BIG RED ! 1968 Imperial Crown Convertible Survivor & Ride on My Car Story with Lou Costabile 

My goodness! "Big Red" is aptly named. This Imperial has it all: plenty of power, a drop top, and a very smooth ride. I am amazed at how well it rode on that gravel road at the end. Thanks, Lou!

Lou, these are the best of the automotive industry, as far as I'm concerned, it's a shame today's designers don't look back at what used to be, instead making cars look ridiculous, and practically the same (at least to me), give me an old classic "boat" anytime over the new vehicles that are looking almost all the same, with none of the old styling. If it wasn't for you, i probably wouldn't see a lot of these old beauties! thanx so much Lou!

I thought that tailfins were gone by 1964, but this car proves me wrong. This car has some really sick protrusions at the back. The more I look at the cars the more I, being a youngster, realize the lack of detail in many of the cars that were built in later years.

Hi Lou , from the UK here , love your videos , I'm a big fan of 50s and 60s American design classics , I had no idea there were so many different ones till I started watching your channel , great content !

Her beauty is her originality. She deserves a frame off, but just a little TLC is all she really needs. Thanks for the video.

Wonderful survivor! Beautiful paint and finishings. The length of the rear deck lid is almost shocking. Great Trunk & Treats ! Thanks Lou!

When you look at the Chrysler brochure for 68, the designers really tried their best to give style and cool details, to the exterior of the big cars of that era. Mainly by breaking down the shape in to smaller pieces and adding spatial depth with the creases. Really interesting for anyone who loves industrial design.

Hi, Lou! Yep, Big Red is right! And we don't mean the chewing gum! Why, you can tell how big it is from a mile away, and I would bet a lot of folks would be scared to death of having to parallel park it! Of course, those in the generation that followed were even bigger still. In fact, the 1973 Imperial was the longest non-limousine automobile ever made at over 235 inches long! But no, Imperial never even approached Cadillac in sales at any point. 1968 was the last year for an Imperial convertible. Thanks for the ride, fellas! I think we all feel like a king in the Crown!

The 65' Chrysler Crown Imperial is the most beautiful of all Imperials.

My Father had a 1968 Red (same red) Chrysler Newport Custom with a 440 TNT. This is much more dressed up than Dad's '68 was. That 440 TNT was a rocket, quite easily outran the 340 Swingers and Dusters in town!! This Imperial sure brings back the memories!! Thanks Lou

Love it. I learned how to drive my mom's 1968 Chrysler Newport Custom with a 440 engine. Loved that car. So fun to drive and it was fast. My first car to drive for a 16 year old girl. Loved it.

I learned something from this: -60s seatbelts are bunk. -The old Town and Country was a wagon, not a minivan. -Gearheads went to the mountains in the 60s to show off car seats. -On this car, you can crush the front passenger with his/her seat on demand, and the driver steers with a round string of spaghetti. -The seats are good actors; they can act like buckets. -60s cars still had a lot of control buttons, as observed in the interior section of the video. -The steering wheel (Remember: It's made of spaghetti) has a shaft that uses space shuttle technology. -It's a land yacht, but it drives like a water yacht. But it handles good for a water yacht. But it handles pretty bad for a water yacht that handles good for a water yacht. That last one was intended to be confusing lol. Thanks Lou, I haven't been to your channel for a long time. It's nice to see your channel still going strong.

I love the originality of this great red car. Don’t know Frank but love this car.

I remember the John Wayne movie "Hellfighters". The wife picks the daughter up at the airport in a '68 Imperial with the split bench front seat. Looking through the windshield... you could fit FOUR people in the front seat, and FOUR MORE in the back. An eight passenger car. Now THAT is a big wide car!!!

You took the words out of my mouth, "she gets up and goes" 👍👍👍

WOW!!! BIG original highway cruiser... all the toys... thanks Lou

Thanks for posting, Lou. This is a beautiful Imperial. I hope that Frank keeps it in this original and unrestored condition. The red colour is great, and the little dings and paint bubbles add to the charm.

