This car totally intrigued me because of how radical and ahead of other designs at this time..And that this design was So refined in style compared to previous Chryslers.
Im pretty sure that Milburn Dyrsdale limo was one of these Imperial models on the Beverly Hillbillies .The show was supplied by Chrysler Dodge and Plymouth motors. Miss Jane drove a 63 Valiant I think.
Back in 1964, I worked as a salesman for Martin Chrysler-Plymouth in San Diego Ca. Oh how I miss those "Days of Yesteryear". Great automobiles back then, GM, Ford, and Chrysler Corporation. Boy, they just don't make 'em like that anymore. Back then, you didn't have to guess what model of car it was. Everyone had it's own style and look.
Dave, I'm not familiar with what a "rigged zone" is. I don't remember if any of the cars back then had "crush zones" either. Of course I'm a "dinosaur", and my remember parts don't work as well as they used to. @@daveridgeway2639
HI mike, I think you are very correct! I also want to add, by todays standards all cars are engineered with safety crush zones, in the mean time, older cars did not have them. The car that you drive should be designed to protect YOU! Not the other FOOL! Please reply. Dave...
Are you sure you didn't live on the set of the Beverly Hillbillies cuz I belive that this was the car that Mr Drysdale drove in that series and he was the President of the Bank where Jed Clampett had all his money and Investments!!!!.Seems as though he alwways Drove an Imperial!!!!.@What.its.like.
@@mikeweizer3149 lol no, it was a real town with a small bank and The bank president had a wooden leg. He would get himself out of the car every day and the kids would watch him limp into the bank. The rumor was that he made his fortune during the depression from foreclosure property. I can still see that car in my memories and the big cigars he always smoked.
Imperials were so successful in Demolition Derbies that they were banned from competing by the Demolition Derby Drivers Association. The Imperial's prowess in demo derbies was due to its body on frame construction at a time when all other Chrysler-built cars were unibody construction. Imperials had extremely strong steel frames and many other heavy duty components. They deserved to be called, "tanks." Great video about a great car.
The exterior color was called Sequoia Green. The best part about it was in certain light it was black in others green. My dad had one of these with a matching Green leather interior. It was Stunning.
I am 68 yrs of age and ever since I can remember, motorbikes and cars have held a very special place in my heart. Being born in the mid 50s I had the privilege of seeing some of the best engineering and design projects that led to some of the most outstanding machines when looking at design and development along with engineering brilliance. I don't know how I would get on in a world without the internal combustion engine, cars made of plastic components and recycled Coca-Cola cans, plus the added burden of mostly front wheel drive.
Don't forget about serviceability. Today's cars with all the electronic goo-ga on them will be thrown away after 5 years due to lack of available spare parts. Today, you are not supposed to repair your car, you are supposed to buy a new one. I saw a video by a mechanic who could not get a gearbox controller for a 2005 Bentley Arnage. Without that part, the car was a paperweight.
Thanks for an excellent look at a beautiful car! You had to be pretty limber to film this one, Jay, and your gymnastics are appreciated. You're absolutely correct about Imperials not getting the respect they deserve. The restrained elegance and quiet strength of this design was pleasing from every angle.
My uncle and aunt who lived in Wichita, KS would purchase a Imperial every two years. He was a surgeon and made good money. I remember seeing these elegant cars parked outside their home. Being a kid back then (early ‘50’s) I remember thinking, “Oh why can’t we have a car like this?” Not at all realizing how expensive they were . We had a ‘56 Ford Fairlane two door hardtop, which was pretty nice for us. My uncle and aunt would take us somewhere and my brothers and I were allowed to ride in the back seat. Wow!
That’s awesome thank you so much for sharing those memories with us. It’s crazy to think that he was able to afford an imperial every two years but then again surgeons make good money.
I know how you felt back then , I use to think "Why can't we as well ?" When I was a child I use to look at all the catalogs and dream .The sad thing today as an adult is ,"Why can't I "?
My mother owned a '64 which I drove on several occasions. A beautiful boat. Probably the most luxurious car I have seen (except RR, etc). Even nicer than her '78 Caddy. Loved it: turquoise with brocade upholstery. Nice to think of it!!
I think the 64-66 were the most elegant and well built of all Imperials. I think Exners wild styles and dramatic changes hurt the brand because people who buy Premium cars in that era didn't want their new car to look obsolete the next year.
