Vehicle Description
You could be forgiven for thinking that this massive 1966 Chrysler
Imperial Crown 4-door hardtop was a Lincoln; after all, it was
designed by Elwood Engle, the same man responsible for the suicide
door Lincolns of the 1960s. The Imperial is every bit an equal for
the Lincoln, and perhaps out-performs the Blue Oval on the road,
offering superlative handling and a great deal of horsepower under
the hood.
If you're going to drive a giant luxury sedan with the exclusivity
of a country club, then you really need to paint it black. Black
looks better on Engle's work than almost any other color and it
makes the already gigantic Imperial look about the size of a
locomotive. In truth, the styling is restrained and conservative,
but you can see the elements that make it familiar: the slab-sided
bodywork with minimal ornamentation, that long strip of chrome
running from nose to tail, and, of course, the unique design of the
trunk lid. If you want to make a grand entrance, few cars can do it
better than this. The paint is in very nice shape, and shows only
minor signs of age and use, but it doesn't seem to diminish the
car's impact and we'd urge just leaving it as-is or maybe giving it
a buff to bring up the shine a bit, because it really is that nice.
All the original chrome and stainless trim is completely intact,
from the imposing grille up front to the heavy door handles to the
cool eagle medallion on the trunk that also doubles as the gas
filler door. And adding just a touch more of sophistication is the
elegant vinyl roof. If '60s cool is your thing, there's nothing
cooler than this.
The interior is still big luxury, with a conservative look that
fits the mid-60s perfectly. The odd square steering wheel from
previous years is gone and the dash is a bit more conventional, but
you'll note it still offers a cool ribbon-style speedometer and a
full array of secondary gauges. Aircraft-style switches mange the
lights, wipers, and other controls and there's a column-shifter for
the TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic. The ornate steering wheel is in
fantastic shape, something you rarely see on these cars, and for
being entirely original, the leather seats and carpets are holding
up incredibly well, although some light wear-and-tear is
noticeable. Power windows were standard equipment in 1966 and this
car carries factory A/C, which remained an option, although it does
need to be serviced. There's also the original AM/FM stereo still
in the factory slot, which is a nice addition, but not quite as
cool as Chrysler's Auto Pilot system that was ordered with this
car. Back seat space is cavernous and, as you'd expect, that long
rear deck conceals one of the largest trunks of all time, complete
with a full-sized spare tire.
The ultimate luxury is power, and the 440 cubic inch engine is one
of the motors that powered Chrysler products to wins on the drag
strip. Of course, in the Imperial, it's impeccably smooth and
torquey, able to move that massive bodywork without breaking a
sweat and it's a spectacular high-speed cruiser. Fully rebuilt
approximately 8k miles ago, the engine bay looks largely stock,
dominated by the big air cleaner and A/C compressor, but it's all
there like the factory intended. There are signs of maintenance
throughout, so it's ready for a worry-free road trip and lives up
to its reputation. Underneath, the power brakes are responsive and
there are newer shocks all around, so that smooth torsion bar ride
is 100% intact. There's a newer exhaust system as well that gives
it a muted hum that's wholly appropriate, and factory wheels wear
bespoke Imperial hubcaps and 235/75/15 whitewall radials all
around.
A relatively rare car that gets a lot of attention, these Imperials
are criminally under-valued compared to period Lincolns and
Cadillacs, making this a great opportunity. Call now!