In 68' we had a 65 Olds Ninety Eight Luxury Sedan. That car was like a limo and felt like riding on a cloud. Oldsmobiles were all my father bought.

GREETINGS. From Venezuela. AWESOME IMPERIAL CROWN CONVERTIBLE. Great Matador Red Paint. Mr. Lou , Super Thank you for a FANTASTIC CONVERTIBLE . Mr. Lou, Thank for taking us along for the ride. EXCELLENT AUTOMOBILE VIDEO,

I drove a car like this one across Texas in an ice storm in 1972. Thankfully, no one else was on those overpasses!!

Thx for another wonderful Imperial Lou! You don’t see many convertible Imperials anymore. Most were scavenged for their 440 engines then crushed or put in demolition derby’s.

Very nice Imperial Crown convertible. 1968 was the last year for the Imperial convertible, and right before the totally new, stunning, 1969 'fuselage' body styles debuted for Chryslers big cars.

That car is massive but that’s what the people were used to back in the day. It’s like riding on your living room couch. Great video Lou!!

WOW. I'M SPEECHLESS. AND GREEN WITH ENVY 💚

I was happy to see this big luxury car featured!☮☮☮

The Batcave is a lot of fun - great way to start and end a ride.

Do I see Clifford there sitting on the tarp? I love the look of this car!

Smooth and Beautiful! I think I'd rather ride with this Kowalski in his red Mopar from San Francisco to Denver than the guy in the movie with the white MoPar! Thanks Lou!

Isn't that sweet? He got this red car because it reminds him of his wife; reminds him of his past... When people say that gearheads have no soul this is something to consider. He has a strong emotional connection with the car, and that's why he got it. Isn't that beautiful? Not just the car but the whole scenario.

Will do always you never cease to amaze me how you keep coming up these wonderful car stories. Certainly you showcased cars from all over the world but there's not so special is there a piece of American History like this one. No disrespect my friend but I sometimes think of you as the Hugh Hefner of the car world. Always a pleasure and God bless. And a happy New Year sir

Easy to see and hear Frank's '68 Imperial convertible has been lovingly cared for, and Lou - original and unrestored - it doesn't get any better than this. The clean sounding 440 is barely broken in (!) and what better a car to take you on a long summer drive to, say, Canada, or some equally far off place in comfort and style. That's enough yapping from me, just going to enjoy this very nice video. Thanks fellas.

Beautiful survivor!!! This car looks happy, like it is smiling at ya because it knows that it is special!!! I was amazed at how the top went down pretty quick and I love the rear end features of this car with the hidden taillights and that lovely Imperial badge right in the center!!! The trunk is one of those "drive in" trunks that you could sneak in a few friends into the drive in theaters back in the day, it's huge!!! I really enjoyed the trunk treats with this one also. That interior also has many unique features like the hidden radio, so cool how the whole dash looks so classy and smooth. Man they really knew how to build em back then and Big Red is one classy car for sure!!! Great car Lou and Frank has the right shirt and hat on for sure, Mopar or no car!!! 🙂

Beautiful automobile, Lou. Very classy. I sure enjoy watching these, thanks very much for producing them...

A beautiful car and a terrific color! What fun it would be to drive!

Surviving Imperials are extra special as they have been in such high demand for derby guys for years. It feels like just a few years ago you could find an imperial that was pretty clean (minus the common rusted trunk) for a few hundred bucks now it's tough to find them remotely clean for 3 or 4,000.

Nice car. A Survivor when so many rusted away. Big Red,,,,family liked this chewing gum (fil, FD, BT, etc). Also Long Red, Mountain, Live.

It never ceases to amaze me what classic cars you find on the regular 🤔, great job Lou!

