The Chrysler Imperial makes for quite the unmistakable classic, the least of which comes because of its larger-than-life dimensions. Of course, unlike the other road barges of its time, this one also comes with plenty of power to please even the most finicky of buyers, back then, and even today.
Unlike other classics, the Imperial came so beautifully built, and we don’t just mean in looks. This means that as a classic car, it does not need much restoration and can be used as-is with minimal expense. If well-maintained, a classic Chrysler Imperial does not require too much money spent to keep it running.
But there are several other features in the Chrysler Imperial that make it an underrated classic and a car that provides tons of style with minimum money spend. Timeless classics don't get much better than this, especially if you’ve had it up to your neck with the classic muscle car mania.
So let’s talk about the 1965 Chrysler Imperial in particular, and what makes it stand out in the classic car bazaar.
8 It Was An Imperial, A Standalone Marque
We call it a Chrysler Imperial simply because it came from the house of Chrysler (now Stellantis) but basically, since 1955, the Imperial was the luxury marque of Chrysler and came pitted against Ford’s Lincoln and Chevy’s Cadillac. All Imperial cars came bearing Virgil Exner’s forward-look styling. And it became one of America's greatest cars that forever changed automotive history.
By 1965, there was the Imperial Crown, and above it came the Imperial LeBaron, both of which came in two-door and four-door options. The Imperial marque is largely defunct today, but at the time, it lasted all the way till 1975 and also resurfaced briefly from 1981 to 1983.
7 The Tom McCahill Stamp Of Approval
During the time of the Imperial, Tom McCahill was a renowned automotive journalist with a penchant for flowery prose, and coincidentally, he was a big Imperial fan. Each year, he’d buy the new Imperial model and waxed eloquent about the cars to all who would lend him an ear, or an eye.
He believed that despite its cumbersome size, the Imperial was in fact one of the best cars around in terms of power, performance, and speed, and claimed, “I have never found anything quite as comfortable or more capable of getting me to my destination as the Imperial LeBaron.”
6 100-Year-Old Claro Walnut Wood Trim
The 1965 Imperial came with a special Claro Walnut wood trim inside, and such was the Imperial’s eye for perfection that the wood used had to be very specific to the purpose. According to the ad copy of the time, it was mentioned that out of 52 pounds of 100-year-old Claro walnut wood, only eight ounces passed inspection and were deemed fit for the Imperial.
The very clear picture of bespoke luxury is what made some 18,000-plus Imperials sell in 1965, and the reason why true automobile cognoscenti know of it.
5 The Leather Seats Were A Class Apart
Along with wood trim, there was something really special about the leather used in the car as well, and Chrysler, or should we say, Imperial, made sure to maintain a kind of exclusivity about it as well.
Again, as per the advertising of the past year, there were bits of Argentine quebracho wood, bark from the South African waffle tree, and apparently, leaves from the Sicilian Sumac tree – all of which went into the Imperial leather to give it softness, smoothness, and a very, very fine patina indeed.
4 Many Of These Can Be Bought Single-Owner Driven
The Imperial came expensive at the time, enough to make it a savored buy for many of its drivers. Along with the expense, came the pride of owning an Imperial, and the fact that these were good cars with nary an issue. Reason enough for anyone who bought the Imperial to keep it for long.
Much like other luxury cars, the Imperial also did not enjoy high resale values, so the ones who bought the car usually kept them for long, and with the advent of modern cars, used them sparingly. The reason why today, many of the 1965 Imperial classics for sale often come single-owner-driven.
3 They Came Built Unbelievably Tough
While many of Chrysler’s other marques took on the unibody construction in 1961, the Imperial retained its separate full perimeter frames for frame strength and rigidity all the way till the 1966 models, moving on to unibody only in 1967.
These Imperials of the 1960s were so crashworthy and indestructible, they got banned from Demolition Derbies because they simply could not be taken down and out, and in turn, could inflict the maximum of damage on opponents.
2 It Had Its Very Own Platform
Unlike many other cars that shared platforms across the board of various marques, from 1957 onwards the Imperial rode on its own platform, setting it apart from the other cars from Chrysler. The platform provided it superior strength and made it unique amongst its brethren as well.
From 1964 onwards, the design of the Imperial also changed and turned more modern under the able guidance of Elwood Engel, who had designed the 1961 model of the Lincoln Continental before Chrysler stole him from Ford.
1 A TV Legend From Start To End
The Imperial Crown was also a TV star in its own right. Not only was it the favored drive of the Green Hornet, ably driven and maintained by the sidekick of the show, Kato, it also featured the 2011 refresh movie featuring Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet.
This was also the car driven by banker Milburn Drysdale in the sitcom Beverly Hillbillies although the car underwent plenty more changes before it finally shined through as the 1965 model in a more modern take.
Sources: ClassicDriver, Hemmings