Both rounds of “would you rather” go to the Imperial. In my book, there’s just nothing that can outclass them. Gorgeous, gorgeous car. Chrysler used to call it “America’s most carefully built car,” and they weren’t just boasting. The amount of time they lavished on each car is astounding, including a ridiculous amount of time spent on just the fitting of the doors. Even after so many decades, that care is still evident when you close the doors of one.
WE HAD A WHITE ON WHITE 64 IMPERIAL BACK IN 1972....IT FLOATED DOWN THE ROAD. IT HAD THE BEST AIR CONDITIONER...AND THE RADIO COULD REACH OUT 5 STATES AT NIGHT....
What an absolutely beautiful work of art, and exceptionally well preserved! The dash padding has a tendency to shrink and peel up (much like panther platform Lincolns and their glove box padding), and this one is pristine! I had to opportunity to drive a '65 once, and lemme tell you, it was a substantial feeling car to drive on the road. While I do like the '62/'63 Exner Imperials, his designs for all of MOPAR were, schizophrenic at best during the early 60's after a great run in the mid to late 50's. The '60/'61 Imperials were hideous, as was the '61 Dodge. Coming out of that, MOPAR shined! As I'm sure was mentioned somewhere in the comments, these were banned from running against other vehicles in demo-derbies, being relegated to their own "Imperial Class" because of their toughness. It is gut wrenching to see them destroyed like that, but also a thrill to see the damage they can endure. Beautiful car, thank you, J, so much for this video! WYR: 1) Imperial, hands down (sorry Lincoln) 2) How dare you throw a T-bird into the mix! Naughty, naughty, naughty... LOL... If I could only have one, I'd have to go with the Bird... but the Imperial is no slouch...
Hahaha yeah thunderbird was cheaper tho so optioned up one Buick Rivera was almost on the list as well Thank you so much fir sharing the information and insight =) What was the ride like
@@What.its.like. It's a heavy handling car, but not in a bad way, a very, very good way. Power for days, steering and brakes worked by just blowing on them. It just felt like it was glued to the road, until a sharp curve, then she would heel over a bit. Bumps? What bumps? It might have been the age (this was in 2001, so car was 36 years old) but it seemed like there was a lot of wind noise from the side windows. If you ever get the chance to sail one over these ocean liners, do it!
@@billhowes7464 My dad had a '65. It was white with this gawdawful lime green vinyl interior with gold flecks in it. The back seat was "lounge seating"... the back curved from the sides and there was no way to stop from sliding into the center of the seat... but whata car!
WYR #1: DANG, I love the early Lincolns, so I love the '64 Lincoln, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Imperial ... so I don't know what to say ... either of the first two are such GREAT choices.
After being in both, I think the imperial is better, but that’s just my humble opinion you can’t go wrong with either of them the imperials on another level I think the Lincoln in the Cadillac are on their own level and this is just something totally different.. the Cadillac Fleetwood in my opinion, of course left a little bit to be desired when compared to these two
Thanks to a GREAT CAR SALESMAN FRIEND, I owned a '66 Imperial Crown and a '77 New Yorker Brougham! The '66 Imperial LIVED UP to my 10-year-old dream of owning one! THE BEST CAR I EVER DROVE! The '77 New Yorker Brougham was CLASS AND IRON TOUGH! My ex-wife TRIED HER BEST TO "kill it"! I MISS THESE TRULY GREAT CARS!
I have always held the Imperial as a top of the line American luxury automobile. My favorite years are 1931-1933, absolutely beautiful, then I jump to the 1955-1956 models, elegant, powerful, great style. Just skip over the Virgil Exner designs, and jump to 1964-1966 the last of the body on frame designs and probably the best automobile of the era.
The end of "Exner excess". The similarities to the Lincoln are there, but there are enough differences to give it little more than a nod. I always have liked these cars and their styling. Of course, I think of the Green Hornet as well. Combine the two, definite dream car. Mr Engel did himself proud with this one. WYR: 1964 Cadillac and 1964 Thunderbird (I had a 65, I'm not being objective).
Well that explains a lot. Now I know why '64 Imperials suddenly looked like Lincoln Continentals. Gone was Virgil Exner and in was Elwood Engle. As a side note, The 64-66 Imperial was the last body-on-frame Chrysler cars, and they were so well built and crash worthy, they were banned from Demolition Derby's
In 1965 came the 100 year old Claro Walnut dash and interior trim. Engel hit it out of the ballpark for '65. The 413 V8 is a smooth running engine. Even now at 124,000 miles mine runs like a new engine. Original interior still beautiful.
