WIDEST CAR EVER ! 1961 Imperial Custom Southampton in Tan & Ride on My Car Story with Lou Costabile 

Plenty of elbow room in this one, and if it's good enough for Mr. Drysdale, it's good enough for me. Thanks, Lou!

they just do not build them like that anymore lou. thanks so much for bringing this survivor for all of us to enjoy. SHE IS A BEAUTY.

😍Beautiful Imperial!!!!!!!!!!!👍

Part of the reason that these Imperials are rare is that they didn't make as many as Cadillac or Lincoln, but the other reason is that they were the car of choice for demolition derbies because they were indestructible. That two feet of space between the end of the car and the radiator meant you could smash the front of the car in, but the car could keep running because the radiator remained intact. Probably the only reason this car survived is they were eventually banned from demolition derbies because they were just so superior to every other car.

Fin *HEAVEN!* ...A beaut and classic Imperial! 😍 Thanx for showing us this *DREAM* automobile, Lou & Barry....Cheers from British Columbia, Canada👋😎

Thank you, Barry and Lou, for sharing this Rocket To The Moon.

Thanks Lou and Barry! Love this survivor Imperial!

WOWZERS AND A HALF!!! No no no... WOWZERS AND ¾!!!

Hi Lou. You're looking good and healthy I hope life's good for you... it's been a while for me watching your excellent channel... Barry certainly has a beautiful cherished automobile, stunning colour too. I live about 25 mile's from Southampton here in the UK and I can honestly say I have never seen one of these beauties in Southampton.... Please keep up the good work so all of us out here can see the best automobiles on the planet. God blessed you Lou and we are all grateful for your dedication and hard work to probably the best vintage automobile channel on RU-vid.

You know those are well built cars because they dominated the demolition derby for years. Great video Lou and thanks!

I love those headlights. I've seen only one in person.. I think it might have been at an antique car show event at the Evansville 4H grounds. It might have been Frog's Follies, I don't know. It was a different color. That's a great color, though. I can't tell if this one had power windows or not. Very cool car!

Getting up early has found me the first like a few times, but I sadly only got second. This car!!!❤😊 adore Imperial. The head lamps make this my favorite year model.

Beautiful, not many of these around anymore! If only Chrysler had Imperial today...

This is one incredibly beautiful Car!!💕

Wow, never thought I'd see a car featured in my dad's hometown. Southwest suburbs... heh, heh! Forrest is definitely a small farm town with a different way of life out in the boonies yet less than two hours from Chicago. You can definitely cruise on those rural country roads.

THANKS LOU,BARRY…🤗FOR SHARING THIS IMPERIAL 😎… I remember these since they were new 💚💚💚

I had an acquaintance with a '62 Lebaron, and he drove 2-footed with feet to the floor on both the throttle and the brake...it was a wild ride! While the styling is polarizing, the performance of these cars can't be denied...much more of a drivers car than the competition. I would never call these cars good looking but I love them for what they are...over the top style with the driveline that powered drag racers! How could you not?

Wow! Wow! Wow! What an amazing and rare car you have here, Lou! Love it or hate it, this car has style! This is rolling sculpture. This is so over the top that it goes past tacky and hits out of this world. Great car to be featured and amen to all those who preserve vintage cars and keep it so future generations can see how cars used to exist (!) and used to have style (!) and knew what luxury was like (!) other than just being an expensive price tag on some electronic packed eyesore made today!

Beautiful Chrysler ! Great Color ! Thanks for posting Lou !

Hi, If you like this video, please click on SUPER THANKS ❤ with the $ in the middle which is the SUPER THANKS button under the video. Thank you! Lou

Fabulous Car Barry & Rose...I LOVE the Color! A true Classy survivor! Thanks Lou!

It's amazing that the electro-mechanical clock still runs after 62 years, a real testimonial to the way things used to be built in this country. A beautiful automobile! The Imperials of the late 1950's and early 1960's were elegant indeed, in keeping with so many higher end makes and models of that era. Love the wide open feeling of the hardtops, too!

Now that's a classic Mopar! Cars back in that era had such class with the floating headlights, and the "sparrow catcher" taillights! This Imperial reminds me of the cars in Randy Guyer's collection you've featured on your videos. He has a massive collection of classic Mopar vehicles! The 413 CI engine sounds healthy and quiet. What a survivor that's never been restored! Amazing car Lou!

Fintastic Imperial! I love the way it looks like a spaceship floating down the road ❤

💕👍 😃

Even though I'm not a fan of Chrysler I will say that this is a cool and elegant automobile. Very awesome!