Behold the glory days of American Iron long gone but will never be forgotten 😊👍❤️❤️❤️💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Mr. Costabile! Wow, huh? A magnificent cruiser! Yes, luxury and as well, fabulous brakes & handling. Not just a smooth ride. Those tension bars you mentioned that support the hood are so amazing..effortlessly hold up that monster hood for who knows how many decades..those are torsion bars, akin to the front suspension on those era of Mopar..wonderfully (Actually computer designed) engineered in geometry and quality metallurgy..I have never heard of a torsion bar on a Chrysler Corp. car wearing out. The 440 for the big cars had a special cam, a shade less hp than, say a road runner with 375, the big cars were at at 350, but the torque comes in quick..450 ft/lbs at a mere 2800 RPM gets these big cars rolling in a hurry..as well as she moves in this video, imagine with 100 octane fuel, which makes a big difference with about 10:1 compression. Thank you so, so much for reviewing this masterpiece of a car

Hi lou, you found a pure gem . Love everything about this one. Thanks.

Wow! What a cool Mopar! The Chrysler Imperial wasn't as prominent as the Cadillac or Lincoln, but they held their own. This 1968 example is drop dead gorgeous! With that bright red paint job paired with the white interior, that really sets it off! The 440 Magnum engine was very reliable but passed everything but a gas station! They weren't known for fuel economy. It has some awesome features for it's time. Sad but true, there isn't many around anymore. What a beautiful convertible!

This was the second year that the Imperial was basically the full-sized New Yorker with a little stretch forward of the cowl. However, the Chryslers from '65 through '68 were very, very good cars, especially on the road on our new Interstates. I was in junior high when this came out and I remember the car mags making such a stink about that flipper that covered the radio, and the lighters in all the doors. I personally like the '67 dash with the fake wood instead of the '68 metallic, but both are beautiful and this land yacht is amazing. Thanks!

I bought a ‘68 4 door hardtop Imperial Crown for my Mom back in ‘87. I paid $425. She drove it for a couple years, then the strident Pa. Inspection got to be too many little things to fix. I pulled the 440 , 727, and the sure grip center section. I junked the rest of it. Now, I would have fixed it up. I lost Mom back in ‘09. 😔 But her 440 will go in my ‘68 Plymouth GTX I’m building. I’ll put “Mom’s 440 on the fender tag. ☺️

Another great find by you, Lou. Another one that I have never seen, thanks

Magnificent Big Red.

I just watched Foster Brooks roast Lucille Ball and he called her "Big Red"... and then I get this recommendation. LOL Thank you, RU-vid.

Beautiful car! One thing though: all Crown Coupes and convertibles had the rear passenger side door lever. The passenger seat also automatically slides all the way forward when the seat back is folded forward for ease of entry.

Don't see these often. I like original survivor cars, glad to see them when I do and know that they are still out there, somewhere! Not a fan of red cars but some you just don't mind like this one and so glad it's paired with the white interior. So glad I grew up in this time period/era of cars. Thankful that I had a "car " Dad too which attached to me. Great videos, keep 'em coming!

Love the big red land yacht! Fantastic channel Lou! Greetings from Daytona Beach ⛱ Florida

Clearly Imperial’s best model year.

i miss engine compartments we could stand in, out of the rain to work on it 😂👍🏻👍🏻

Amazing car!! Thanks Lou and Happy 2022!!

That is amazing!! I can't say that I have ever seen an Imperial convertible. A friend of mines father had a 69 Imperial tu-dor hardtop. It was a beautiful car until his sister mashed it and destroyed 40 acers of chrome. This Imperial is definitely the FIND OF THE CENTRUY!!

Incredible original condition!!

Lou you can fit your whole family in that yacht. Great car

Rare car....not many were sold....thanks Lou

Hi Lou! Happy New Year! How are you? Wow Imperial Convertible, great car, I like it. An adjustable steering wheel, in the sixties of the last century, that's cool. I see an interesting adjustment mechanism. American cars of the last century, the best I've ever seen! As always an interesting report, thank you Lou! I will follow your releases whenever possible.