My third cousin had a 1965 Chrysler imperial,,,,(silver gray black leather interior) first car I ever knew,,,, to have power windows 🪟,,, very impressive,,,, love this car as a kid 👍🏽💯🫶🏽
Glad you found another Imperial , my favorite luxury car this side of Packard. 64-66 Imperials are the most beautiful of the classic 57-66 ones. Nice green shade, and luxurious interior Take one over a Cadillac or Lincoln any day I'll take the 64 Lebaron 4 door and a 66 Imperial Crown coupe with the glass headlight covers, and the 64 GT Hawk for good measure.
Ads of the day called this the Incomparable Imperial. I like how the 64-66 Imperials retained the wraparound windshield and curved side window glass, vestiges of the Exner Forward Look Imperials.
Hey jay another WINNER! I love how excited you get! Like you’re seeing this model for the first time. Maybe you are seeing this style for the first time. Reminds me of me back in the day haha.
Absolutely gorgeous car when I was looking for it because Classic automall is a big place they have over 1000 cars for sale.. I’m not sure how many rooms there are but there’s a lot so I usually have to go find these cars when I came around the corner and I saw this I was like jackpot lol
I saw one of these at a car show when I was a kid, and always wanted one. You also couldn't buy anything even approaching this level of quality today for 60 grand.
I cringed when you mentioned shutting the door on one’s hand! I slammed the door of a ‘77 Coupe deVille on my 9 y.o. hand (the door latched in the safety position) and I bled everywhere! I wore a splint for 6 weeks while my fingers healed. I remember it vividly.
Hahaha that was sort of a joke sort of because you very well could damage your hand it that door wouldn’t be the idea situation to find yourself in that’s for sure I’m sorry that happened to you
Great video just started following you. I used to dream of either an early 60s Lincoln Continental or an Imperial my parents owned a 1964 and 1966 imperial before I was born. After driving both and considering the difference in price I chose imperial. I have both a 1964 and 1966 Crown Coupe and am now addicted to the imperial marque. The joy of driving these cars is unmatched. Beauty, design, and driving performance are all stellar. Ultimately, for the less than the price of one mid condition Lincoln Continental I have two beautiful IMPERIALS !
Possum welcome to the community curious, where are you located? Imperials are really hard to find. I would love to feature both of your cars on the channel if you’re up for it. Depending on where you’re located of course.
This LaBaron is a beautiful, luxurious, well preserved example of Chrysler's finest. Cars were once rolling works of art and now they,re all shaped like jellybeans or those ubiquitous crossover things. One of the reasons I watch reruns of the Beverly hillbillies is to see the snooty Margaret Drysdale pull up in front of the Clampett Mansion in whatever was the current model of the Imperial LaBaron.
If you wanted prestige in the early 1960s you bought a Cadillac or perhaps a Lincoln. Yes, Imperials were great cars but they had a stodgy reputation back then. Note that the wraparound windshield was very passe by 1964. My recollection is that we would see a lot of Cadillacs and Lincolns at the country club parking lot & perhaps the occasional Imperial (usually driven by an elderly retired bank president or similar).
Hi Justin, good video, nice car. The secret compartment/cubby holes on the two front doors are actuality "map pockets" the rear passenger compartment (if you noticed) has two map pockets down low on the back of the front seat one on either side. The rap around windshield is very good for visibility, but can be a "knee buster" when entering or exiting the vehicle, especially if your a tall person. The courtesy mirror that you mentioned on the right hand sun visor is called a vanity mirror. You can see this car in the 1966 20th Century Fox Movie "Fantastic Voyage" staring Raquel Welch. At the end of 1965, Chrysler Corporation donated two 1966 black Chrysler Imperial Crown vehicles to 20th Century Fox that where slightly used by high up Chrysler employees. They where to be used for the 1966 "The Green Hornet" TV series, but only one was ever used. The one that was used was modified at the Barris custom auto shop in San Fernando Valley California, to be used in the series as "The Black Beauty" the original intent was to lengthen the wheelbase to an executive limo (business limo) but, not a stretch limo (party limo) but there wasn't enough time to perform the modification before the first filming of the series. Please reply. Dave...
