For the 1955 model year, Chrysler pulled Imperial out of its own lineup and set it up as a separate division. From then on, the Imperial brand aimed squarely at Cadillac and Lincoln. That arrangement lasted through 1975. Later, it came back for a short run from 1981 to 1983.

These six cars span both periods. Their engines and production figures come from the Imperial Club’s model-year guides, as well as other marque histories.

1. 1955 Imperial, the brand’s first year

The first Imperial sold as its own make was a Virgil Exner design. It belonged to the “Forward Look” restyle and drew on his 1952–1955 Parade Phaeton show cars. Buyers could choose a Newport two-door hardtop, a Custom four-door sedan or a Crown limousine. At the rear corners, gunsight-style taillights perched on chrome strips. Up front, the car also wore an eggcrate grille and gold-and-chrome eagle emblems on the hood.

Power came from a new 331-cubic-inch Hemi V8, sold as the FirePower. It made 250 horsepower and teamed with the two-speed PowerFlite automatic, according to the Imperial Club’s 1955 guide. Imperial sold 11,432 cars that first year, Mac’s Motor City Garage notes. By comparison, Cadillac sold more than 140,000.

2. 1961 Imperial

Exner reached back to the classic era for 1961. First, he set the headlights in freestanding pods on either side of a bold grille. The Imperial Club’s guide also singles out the soaring rear fins as unmatched by any other Imperial year. In addition, the car carried “sparrow-strainer” taillights and a push-button dashboard laid out in symmetrical banks. Even the steering wheel had an oblong shape, meant to free up legroom.

The Imperial Club’s 1961 spotter’s guide notes that the 413-cubic-inch wedge-head V8 was in its third year. It carried over largely unchanged. The guide also notes that the FliteSweep decklid appeared only in 1961.

3. 1964 Imperial Crown

Designer Elwood Engel restyled the 1964 Imperial. In fact, the Imperial Club’s guide points out its family resemblance to the early-1960s Lincolns he had also shaped. That year, the Crown was the entry Imperial. It came as a pillarless coupe and a convertible, while the LeBaron sat above it.

Every 1964 Imperial used the 413 V8 with the push-button TorqueFlite three-speed. Also, 1964 was the last year for those buttons outside the Ghia limousine. Chrysler built only 922 Crown convertibles, with a base price of $6,003, according to the Imperial Club’s 1964 guide.

4. 1957–1965 Crown Imperial limousine by Ghia

For buyers who wanted a chauffeur, Imperial shipped cars across the Atlantic to Ghia in Italy. There, Ghia converted them into hand-built limousines. To begin with, the first batch was 25 cars. Hagerty notes the buyers included film stars, governors, dictators and company presidents. Meanwhile, the 1964 guide counts just 10 limousines for that year.

Across 1957 to 1965, Ghia built 132 of them, according to Hagerty’s look at a 1960 example. New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller ordered that car, and today it sits on display at the AACA Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is also the only 1960 Crown Imperial without a third side window behind the rear doors.

5. 1969 Imperial LeBaron

The 1969 Imperials introduced Chrysler’s “fuselage” styling. Rounded bodywork replaced the squarer lines of 1967 and 1968, and hidden headlights arrived for the first time. The LeBaron also added a two-door hardtop that year, and it outsold the two-door Crown. However, there was no convertible in 1969. It was also the final year for a four-door sedan.

All 1969 Imperials used a 440-cubic-inch V8 rated at 350 bhp. Meanwhile, total production rose to 22,083 cars from 15,367 in 1968, according to the Imperial Club’s 1969 guide.

6. 1981–1983 Imperial

The Imperial brand returned as a separate make for 1981, this time as a two-door coupe. It rode on the J-body Cordoba’s 112.7-inch wheelbase and wore a bustle-back tail. Production took place at Windsor, Ontario. Its 318-cubic-inch V8 used electronic fuel injection and made 140 horsepower. However, that injection proved troublesome, so dealers converted a fair number of cars to carburetors. The base price was $18,311.

In all, Chrysler built 12,385 of these Imperials: 8,113 for 1981, 2,717 for 1982 and 1,555 for 1983. Of that total, 516 were Frank Sinatra editions in Glacier Blue, according to Ate Up With Motor’s history of the car. Finally, Mac’s Motor City Garage records 1983 as the end of Imperial’s second run as its own division.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.