.
As always another one for the books!!! I'm loving it Bill!!! Please keep finding the classics and I love the history lessons!!!!
I literally snorted when you called it the "garbage-truck Seville"... absolutely perfect description. 🤣😂
Imperials, of any iteration, earn my interest.
Thanks for doing the Imperial! Thankfully the antenna was electric , so that one has been retro fitted at some stage . Like you said it is a beautiful car
Someone said earlier the cb option required a fixed antenna. Makes sense.
Bill you and I would get along wonderfully!! We are both negative as hell!!! I love it so much!!
This is the definitive review of an early 80s imperial. The car certainly seems to suit you, Bill! That interior is the sort of old school American luxury that you just can't find anymore. I'd consider turning those seats into living room furniture... the exterior certainly is the most unique of the personal luxury cars, and I think pulled off the bustle back look quite well.
"This is going to be a quick review"
Posts 48 minute review.
🤪
Watching your videos is like reminiscing with an old and dear friend so please don’t change a thing.
This is a very cool channel. Glad to see someone reviewing and giving the history of these cars. Happy new subscriber. Oh, my old man lives in Florida, forget that weather!
Might I suggest the BMW i3 video. He’s absolutely hilarious when he doesn’t like a car.
Bill must not be on blood thinners...YET!
Bill alludes to the Continental Mark III in "69 being built on a T-Bird chassis. I come from a Fords-only family... but mostly underpowered station wagons and Galaxies. When my dad bought my mom a brand new '68 T-Bird 2-door with the 429, loaded will all the options (thank God no vinyl top...it was white and very sleek as a result), that car was like no Ford I'd ever known. Total dream car with a killer ride. Miss those days. The only aftermarket we did was replace the squishy factory shocks with heavy duty Gabriel Steady Riders....didn't hurt the boulevard ride, but made the car amazingly stable, supple with bumps and dips, and nimble for its size. Total luxo beast. We love you Bill!
Tell us all about the Rich Corinthian leather Bill.
Mark Cross leather in this one, Paulie - Ricardo got the boot.
@@curiouscars9282
You got to do a Ricardo Montalban with the Cordoba Bill
"You got your lights over here... you pull those they'll come on."
The absolute best of Bill !!!
That imperial looking mint! It's a beautiful car. It's Hot and sticky here in New Orleans! Mosquitoes are playing the second line band in my ear 4:29! You'll know when the boss came around back then!
Possibly the best weather report intro yet. I have never heard someone describe so well how I feel about Florida weather this time of year. Seriously, well done.
Only waited 19:22 for the Frank connection. What a story, and I don't just mean the Frank connection, but the whole story. Bill is my go to car historian. I just listen at work like its the radio or something!
Is there REALLY a Frank?? Or could it be Bill window channeling his own personal Tyler whilst roaming about after midnight in search of tallow, fisticuffs and the sweet release of sin(s) that only AC could quickly find its purchase.
Things that make one go "hmmmm"..
@@dhranch4627 - I remember the Frank edition. Don't know if I ever saw one but there was a tv commercial
Great job Bill. Humidity is humidity. We have had a dew point above 70 degrees all summer. Kennedale , Texas. All good !
This was an absolute treat thank you very much for the review it was very entertaining!
At 14 my dad taught me how to expertly parallel park on this beast. He said if you can park this, you can park anything. He wasn't wrong. Although we could only park on sunny days because it never started when it was even slightly damp out.
"Peak shit weather". I spat my coffee everywhere when Bill said that. I still can't stop laughing.
I’m not a fan of many chrome-laden cars from 1970s-1980s. I’m not a huge fan of personal luxury coupes. But these Imperials where and still are to my eye, one of the most attractive cars ever designed by any automaker, and certainly among my top 10 of any vehicle ever offered by the Chrysler corporation, as a production model or even concept.
The lamp covers are still functional...
NICE ! ! !
We got them going - needed a little tweaking by Keith the mechanic.
-“honestly, I hope they’re coming for me for some reason, so they can take me off to jail, which I’m sure is air conditioned to like 70° at taxpayer expense.
I also get a nice meal for lunch and the attention of some friendly inmate….”
I’m almost in tears, laughing.
Bill is simply the greatest.
We saw one several weeks ago, here in metro Atlanta, parked in front of a business. When we were driving back the opposite way, it was gone. We would have parked to look at it, it was the light blue color. These were beautiful.