@@What.its.like. Thank you Justin! I am 64 years old, and I remember all of it, because I paid attention to all of it, on network cathode ray tube color TV Movies and TV series shows. By the way, there was NO internet at that time! I am talking about the 1960s and 1970s. Cable television in my area (Washington DC Metropolitan/Montgomery County MD) did not come out until about 1984, and before that we where STUCK with VHF/UHF network and local TV. Please reply. Dave...
Beautiful automobile. You can see Elwood Engel's work, relatively flat side surrounded by brightwork, like the Lincolns he worked on. And that rear bumper/taillight design, Elwood liked propellers, and that bumper is one big propeller. You can see that on early 50s Ford bumpers and some of the taillights have blades on them like the Turbine car headlight bezels,
Absolute plush luxury, like driving your living room around 😄Lots of striking styling with lots of more subtle touches, these were beautiful cars and IMHO the full equal of the Caddy's and Lincolns it was up against. There's still some Exner-like aspects which was the Chrysler style but no excesses. Those were storage pockets on the seat backs to compensate for them lacking under the armrest like in front. The interior door handles tempt you to have your hand on it which wasn't as safe as the usual kind but they're a nice touch. The "W" shaped front ends were in vogue, but would soon go away as another safety comcern: a pedestrian would be drawn into and under the car instead of being pushed away. If you blinked you probably wouldn't know it when driving one of these as the ride was a lot like floating along over bumps and dips 🙃 Chrysler was leading the performance game and they didn't forget the exhaust system. The mufflers on these cars were huge, you almost couldn't hear it running with your ear at the tailpipe but they flowed almost as freely as straight pipes. Neither Ford nor GM put the effort into exhaust systems that Chrysler did. I've seen more of these on the roads than the same year Lincolns, but about twice as many Caddy's as either. Best I can recall it's been about 20 years since I've seen any of them street-driven not in conjunction with a car show nearby. Huge cars these all were, dwarfing today's 'big' cars, and even compared to their contemporary more ordinary brethren. These were the cars that said you'd 'made it' financially back then with nothing but a Rolls saying that better😎 WYR the Imperial edges out the Lincoln this year but not later even though Cadillac was on top of it's game during those times. And as much as I like the Studebaker, it's really from a different era in styling; part of the reason it would soon be gone. Once again the Imperial wins but by a larger margin this time. From a "Ford Man" who loves their mid- 60's and up, that's high praise for the Imperial 👍
Great choices. Thank you so much for taking the time to share all of that insight and information. Greatly appreciate it. Sorry for the delayed response.
Bumpers! This is one of the few non-GM cars that have bolt head free bumpers. Usually you only see those on Caddies, top end Buicks and top end Oldsmobile of the early to mid 1960's. The hood is unusual because the corners are rounded and the installation of the hood is what they call a 'pocket' installation so all the hoods edges have to match up with the rest of the body on all four sides which makes the body assembly quality people very nervous cause there is no room for mistakes.
I don't think you mentioned it, but the Imperial was resurrected for the 1981-83 model years. They were based on the Chrysler Cordoba, but with a hump trunk. Lincoln and Cadillac also did the retro hump trunk treatment on their mid-sized cars. Unfortunately, this generation of Imperial only came with a Bendix fuel-injected 318 V8. Having lots of problems with the fuel injection, many were changed over to carburetors and even the dealers would swap in a 360 carbureted V8. The 1964 to 1966 Imperials were the "Green Hornet" era. Years later, when they did the full-length "Green Hornet" movie, quite a few Imperials disappeared , being used, cut-up and destroyed in the movie. Just like in the "Dukes Of Hazzard" TV show, countless 1968 Dodge Chargers disappeared. Imperial had been resurrected for the 1974-5 model years in it's final full-size body. Although the 440 V8 had become anemic by this time, one of the key features was 4-wheel disc brakes. This was the first time for Imperial since the late-50's. True, Chrysler didn't just throw the Imperial body away, it became the New Yorker, sans the 4-wheel disc brakes.
OK to start things off I got to drive my friends fathers 1966 Chrysler New Yorker 4-door and OMG what a nice ride it was. First would you rather I'll take the 64 LeBaron, the second would you rather hands down the GT Hawk.
I’ll take the Lincoln, and then the Imperial coupe. Absolutely stunning car! Wish I had room for it! Would love to see you review a 79 Lincoln Continental Collectors Series, the big 4 door! Thx for the content!
