Minneapolis Street Sighting: Imperial Newport coupe

Like yesterday's post, this Imperial, too, is quite a rare find-- especially in the "land o'rust" as my friend puts it. And rare it is. With only 7140 sedans made and about half as many coupes, certainly roughly 11,000 cars made over 50 years ago means that the chance of survivors is pretty slim. And this unusually pristine example? If memory serves, this beautiful Imperial is a one owner as of this shoot.
When the big luxury coupe boom took off, key players were predominantly Cadillac and Lincoln. Since Chrysler couldn't afford to lose out (they were part of the 'Big Three' after all), they hedged their bets. While Imperial was a lineup of rather ritzy Chrysler models, the company knew one thing almost instantly; when it comes to luxurious nameplates, prestige is the ticket. While Cadillac and Lincoln sound expensive and high class, Chrysler.. well, okay that had the 300 letter car, and the Airflow, but as a whole, the Chrysler nameplate didn't exactly have the panache that luxury car buyers expected.
Enter Imperial. To cure Chrysler's want for a piece of the prestigious American coupe pie, the now-renowned (in a good way?) automaker decided it would be in its best interest to launch Imperial as its own brand. Well, it worked. Sort of. I know there were just barely 11,000 Imperials sold in 1955, but the key to the luxury car market is quality over quantity. Quantity has to be kept low, and quality high. And to that note, this Imperial is the prime specimen of that philosophy when applied to Chrysler.
I have honestly not seen a nicer 1950s American car in terms of exquisite detailing and craftsmanship; it really is a sight to behold. The paint-- flawless; the chrome and detailing-- absolutely incredible. Just the badging on font on this legendary classic make you wonder how the company who turned out this gigantic, gorgeous green two door can churn out such monstrosities like the much hated Aspen/Volare twins.
As one would expect, being such a rare car, the owner has kept this one is remarkably stunning condition, especially considering where it lives. I don't think I feature enough Chrysler products, but such four-wheeled masterpieces such as this having me reconsidering my Chrysler selection. I only wish cars like this were more plentiful here.

Minneapolis Street Sighting: Imperial

Now here's a vehicle I don't think I've ever featured; the 1980s Imperial. When one conjures up images of Imperial, usually the much bigger 1950s to 1970s cars are thought of. Immense luxury content, gigantic interiors with enough space to probably house Jon and Kate plus all 8, and huge V8 to waft the big barge forward. You'd be both wrong, and right. While not as big as their predecessors, these Imperials did exude 1980s luxury at its finest, this side of a Rolls Royce anyway.
Meant to compete with such contenders as the Ford Thunderbird, Lincoln's venerable Continental Mark series, the big luxury coupes from GM, the early 1980s were all about relatively midsize luxury excess. However, despite the various luxurious features (power everything, rich leather, an all digital gauge cluster, and even a 40 band CB radio (it was the '80s after all), these cars were not quite all they were cracked up to be. Because it was the relatively early days of fuel injection, many of these systems went afoul, sometimes rendering the cars inoperable unless retrofitted back to carburetors.
This example was surprisingly clean, and given the owner's other fine cars, it's not really a shock. Finished in baby blue with navy interior appointments, this car portrays 1980s subtle elegance in a way a Cadillac or Lincoln couldn't. Everyone and their mother knows a Cadillac or Lincoln when they see one. But, an Imperial? That's another matter. Having an Imperial signifies you knew (and do know) your stuff when it comes to cars. Seeing this thing made me do a double take. Not only have I not seen any since my early youth, all the ones I did see then were relatively new. With these last-run Imperials reaching collector status, I wonder if they'll appreciate in value? Or will they just be another bygone product of 1980s psuedo-luxury? Only time will tell, but the car geek in me hopes these Imperial reach a status like their predecessors. While some may argue that these are merely warmed over Cordobas (and they are), I do think they have a special place in Chrysler history.