Goodday Lou, What a Big Red Imperial of a Car. As they say Hamburger with the lot. Beautiful scenery too, lush & green. Your number 1 Fan in Australia Louis Kats from Melbourne Australia ☺ 👍 ❤

It might make a great vehicle transporting dignitaries at the “Tournament of Roses Parade.” If not there, can you imagine “Santa” waving to the crowds from the back seat at “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?”

Sweet ride😍 Thanks Lou!

Great to see an unrestored classic so we’ll taken care of. Time machine! Thanks Lou, Happy New Year!

the definition of a land yacht

Happy New Year Lou! Looking forward to more beautiful cars!

LOU ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL CAR GREAT VIDEO

Wow! What an interesting vehicle! I really enjoyed this!

Nice segment Lou. Thanks for posting. Nice piece of Chrysler history that Frank is the proud owner of. Color is terrific and real eye catching. Nice that Frank keeps it on excellent shape but has not gone over the top with a full restoration. Some trunk on that car, you could fit a family of four back there! Lou, wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022.

Gorgeous car with many interesting details. Frank could remove the spare tire in that enormous trunk and park his Prius in there in the event that he gets a flat. :-)

Absolutely beautiful

Showing my vintage here but I can remember thinking this was a sporty 2 door in ‘68.

Gorgeous Chrysler ! Great to see a real Survivor ! Thanks Lou !

For the 1967 model year Chrysler adopted the existing corporate unit body for Imperial production. The 68 Imperial represented just a minor facelift of the 1967 offering. The main change was a 1968 grill design which did noting for the overall design of the car and represented a total mismatch with the rear grill which had been styled to match the 1967 front vintage grill . In terms of styling, fit, and finish, the 1967/68 Imperials were no match for the elegant 1964-66 Imperial offerings

Fabulous design by Chrysler love the 440! Nicely done Lou.

Nice old Dodge! A real beauty!

A beauty. I saw one up close and boy was it biiiig.

While the Imperial didn't sell in big numbers like Cadillac & Lincoln, it's still a gorgeous car, IMO, Chrysler had some very good looking cars, there's just something about them that they were roomier than other cars especially if you watch the video comparing the Imperial against Cadillac and Lincoln, or any of the Mopars in comparison, they were more comfortable, too bad we can't have big cars like that today!!

Underrated channel

Glitzy and Chromey too!!

This car looks amazing. Nice video Lou!

This is a True Beauty to behold! 👍

I can just picture Miss Jane Hathaway driving Milburn Drysdale around Beverly Hills!!! 👍👍

Big Lou great content as usual big guy love the RagTops you are the man 👍👍that thing is a beast keep up the good work Big Lou 👍👍

Mama mia! That’s one bigga red caro😊

It's in great shape and runs like a top

Gorgeous!

I didn't catch it if they said it, but the 68 convertible numbered only about 450 total units in build. this has always been a rare one

Big red has a real Boss Hog vibe.Not too many of these in my neighborhood in the sixties.

An awesome car!!!! Great color!!!!! When cars were cars and Detroit was king! - imho.

Another beauty!!

Awesome 68 Imperial wow!

It is not a Chrysler Imperial. It is an Imperial Crown. Calling it a Chrysler Imperial is like calling a Lincoln Town Car a Ford Lincoln. That's why Imperial was not in that Chrysler booklet in the trunk. Anyway, that's a fantastic survivor. What a beauty. I miss the days when you could see the fender tips from the driver's seat of your car, and most cars had bench seats, etc. When I was a kid my parents had a `67, but it was not a Crown. It was a Sedan, which was the actual name of the model. The Sedan was the base model. But it was still a special car. They had it for 9 years.

Cool, Lou. Good move!

Nice car Lou, love it.

Nice weather for January 4th 2022 mild winter !! great top down weather !! lol

😎 gadgets and doodads too!!

If one could have ordered the Mobile Director seating with the convertible, it would have made a great rolling outdoor patio and deck seating!

A great example of a car that should be saved as when was the last time you saw one?

Beautiful Mopar Boat!!

Nice original literature too!!

1968: The LAST year FOR THE IMPERIAL CONVERTIBLE.

Very nice 😀