This is the most beautiful Imperial with the cleanest lines. It takes many cues from the 63 Continental and that is no surprise because Elwood Engel had left Ford for Chrysler. Two door models of this car are rare and command a high price. Virgil Exner created many positive innovations for Chrysler but by the 60's he had run off the rails.
1964 Fleetwood 1964 Imperial Many years ago I went to a demo derby in Indio California. Would be participants tried to pass off an early 1960s Imperial with most trim removed as a Chrysler Lebanon. I set the guys at the entrance kiosk straight.
Hi Jay! A VERY nice Imperial! Saw them on the roads back in the day, is nice to actually see one up close thanks to the video. Like the color on the one you show! Bet it rides like a dream. Chrysler Corp. were sure lucky to lure Engel from Fomoco! These are the most elegantly styled cars. When you showed the pic of the three cars during the WYR#1 the Cadillac sort of looks outdated next to the Lincoln and the Imperial! On to the WYR's. . .#1 have to go with the Lincoln, Engle did a fine job on that one, too. #2 Was going to pick the Imperial, UNTIL the GT Hawk popped up! Not as fancy, but the GT Hawk was SO COOL!
Hahaha great choices =) I love hawks want one, some day my wife has never seen a golden hawk if I ever get one she would probably be like nah that’s my car
I own a 64 Imperial crown, I bought it 3 years ago for the 1964 MSRP, beautiful car, solid built, the split grill always reminds me of later Pontiacs, you failed to show a few neat features, the sliding door key covers, the gas cap under the imperial " bird" emblem on the back bumper and the "auto tune" radio operated by a switch on the floor that looked like a second dimmer switch, a car truly ahead of its time
In my opinion, the "64 was a much-needed update, not unlike the '63 Chrysler being a much-needed update to the '62. Not a complete redesign, but a nice update. This is another gorgeous car. I have always thought the tail end was very interesting. For WYR, I would pick Lincoln for the first scenario, the Imperial for the second.
The 1964 was almost a full redesign. There wasn't enough money to abandon that big old wrap around windshield. So technically, the 64, 65, 66 Imperials are a mashup design that left Virgil Exner's massive and distinctive wrap around windshield in place for 3 more years. Making 1967 the first year that Elwood Engles gets full credit for Imperial looks. But the full size Chryslers for 1965 and on were 100% Engels. 1964 Chrysler was the last of Exner, last of the wrap around, and last of the push button transmission. This 1964 Imperial is also the last to have the push button transmission. These really are the end of that crazy over-built, designer lead era of cars with truck drive trains. So epic!
Unlike Lincoln and Cadillac, this Imperial shared no body structure of its lesser brand sisters. It was nearly a handbuilt car that was followed down the line by assigned engineers.
Thank you for reviewing one of my all-time favorite cars. The 1964 through 1966 Imperials are one of the most beautiful and elegant luxury cars ever built. Speaking of built, these Imperials are fantastic icons of what the Chrysler Corporation was capable of. I was born in Detroit in March of 1955. My mom's side of the family all worked at Chrysler's Highland Park headquarters. At that time, my family only drove Chrysler products, so I know more than the average guy about the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler introduced so many features during their prime years. Things like transistor radios were first used in Imperials. Chrysler's Torturion Air front suspension was a unique feature not found on any other full size car. Most of these Chrysler firsts went on to become standards in the automotive industry. Chrysler engineering was always regarded as the tops in the industry. The 64 thought 66 Imperials are absolutely gorgeous, some say they resemble the Lincoln Continentals of the 60s, and to an extent, they do, however when you look closer at the Imperials style and mechanicals the Imperials were in a league of there own. Of the top Big Three luxury cars, the Imperial had the reputation for being the one with the most power, the most capable and smoothest shifting transmissions and the best road handling suspension. That suspension not only gave the Imperial the best handling manors, but also the most comfortable ride characteristics. The 64 model year was the last to have push button drive and the split grill. You mentioned how the headlights tilt upwards. That's true of all Chrysler vehicles of the 60s they all seem to look up at you with a modest expression, that gave all Chryslers a cute but confident look. The styling pretty much stayed the same from 64 through 66. In 65, the grill was all one piece from fender to fender. But only Chrysler could have come up with their unique headlights under glass feature. The glass covered the headlights and had a gold boarder that surrounded the glass. Absolutely gorgeous. The taillights stayed in the rear bumpers, but the back-up lights moved down to the bumper, giving the taillights a larger size. Their pointed shape was so classy and