Vehicle Description
You could be forgiven for thinking that this massive 1964 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, the single strip of chrome
running from nose to tail, and, of course, the simulated spare tire
on the trunk lid. If you want to make a grand entrance, few cars
can do it better than this. The paint is believed to be
all-original, and shows signs of age and use, but it doesn't seem
to diminish the car's impact and we might consider just leaving it
as-is and maybe giving it a buff to bring up the shine. All the
original chrome and stainless trim is completely intact, from the
split grille up front to the heavy door handles to the cool eagle
medallion on the trunk that also doubles as the gas filler door. 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 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 yes, that's a pushbutton TorqueFlite 3-speed
automatic, still the coolest way to change gears ever invented. The
translucent steering wheel is in fantastic shape, something you
rarely see on these cars, and for being entirely original, the
cloth and leather seats and carpets are holding up pretty well.
Power windows became standard equipment in 1964 and this car
carries factory A/C, which remained an option. There's also an
AM/FM/CD stereo hidden in the glove box, which is a nice addition.
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 413 cubic inch engine is a
relative 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. The engine bay is
largely original, dominated by the big air cleaner and A/C
compressor, but it's all there and in good working order. Recent
work includes a new water pump and radiator, a full tune up, a
rebuilt carburetor, and fresh belts and hoses, so it's ready for a
road trip and lives up to its reputation. Underneath, the brakes
have been rebuilt and there are new shocks all around, so that
smooth torsion bar ride is 100% intact. There's a newer muffler out
back that gives it a muted hum that's wholly appropriate, and
factory wheels wear bespoke Imperial hubcaps and new 235/75/15
whitewall radials.
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!