Just saw one IDENTICAL to this at Mecum Auction in Harrisburg, PA. If a car ever deserved a 440... and a LETTER... this was it. FABULOUS!!! Thanks for sharing this! ♥
My family had a 1980 Cordoba. They and these Imperials were all made in my home town of Windsor Ontario Canada. The economic times were not good and there was a major effort to make these cars lighter. The result was a truly abysmal build quality. It may or may not be considered a classical styling success, but as a reliable car of lasting quality it was an unmitigated disaster. Sad times for North American automobiles.
Did your Cordoba have fine Corinthian leather?
@@jeffe4297 Yes, it had white genuine leather...and a fake, canvas 'convertible' top.
I love Bill’s attitude😊!!! I’m amazed this car only had a 318!
I believe by 1980 that was the big engine for Chrysler cars. The 360 and up were for trucks or police spec vehicles only.
@@christopherconard2831 I recall a 383
@@ThePrissy11 that was Chrysler's big engine prior to 1966
@@danielulz1640 Yeah but by ‘81 they had the 383 and even a 440
@@christopherconard2831 I believe the 383 was available even since the ‘70s
I always thought these looked amazing. Still does!
I had never heard the "Garbage truck" nickname for that bodystyle of seville, but Holy hell you had me in stitches with the accuracy of that statement!
With all that deep pile carpet I’d probably be terrified to smoke in it too. That thing would probably light up like a dollar store fur coat if an ash ever hit it
dollar store fur coat 😂😂😂
Sheepdog carpeting & red-hot seat ornament. The guy keeps the creative whiskey inspired juices alive in this one!
It was a beautiful design, albeit on an existing platform. I love the fact that it copies all the other luxury cars of the era, Lincoln nose, Seville back. A failure, but now…….look how good those lines are.
I bought a new 1976 Plymouth Volare four door sedan with the 318 V8 and a four speed manual with the transverse torsion bars. I couldn't keep the car in line .Had the car's front end lined up seven times within the little over three years I had it . Within the first year I had the car Everything electrical failed on the car. The radio at fifty miles quit . The battery at 1500 miles .The starter,the headlights ,the backup light switch that operated the back up lights . The wiring harness shorted out because they routed the wires through the firewall across the clutch lever,and it rubbed through the harness,and shut the car down . The cigarette lighter wouldn't work from the start ,and I never smoked in the car. My wife went to use it after I had the car a year,and it wouldn't even heat up.The left rear leaf spring broke in three pieces. Now mind you ,I have always been very meticulous about caring for all my cars ,but this piece of a Chrysler abortion , I couldn't keep up with it however ,the engine, the transmission,the clutch , brakes ,and the rear differential I never had a problem with. One more thing ,it rusted right through the fenders within a year.After all that I can truthfully say ,I never had a problem with the dealer about warranty issues ,none. I ordered this car from the factory also.I ended up putting a little over a hundred thousand miles on it in almost four years ,but at what a hassle with problems . True story. Very nice Videos coming from you .Take care ,and stay safe ,and cool down there . I live in Port Clinton , Ohio...
"I don't know how fast I was going officer. The top speed is 85!" 🤷♂️
That bit about " the brain not working like it used to, if it ever did" that got me in stitches .)))
Beautiful car. Can't say I have ever seen this one before though. Great job as always Bill!!
Cheers
Kevin
If you ever find yourself having a terrible day, just cue up one of these Curious Cars videos and Bill will remind you just how bad it can get for somebody. Then, you'll get an absolute wealth of knowledge on a vehicle with that immeasurable, sarcastic wit and character with little nuggets about coronavirus whiskey treatments, the business being sold off along with himself and finished with a cruise along the freeway. Absolute gem. Nothing like it on RUclips and I can't click on these episodes fast enough. Bill is a master.
I feel your pain, having grown up in the Philly burbs. But now I’m in AZ…except for the past two weeks our humidly, normally between 8 - 12%, has been in the 40% range, due to the monsoon season..
40% lol
It’s hot and wet outside right now I’m in Phoenix right now can’t wait for the summer to be over
"It doesn't have a Chrysler emblem on it anywhere"............30 sec's later...."It does have a Chrysler hood ornament"
Isn't that that corporation emblem and not the brand emblem?
How about you make some car videos and we will bitch and gripe for no reason so we can feel superior to everybody.
I always liked the sculpture of this Imperial. Great profile.
It's simultaneously classy and kinda mean looking. I like it.
This car is so incredibly beautiful it actually shocked me. I'm a big fan of American cars(I'm from Europe), and almost all Personal Luxury Cars are very beautiful to me, but this one is really something special.