unique, no other car had such elegant taillights. The interior was clean and classic with real wood trim and very comfortable and elegant seating. The speedometer was a barrel that rotated to expose a redish color for all the speeds below the actual current speed. Lincoln did that too. I always loved the air conditioning and defogger vents that could be adjusted for what ever was needed. Those vents were similar to a/c vents used in houses. Another change that came in 1966 was the addition of Chrysler's famous 440 cubic inch engine. I happened to own a 1966 4 door hardtop Crown. It was metallic silver with matching silver cloth seats trimmed in black leather. You mentioned the weight of the doors. They were so thick they gave the feeling of total security and that was a luxurious feeling to have in a luxury car. My 66 Imperial is still one of my favorite cars. The Imperial gave a fine representation of what a great luxury car should be done in Chrysler's attention to detail. I'm not sure why those Imperials were not better received by the American car buying public. But I knew how magnificent they were. I love all full size American luxury cars, Lincolns and the Imperials did a great job of making those luxury cars iconic. I wish we could still have those beautiful Imperials on our streets and highways today. When I see a 64 through 66 Imperial out on the street I just freeze and stare at it. Who can blame me.
My Uncle had a 65 Crown Imperial. It was freaking huge. I always expected a bunch of VW's to come out like tugboats to get the Queen Mary into the driveway. My dad was 6'2" tall and could lay across the back seat and not touch either side of the car. The Imperial was quite as a tomb going down the hi way. It was quite the automobile and my Uncle loved that monstrously big car.
J I thank you 300% for this amazing impressive channel, wow, I truly love these forgorren impressive American Big Iron. Gosh, I am gonna be buying up some of these Gems this year 2024 ( all things being equal ) lol, a great video review on this beautiful 1964 Imperial Le Baron, truly understated as many other 1970s Chrysler cars, that are only now appreciated two decades after they were produced. Awesome information.
Thank you so much for the positive vibes welcome to the community tons of great content here =) there is so many cool cars out there that never get talked about and that’s what this channel is
Great video Jay it’s a shame you couldn’t get in the back seat as it’s truly comfortable and roomy as far as the WYR I just can’t decide this time as they are all great choices
63' was more modern than the 64' which looks better but is more retro. I think the 64' looks better, it has that movie star look to it Jay, so I expect you to be riding in the back with a chauffeur driving, stepping out in style. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Let’s be real I would be the chauffeur lol and would love driving that car I miss floaty cars not everything needs sport seats I really wanna do nostalgia episode this year or sometime in the future. I don’t know if it’s going to happen this year 1988 Lincoln town car signature series was probably one of my favorite cars that I’ve ever owned ever. I would love to do an episode with that and just show just because it has 160 hp on paper doesn’t mean it sucks in reality
Thank you for the review. I thought this generation of the Imperial was good looking. The interior is so elegant. It is amazing how elegant and forward thinking it was in 1964. I noted the flush exterior door handles. I recall this generation being used on television on Batman and The Green Hornet and Beverly Hillbillies. I recall the ones from the 1970's especially 1974-1975 that become New Yorker Brougham as you said. I recall the 1981-1983 and the last one 1990-1993. I liked those generations too. You did a great job showing the interior and exterior. At the end the New Yorker Fifth Avenue and Imperial were really close. Imperial had some differences. I do recall that concept car that never made it into production. Thank you so much for the information and more you offered. You did an excellent job.
O M G, one of my favorite cars in my favorite car color. Amazingly, 63 and 64 Imperials are the same structuraly, hence the compound curved windshield.
I believe George Barris modded an Imperial for the "Green Hornet" television series. These cars were the pinnacle of luxury. The 413 was a power plant the inspired songs. Just a cool classic!
The attention to detail on these 1960s vehicles was exceptional, especially the interiors. Unfortunately, by the early 1970s, every American vehicle manufacturer started cheapening out on the interiors, all in the name of cost cutting. The one thing about all of these older carburetored vehicles is that they might need to have an auxiliary electric fuel pump installed in order to assist with hot starts due to the formulation of present-day gasoline since the boiling point is lower than it was back when most vehicles came equipped with carburetors rather than fuel injection. Not to mention the availability of parts, such as that heater core. I wonder if one could be custom-made since it's essentially a small radiator.