This is an excellent My Car Story installment. This car was built in the year I was born, so I feel a kinship with it's shapes and forms. I love learning the story of the owners and why they love their cars. This one pushed the All American buttons. The views of this Imperial rolling alone down the long straight farm road evoked nostalgia that is difficult to describe. Thanks Lou, and thanks to the fine people who own and drive this fantastic automobile. A+

¡Fantástico Imperial Custom Southampton 1961 en Marrón Claro Malibu! Los autos "Imperial" eran conocidos como los modelos de la más alta gama de Chrysler, hasta que en 1955 se separó formando una marca propia (su logo era una Águila Imperial) y durando hasta 1983. Este ejemplar tiene líneas muy hermosas y aerodinámicas, con un encaje perfecto en piezas y partes cromadas. Me llamaron la atención sus faros delanteros exteriorizados junto con sus guías traseras del tipo aeronáutico. Su interior tiene tantos detalles que sería imposible nombrarlos; pero mencionaré el hermoso tapizado, su espectacular panel de instrumentos, sacado directamente de la era espacial, y el impresionante sistema de aire acondicionado (mención especial, para ese singular reloj, aún funcionando, que marcaba las 12,05 del medio día). ¡Muy ameno estuvo el recorrido final, junto a sus dueños, por esos hermosos caminos rurales! ¡Saludos cordiales Lou!

what a wonderful car , realy fantastic, the interior is magnificent this whole car is a gem.

Now you know I just really like these Virgil Exner master piece cars, Works of art!!! Just beautiful!! Thanks for posting Lou! Be blessed always! p.s Much of Iowa looks like the scenery in this video...

What a great car and story. I never appreciated these cars until I got older. Just think how many people it took to make all the parts for this car and they changed them to a certain degree every year.

Awesome!

Seeing this survivor time capsule, in that color, cruising the country road would make one fine postcard, as it sure puts a smile on my face, thnx a bunch Lou and the owners. . . :>/

Yikes !! Time capsule is right. What a gem!! Looks like a 4 eyed monster from the front and the 413 snarls like one when revved. Outstanding !!!

Чудове авто! Дякую! А фари!

Wow - talk about presence is right! Thanks Lou and Barry. And yes, I remember Mr. Drysdale driving one of these.

A really nice survivor Imperial in a great color. Thanks, Lou!

Thanks for posting, Lou. And thanks to Barry for looking after this marvellous Mopar survivor (5 Cheerleaders - I'd buy that for a dollar!🤣🤣🤣)

💕👍 reminds me of the times, when we highschool kids drove around at 6 or 7 inside to the pizzerias 😂

413 is a rock solid engine. My '65 Imperial was the last to have it. Thanks for the vid!

What a beauty. I believe that the Imperial is one of the best cars built. The owner stated he liked the headlights on Mr. Drysdale car but the taillight is similar because it's not built in to the body. The Irving chute company was ahead of it's time because seat belts weren't mandatory until 1965(?). Good great story Lou.

Regards to those wonderful people, thanks.

Thanks for showing this beauty guys. I love it.

@Lou ... what a great ride sir ... SUPER WIDE! Excellent production as always ... something for the coffee fund /

Love that car!! LOVE when Rose said "I don't have to cook".. she's awesome!

OMG!!! Thanks Lou!!!!! Cheers!!!

Hey Lou, Love it! This styling along with the ‘62 Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth models is what got Virgil Exner fired. Goes to Show you’re on top 1 year and out the door a few years later. I remember seeing these in the Beverly Hillbillys too.

The front end makes it look like the son of Christine! I love the color; it looks like a darker shade of Bittersweet, the color of the '64 Mercury Marauder and Park Lane. Thanks for bringing this amazing survivor, Lou!

Beautiful car and i think that colour is perfect for it.

Oh man, that car is glorious...so glad we get to see 'em like this! Thanks Lou, great channel.

I remember in the late 1980"s the Imperials from the late 1950's and early 1960's were a favorite of local destruction derby drivers. The Imperials during that era retained body-on-frame construction where the rest of the Chrysler line was switched to unit-body design in 1960. These beautiful cars finished their life entertaining the crowd.

Great to see this ‘61 Imperial survivor wearing its original rarely seen Dune Beige paint that so beautifully complements the rich multi-toned interior and dash. Always loved the freestanding headlights, that were a signature Exner throwback to the early 20th Century Classics with their bolted-on headlights. And the continuation of Imperial’s gunsight taillights, a feature of these beauties since 1955. This is an amazing time capsule that looks just as impressive at shows we’ve attended together. Thanks for adding another ‘61 Imperial video added to your site.

Very nice 🥰

My grandfather, father, and I have all had multiple big Chryslers such as the Imperial, New Yorker, or Newport Custom. So, it's a thrill to see one as old as this one and with four doors! Perhaps it does not get as cold in Illinois on a consistent basis as it does in Minnesota because I've never heard you say that these cars do have a reputation for heating up slowly in cold weather!

Beautifully Fintastic! 😍😍😍😍😍 Thanks Lou!

My Uncle had a '61 4-dr sedan in metallic (?) pink, once owned by Doris Day. He moved with it from Oakland CA to Edmonton in northern Canada. What a thrill to ride in it!

Lou, you cease to amaze me the cars you find, what and incredible Imperial that dash is wild 😜 like a space ship and the tirm especially on the trunk and those headlights are so cool, keep em coming!!!

Beautiful, rare car. Truly a dream car. Thanks for video guys.

A great and cool car Cap't Lou! How could you not love those freestanding headlights and taillights? I wish I had one. Oh yeah, I do but mine is missing the top. You'll have to video it someday.