Gorgeous car, styling ahead of it's time.
Thanks for mentioning the NASCAR Imperial that Buddy Arrington drove. I remember the last race that car ran in. Dr. Jerry Punch covered it (if I remember correctly) on ESPN. It was the last Mopar to run in NASCAR until Dodge introduced the Intrepid.
If Bill ever moved to a place with nice weather his videos would only be half as long.
Never even knew this existed! Pretty cool. Not surprised nobody bought it.
I remember seeing this car for the 1st time, on the movie “Canonball Run”.
It was an Imperial Limo!
Don't complain about the nice weather of Florida.
Come here in Canada and see how terrible whether is look like.
I love your videos, thank you very much.
The 1966 Imperial is my favorite. Really like the styling and has the 440 engine.
Last of the body on frame Imperials.
Hey Bill I had to stay home from Work today from heat exhaustion. Anybody that gives you crap about complaining about the heat needs to catch a little taste of the stomach cramps and chills I have right now. Preach on brotherman.
Of the downsized luxury coupes that were available after the luxurious peak in 1978, this was by far the best-looking one until the 1993 Lincoln Mark 8!
😂 This Imperial was the best looking coupe until the 93 Mark 8 ? 😂 What about The Lincoln Mark 6 ? Even the Caddy Coupe Deville is better than the Imperial ! And what about the Olds Toronado, The Buick Riviera and the Cadillac Eldorado ?
@@makoshark69x96 Even back in the day, the mark VI was considered a boring car. also, the Tornado and riv both lost their stunning good looks by that time. They looked like nearly everything else Olds and buick had at that time. The Eldo was ok, I find it meh.
Now the buick Reatta? *swoon*
I only tune in for the weather report oh and to listen to birds pissing him off!.
$21,000 in 1980 would be just about $70,000 today, are you kidding me? For a Chrysler? 🤯
Boss whip
Timeless beauty. Would love to own one. You have convinced me never to go to Floriduh. I'll happily dwell here in the High Desert of New Mexico. Our humidity today is 13%.
Nice to see Bill closing in on the coveted silver play button plaque 👍🏽
I had a red one with red leather interior, in the mid 90s. Very nice looking, running and handling. No rust. All digital dash. Only paid a few hundred dollars for it. I had no idea they were so expensive new.
I painted it flat black, rattle can style. I called it the Batmobile. Lol. (Yes I was an Idiot!)
Wish I still had it.
33:32 Aw man, brings back memories. Mine didn't have the CB though, just stock radio, power antenna. It talked too, "The door is ajar" surprised me the first time it did that.
Glad to see you back Bill, your Florida weather is making me jealous. I am enjoying Scottish Summer rain this week
I would love some Scottish summer rain right now.
@@curiouscars9282 We can swap lives for a week haha!
Thanks for all the great vids Bill. I binge watch them all the time. I really enjoy the history lessons. As a Gen-X I enjoy seeing lots of cars from my youth. Keep up the great work.
There was a limo version that used dodge st Regis front doors and the imperial doors were used as the back doors. Burt Reynolds owned one and it was used as a military limo in cannonball run 2. Coincidentally, frank sinatra was in that movie as well in a dodge Daytona. In one scene Dean Martin and Sammy davis jr are supposed to cut off the limo in a C4 Corvette, but they accidentally used the Daytona. Another goof involved Homer Lyle, a Gomer Pyle parody played by the same actor. When they drop.him off on the side of the road and drive away, the car is a cadillac Seville bustle back. I guess they figured no one would notice LOL.
it was also used in the first episode of the A-Team , looks great too
I had this exact car and loved it. One thing I did do was get rid of the fuel injection system and switched it to 4bbl carburetor and manifold from a 340. Worked fine after that.
I’ve always referred to Imperials as “Imperials”, rather than “Chrysler Imperial”. But earlier Imperials had model names like Crown, Newport, Southampton and LeBaron. This one didn’t have any model name, although Chrysler didn’t appear anywhere on the outside of the car. So this may be the reason for the confusion over whether “Imperial” was a marque or a model name.
However it was marketed, the doors, front fenders and maybe the hood were the same stampings as for the Cordoba.
@@EstormM8 bolt on front and rear. I had an 82 Cordoba and took the front header off once. Could’ve easily put an Imperial front end on it. I think the trunk lid was different on the Imperial.
You're amazing! Keep doing these intriguing videos. Love your insightful analysis with the spattering of dry humor involving your cats, various annoying birds et al.