Did Chrysler really build the best top luxury car

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To the original question, "Did Chrysler really build the best top luxury car?" I think the answer is a resounding "YES".
 
Yes

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https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/flashy-firepower-1958-chrysler-300d
 
When Imperial was on there own and right after Chrysler purchased them up making a few changes, for a while they were a seriously sweet top of the line car. Incredibly expensive and highly sought after by Hollywood’s elite and top money makers of the United States back in the day.

IMO, is a shame the “Imperial“ brand fell to the way side of just a model dumbed down and cheapened to a high line and then down to a low line Chrysler.

The ride was super amazing.
When was Imperial a stand alone brand? LeBaron were old coach builders and Chrysler farmed out some body production to them back when you could order a body from your favorite builder...but I have never known Imperial being a separate company.
 
I'll just leave this right here and let you decide.


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I owned the twin to that. Mine was a 59 with a 413 . 60k miles .
Black with silver leather power swivel seats, cruise , pw, music master radio with foot operated search , auto headlight dimmers . Everything worked! 1 owner car. A little old lady in a small mountain towns that wrote Harlequin Novels.
I worked for a CPD/Nissan dealer at thetime and one of the Nissan techs said " You could make a Sentra out of the bumper ! " Lol
 
Originally Imperial was a seperate franchise for Chrysler . It was not a
" Chrysler Imperial " it was an Imperial. They were more expensive than a Lincoln or Cadi .

Go to the Imperialowners.com website. It has a ton of tech info applicable to all Mopars .
 
My grandfather was a luxury car guy born in the early 1930s. Early in his life he preferred 50s Lincolns and in the 70s 80s Liked Cadillac.
 
For me, it would be a Cadillac.
It's all about personal preference especially styling, but all of the luxury cars were pretty close in my opinion.
I just like the styling that Cadillac had pretty much with all years............
 
The Imperial was the equal or superior of the others. It was every inch a proper luxury car. We owned a 71 300 and it was an excellent road car. The Imperial would have been even better. I believe 71 Imperial was also the first car with factory anti-lock brakes.

Why there aren't as many around, well, they didn't make as many. Plenty were also demo derby'd. Pity.
 
My dad was a Cadillac guy. 49/53/ then a '58 that was incredible, our first 2 dr. and it was black, that car I remember well. My older brothers beat the hell out of that. His last was a '80 Eldorado, but the '58 was the one I drove sitting next to him. Looked like this, except spokes

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Drove a 76 Coupe DeVille from So. Cal to Chicago in '89. Got pulled over in Texas, 1/4 mile from the OK border clocked at 95. I was confused as the speedo read 80ish. It had the wrong gear in it after a transmission swap. Trooper let us Marines off with a warning! "If I catch you Marines speeding in Texas again, Ill give you a ticket..." Cool. That car just floated at 95, seemed like 80. Got T-boned on the outskirts of Chicago by a drunk at a protected green turn signal. No one hurt, no insurance on either side, both walked away!
 
I owned a '64 Continental several years ago. My brother owned a '65 New Yorker at the same time. Both had roughly the same amenities... power windows, power seats, etc.

The Chrysler had a rear cigar lighter, its "luxury" features seemed better thought out, while the Lincoln's seemed gimmicky. But the Connie had that Cartier clock, so...

The Chrysler rode better and got better gas mileage, but the Lincoln had the bitchin suicide doors...

The Lincoln was an electrical nightmare, lots of first-year or one-year-only's. The Chrysler was much easier to work on, the hood opening was bigger. The Chrysler was also easier to get parts for.
 
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