It is a beautiful design with nice lines and exquisite details! When I see these, I always think of 'The Beverly Hillbillies', these models were always Mr. Drysdale's chauffeured auto of choice. The WYR'S are tough for me, there all super nice and desirable IMO, but would go with Caddy, Lincoln, Imperial, in that order. The second would be the T-Bird, Hawk, then Imperial in that order. 😎
Your choices as a well-off car buyer in 1964: First generation Buick Riviera, Jaguar E-type, Jag Mark 2 or Mark 10, Rolls Cloud, Facel Vega Facel II, Ferrari GTO, Lincoln Continental, Aston DB5, C2 Corvette, and this rolling piece of art. Those were definitely the days 😊
This is truly a big, beautiful car. Compared to the previous model year this one is one of my favorites. I'll take the Lincoln followed by the Imperial.
I can see by the comments below referencing demolition derbies and Beverly Hillbillies that this channel is attracting a sophisticated and well educated demographic
I noticed the heater core lines were bypassed. This car has 2 individual heater cores in the ventilation box. One on my dad’s car blew out in 1979. No replacements were available even then. You really need to buy 2 or 3 of these rare cars to endure a supply of spare parts.
Oh Jay, if I had things to do over again, I would've bought a house with some land in the County, as opposed to the City. I would've owned several OLD, BIG cars, this would've been one of them. The "GREEN HORNET", from the 60's , this is/was the Green Hornets carl
I don’t know how you did it man I couldn’t live in the city everything’s too close neighbors I like having my own place that I don’t have to worry about neighbors.. lol
Supposedly Imperials were banned from demo derbies because the frame was so thick and heavy, heavier than a truck frame plus they had the heaviest gauge steel of any other car.
Perhaps the most beautiful Imperial year. I know - my Dad had one, quiet, smooth, comfortable. WYR 1: Imperial (and the Continental) WYR 2: Imperial. That said, All of them.
The bright blue one on the video cover screen looked much better than all the junky ones you show in the video, and the silver one me and my parents were driven around Wash DC by night and shown the sights. My friend Pete (Arlington VA) who was our host, had inherited a whale of an Imperial from his grandma. I don't remember any luxury in the interior, just tht it was huge, even the back seat with me and my parents was comfortable, but not anything to write home about, and the ride was obviously smooth.
I like to show cars in all conditions because not all cars are show cars and this one wasn’t that bad it’s a survivor car, which is really rare because a lot of the survivors got used in demolition derby. So the fact that this one is even still here is amazing within itself
You did that I M P E R I A L proud! Even that “serif” font on the trunk! 😮 The back seat seems to have two little “satchels” to hold executive stuff. That hood is super cool how it’s elevated but set within the frame. Those front fin angles and hood and bumper - somehow it all works! You didn’t mention this was the basis for the GREEN HORNET car!! They did a movie in 2011 and “the car is the star.” ✨ - Also what is the color name, it is a very dark green right?! The Lincoln was of course that very dark navy blue. Anyway - really appreciate this retro perspective! I’d take this or the Coupe all day over the other worthy competitors. Just so unique and you can see the quality in those massive doors and massive door-releases etc. Very well done - new Sub!! ✨
Welcome to the community. If you dig cars, you’re gonna love it here. =) Thank you so much for sharing all of that insight and information. I greatly appreciate it. I totally forgot to mention the green hornet.
I’ll go with the classic Continental in the first round, and Imperial in the second. Engel did a great job of taming Exner’s beast, but the dash is a bit spartan. There’s never been anything to rival the 1960 Imperial speedometer and gauges. A work of art!
The camera doesn't show just how huge these cars are! I always liked the styling of the 64-66 Imperials. I also always liked the trunk lock being just a small hole, rather than a whole bezel around it. Looks like the one you are looking at needs a heater core, as it is bypassed. WYR: 1st scenario= Lincoln; 2nd= yes! What other commenters are saying about Imperials being banned from demo derbies is true. The 2nd choice for demos are full size Chryslers of similar vintage.
most beautiful luxury full size car of our time modern cars don't hold a candle to this era. I would have liked to hit thumbs up 1,000,000 times (it doesn't work) too bad most of these were demo derbied (by me and my adverseries ) best demo car ever ,they had to outlaw them , can you get me a deal on that one ,jay????
