Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an exceptionally straight
and rust free and great daily driving survivor of this very rare
and original Mopar - a 1958 Chrysler Imperial Crown Convertible
with its original 392/345HP V8 engine - t his 1958 Imperial is a
one of the last true 392ci Hemi cars which makes this beauty very
desirable and it is the last year for the Hemi to come in an
Imperial. This was one of the most expensive cars produced in 1958
and is extremely rare with a total production of only 675 Crown
Convertibles ever built and only a handful to ever survive. This is
one of the nicest 1958's to become available in the last several
years and we are fortunate enough to be able to offer it for sale
as they are now very thin on the ground and exceedingly rare to
find. This beauty has been mostly completely restored only as
required through the years and is rust free and solid as a rock and
she is super straight which is wonderful for such a huge car with
such large expanses of sheet metal; that is a testament to the
restorer. These 1950's Chrysler Hemi cars are now extraordinarily
rare and very desirable and very hard to find in this type of
outstanding condition.It's loaded with the following
equipment:392ci 345hp Hemi V8 EngineTorque-Flite Push Button
Automatic transmissionReupholstered amp; Correct Specification Full
Leather Interior TrimPower SteeringPower BrakesPower
WindowsOptional Power Door Locks4-Way Power Front SeatPower
AntennaOriginal AM RadioWhite Wall TiresFull Floor
CarpetingDirectional SignalsHeater amp; DefrosterAll Chrome
redoneOne of very few such remaining examples and a top-of-the-line
model for the Chrysler Corporation.This mostly original car was
only restored as necessary over the years with recent new paint and
leather interior and a convertible top and boot. Gorgeous inside
and out with a solid frame. This is a beautiful, very rare and
nicely almost fully optioned 1958 Imperial Crown Convertible in
excellent condition inside and out. This car is finished with a
beautiful 'Garnet Maroon' exterior color paint complimented by an
outstanding fully reupholstered tan leather interior. Overall, this
car is in exceptional condition and is a very rare
find.Mechanically, the engine and transmission run flawlessly and
she drives with no issues at all! The original 392ci 345hp Hemi
engine makes moving this great car seem effortless. The motor fires
right up and runs as good as new. This 1958 Imperial Crown
Convertible is one of the rarest and hardest to find 50's classic
cars on the market today and the enthusiast has a very unique
opportunity here to own such a rare and original car. We have
priced her to sell and you will look long and hard to find a finer
example, or indeed even any other example for that matter,
available anywhere else!One advantage of Imperials of this vintage
was their strength; their crashworthiness got them banned from most
demolition derbies for being too durable and too tough to take
down. Unlike the rest of the Chrysler Corporation makes (Chrysler,
De Soto, Dodge and Plymouth), that began unibody construction for
1960, the Imperial retained separate full perimeter frames for
rigidity through the 1966 model year. These substantial frames had
a box cross section with crossmembers forming an 'X'. The drive
shaft passed through a hole in the 'X' frame. The parking brake
gripped the drive shaft, and was not connected to the rear drum
brakes prior to the 1963 model year.Another advantage was that
Imperial, and all Mopars, received "Torsion-Aire" suspension for
1957. Torsion-Aire was an indirect-acting, torsion-bar front
suspension system which reduced unsprung weight and shifted the
car's center of gravity downward and rearward. Torsion-bar
suspension on the front combined with multi-leaf springs on the
rear provided a smoother ride and improved handling. Pillarless
hardtops, in both two and four door configurations, got the
Southampton designation. Chrysler's best car was spun off as a
separate make and division beginning with the 1955 models and what
a terrific car it was! Chrysler now had 5 divisions with a line up
of cars to match GM in every market level with the Imperial as it's
top-of-the-line model directly aimed at Cadillac and Lincoln.
Styled by Virgil Exner along the lines of his 1954 Parade Phaeton
show cars. A wraparound 'Super Scenic' windshield made it's first
appearance and power was supplied by Chrysler's Hemi V8 to ensure
the car's heritage as a true and rare milestone car.The Imperial
model of the mid 50's and early 60's sold well and remained a
strong contender with Cadillac and Lincoln, the two other luxury
marques of its day. The 1963 mild face lift design was reminiscent
of Virgil Exner's earlier designs and especially the Lincoln
Continental which he had styled for Ford. By 1964 the Imperial was
completely 'Continental' in character with its fenderline traced in
brightwork like the big Lincolns and about the only left over in
the design being the familiar hood ornament. Even the dash panel
was completely redesigned.The 1957 model year was based to an even
greater degree on Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" styling (also used
on other full-size Chryslers of the period). It featured a
"biplane" front bumper a full-width egg crate grille and quad
headlights (where legal). Taller tailfins now encompassed the
trademark gunsight taillights and framed a downward tapering
decklid that met the rear bumper. Curved side glass was employed
for the first time on a U.S. production car. The Hemi engine with a
displacement enlarged to 392 cu in (6.4 L) was standard for
1957-58. Power seats and dual exhaust were made standard across the
line. A convertible was available for the first time on an Imperial
and only offered in the mid-range Crown series. 1958 Imperial Crown
convertibleStyling changes for 1958 were limited to the front
grille and bumper. Quad headlights became standard. The 1958
Imperial is credited with the introduction of cruise control, which
was called "Auto-Pilot", and was available on the Imperial, and on
Chrysler New Yorker and Windsor models. Power door locks were
another new option. Dealers were frustrated with buyers referring
to the cars as a "Chrysler Imperial", which inhibited sales as
Chrysler was not seen as having Cadillac or Lincoln's prestige. It
didn't help that Imperial continued to be sold at Chrysler
dealerships, instead of standalone dealers, although it did have a
separate "Imperial" dealership sign.This elegant 1958 Chrysler
Imperial was the pinnacle of luxury for the 50s with options most
cars of today could only dream of. A very rare and expensive car of
the day as there were only 675 produced. Loaded with power
equipment like power windows, power convertible top, 6 way power
seat, push button Torque Flite automatic transmission, power
mirror, quad headlights, and so much more. Under the skin, the
massive, legendry and powerful Chrysler Hemi was both bored and
stroked out to 392 cubic inches, and was capable of producing 345
hp. It also had enough torque to hoist the nearly 5,000-pound car
to 60 mph in under 9.5 seconds and the quarter mile in just 17
seconds at over 80 mph. The suspension was the most advanced in the
industry, with new torsion bars in front and exceptionally
well-engineered Hotchkiss drive with semi-eliptic springs at the
rear, as well as the famous Torqueflight three-speed automatic
transmission that debuted late in 1956. Chryslers own power
steering system and Airtemp air conditioning systems were standard
and optional, respectively. These Imperials had ultra smooth rides
thanks to a 149.5 inch wheel base that was over 20in longer than
the Eldorado of the day. In terms of styling, the ...for more
information please contact the seller.
