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 southern California 1957 Chrysler Imperial
'Crown' South Hampton 2 Door 6 passenger Hardtop boasting it's
original 'Champagne Gold' factory color paint with with its
original 'Dark Gray Leather amp; Light Gray Metallic leather '
(Trim code 83) factory interior amp; it's original 392c.i.
FirePower 325HP 4BBl V8 engine and factory options including; air
conditioning, TorqueFlite automatic transmission, leather interior,
power steering, power brakes, power windows, full floor carpeting,
electric clock, full wire wheel covers, front amp; rear pull down
armrests and with added factory options including:Air
ConditioningDual Headlights323 Heater amp; Defroster324 Rear Window
Defogger325 Power Brakes326 6 Way Power Front Seat327 Power
Steering328 Power Windows331 Vanity Mirror332 Solex Glass334 Tilt
Mirror349 Dual Headlights351 Power Antenna356 Electro Touch radio
including rear seat speaker357 Flitesweep DecklidOption Group #3
includes rear window defroster (most options available for 1957)
One of very few such remaining examples especially in such
original, unmolested and documented condition and a top-of-the-line
model for the Chrysler Corporation. The decodes from the Chrysler
Historical Services Production Record is attached in the
photos.This particular car has always been owned since new by only
obviously very careful and mature owners and it is a southern
California car which has seemingly always been garaged as it is
both a rust and accident free true survivor! Imperials most popular
model year; 35,793 produced, including only 4,885 Crown Southampton
Two-Door Hardtops with the new for '57 392 cu. in. 325HP Firepower
V-8 engine with the legendary and flamboyant Virgil Exner styling,
the first year available with quad headlights and with what appears
to be a mostly all original factory interior. The car has been
owned for many year by an Imperial enthusiast who is very well
known in the 'Imperialist' community and boasts its original
392/325HP 4 barrel V8 engine which is extremely strong and powerful
and sounds absolutely magnificent and this particular car drives
absolutely magnificently - must be driven to be fully appreciated -
does not miss a beat and purrs like a kitten - drives straight as
an arrow with no strange road wobbles, shakes or rattles - a truly
remarkable daily driver that will give any modern day car a run for
it's money! The Torqueflite automatic transmission shifts smoothly
through the gears and the car is an absolute pleasure to drive! The
car has obviously always been well maintained and all the options
work as they should and the car boasts its original spare wheel and
jack in the trunk!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 big split eggcrate grille with parking and turn signal
lamps integrated atop the front bumper and the new streamlined
Imperial hood ornament was used up front with distinctive gunsight
tailights adorning the rear and sculpted flowing bodylines with
fully radiused rear wheel openings appearing in between with the
distinctive freestanding chrome trimmed tailights atop the rear
fenders. 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 and in 1956 a
newly enlarged 354 CID V8 engine powered the very lightly restyled
1956 model.The Hemi V8 received its first major upgrade this year
in the form of more displacement and increased compression ratio.
The new engine was 354 cubic inches and horsepower was up 30 to 280
@ 4600 rpm. The Powerflite transmission returned for one more
season in the Imperial but now featured the pushbutton shift
control from a pod mounted on the instrument panel instead of the
previous years one year only 'Finger Tip' shift lever located on
the instrument panel. The base Imperial line also gained a 12 volt
electrical system this year that helped support the growing number
of standard electrical features now common in all luxury cars. At
the front the cars were nearly identical to the 1955 with all the
big changes were at the rear of the car. It began with the chassis
and wheelbase of the base Imperial being stretched 3" at the rear.
This allowed for longer rear quarters with slightly redesigned full
length bodyside trim which wrapped around the larger tailfins. Also
rear bumpers were redesigned to better integrate into the body and
new rear quarters.In 1957, with a total redesign of the entire
Chrysler corporate line, the Imperial leapt leaps and bounds ahead
of the competition in terms of styling and design. The redesign
also brought Imperial a body that was not shared with other
Chrysler models, at last breaking the ties with Chrysler's lower
priced models. The Imperial followed the corporate theme of longer,
lower and wider as well as the sweeping tailfins and lower body
side trim. Imperial hardtops had a distinctive roofline that
distinquished them immediately from other cars, with the C-pillars
wrapping over the top. Beneath the rooflines was found the first
use of curved side windows. Inside the cars boasted all new clean
styled instrument panels and an array of new fabrics and patterns
for seats and door panels.Other new styling features included a new
mesh type grid pattern full width grille with front fenders that
overhang the dual headlamps. Single headlamps were still available
for buyers in states where the dual headlamps were actually still
illegal. Bodysides continued to be tastefully adorned and the rear
quarter panels sprouted taller tailfins. New for 1957 also was the
optional horizontal simulated Continental tire mounting stamped
into the trunk lid and adding a note of distinction and
exclusiveness to the car. A similar feature would later appear on
the 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury and the 1960-61 Valiant line.Under the
hood the new Imperial gained a new 392 CID V8 replacing the former
'Hemi' engine and it was mated to Chrysler's new 'Torqueflite'
automatic transmission and this new combination gave the Imperial a
powerplant comparable to any of it's rivals. The Imperial also now
offered a 'Crown' lineup which was the top-of-the-line and a step
up from the base Imperial lineup with the long wheel base limousine
models featuring a lavishly styled interior trim and a body custom
designed and built in Turin, Italy by Ghia. These changes made the
Chrysler 'Crown' Imperial a very exclusive custom built car owned
only by the very affluent few.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.With very few remaining 'Crown' Imperials of this
caliber left, this is an extremely unusual opportunity to own a
great daily driving and unmolested survivor example of this
virtually fully loaded and first year and rare and very desirable
and collectible 1957 Chrysler 'Crown' Imperial 2 Door South Hampton
Hardtop in very fine daily driving condition for any classic
American car or Mopar or indeed 'Imperialist' enthusiast to enjoy
or collect today!