That’s got to be the most beautifully designed dashboard and gauge cluster ever made

Beautiful car! Workmanship is amazing!

Love everything about this car except the color. Probably looks better in person. The Chrysler/Imperial dashes with the square steering wheel and push-button pods are awesome.

Exner excellence! Love his design! Glad the suits at Chrysler did not veto his design! Love the coral pink color too! Exner explained that the floating chrome headlamps were an inspiration from the 1930s classic cars. They were a design feature from 1961 to 1963. The mighty 413 Chrysler Golden Lion Fire Power V8 with first year alternator, a powerful engine to power the futuristic dream car! Fintastic fins!

I LOVED THE HEADLIGHTS AS WELL ! If I remember correctly, the Imperial was also longer than the 1961 Cadillac as well as wider. Quite a spectacle. In Black, these cars really looked like money. My favorite Imperial design was actually the 1962. I loved the redesigned rear with the new taillights. Total understatement.

This is quite the car beautiful classic

That's class right there

In 1961, Chrysler and Imperial were but a few of the cars to still have upright tail fins. It was as if these cars stayed in the 1950's. Cadillac still had fins, but the car did looked up to date, not stuck in the 1950's. It wasn't until the 1964 update that the car finally made it into the next decade! - style wise. However, don't get me wrong, I LOVE these cars. They are very, very special with the elegance that it has. Love the interior...even the backseat was elegant! You had to have $$ to drive an Imperial, that's for sure. Loved Rose's comments! She was priceless too.

Wow! Fantastic. Love the old Chryslers. 👍

Hi, Lou! When I saw the title of this video, I had to look twice to make sure I read it correctly, that is, whether it said "WIDEST car ever" or WILDEST car ever! You could certainly make the argument that the 1959 Cadillac was the wildest car ever, but the Imperial was definitely the wildest car among 1961 models, with those freestanding headlights, and those hanging "sparrow catcher" taillights on those "Hi, there" tailfins! As for being the widest car, I heard that the 1960 full-size Ford ran afoul of many states' laws that deemed its 81 inches as being too wide. Ford got let off with a warning and narrowed its '61s down to 79.9 inches. As much as the '61 Imperial was criticized for a lot of things, I'm not aware of anybody complaining about its width...go figure! Chrysler furnished cars for The Beverly Hillbillies. You would often see Jane Hathaway pull up to the Clampetts' mansion with one of their cars, usually a Dodge. Many thanks to you, Barry and Rose for taking us along on this fintastic adventure on a quiet country road!

Great vid as always lou. Somehow you capture more than just a car in these video's. The story, the owners and the car itself.

Fabulous car!! No mistaking that for a Hyundai. Irvin also designed the Irvin sheepskin jacket used by the RAF. A little worthless trivia for your next cocktail party.

I love the squeak from the trunk hinge. You can't get that noise from a modern car.

We built an Enduro car in the early 90's and when we got the rules and requirements it was made perfectly clear that you could not use an Imperial. Frigging things were beasts

Love the tone of that horn.

Exner Excess at its best! When the original buyer placed the order, the Imperial dealer asked if he’d like to supersize it? Yes, indeedy… he did!

Wild car is right, Lou! Great car and video!😁🛠️👍

The Imperial was always over the top as Chrysler was trying to out do Cadillac and Lincoln for market share in the luxury car market. Chrysler never made it, but boy did they leave us some wonderful cars to look at. Thx. again Lou!

An interesting feature of the car was a foot control switch for radio station advance. There are 2 left foot switches, one(lower left) controls the high beam headlights and the other(up and to the right) is to control the radio. Not many cars had that feature even though it hung around until the seventies.

It was called America's most carefully built car. They used a slower assembly line to assure quality. Love the shark fins.

My father bought a '61 Plymouth Fury and I had to take my driver's test in that huge beast. What a nightmare and it took two tries, but I passed.

the model with the "floating" headlights, neat car

I love the color

My uncle had a '61, identical pink! 4dr sedan? I forget. He had it shipped when he moved to Canada and I saw it in Edmonton Alberta. He said that Doris Day had once owned it.

Ford & Chevy fans always forget that Chrysler’s use to build the biggest Bad Asses in the 50 & 60’s … A 413 cubic inch is a giant engine …. I can’t imagine a car being as Wide as an 18 Wheeler … Wowww ❤❤❤ 😊

Chrysler (Yes..I know that Imperial was it's own "brand" back then) more than any other manufacturer, was responsible for the proliferation of large "fins" on most all cars from 1956, thru 1961. In fact, most other auto makers changed to a smoother look, starting in 1961. So this vehicle was making an ultimate, "last stand" for the fin era! Gotta love how Chrysler started, and then finished, an amazing trend. Also gotta love the push-buttonTorqueflite transmission...it was bullit-proof, although there was an issue at times, with the relays operating those controls. And finally, gotta love that massive, powerful 413...I think it was 350hp back then--very impressive for the era.

Amazing shape the car is in. Don't believe I ever saw that model or a steering wheel like that. I had a 59 Plymouth in 69-70 that was similar with push button tranny, but not nearly as fancy. Paid $65 for the car!!

Imperial: The preferred car of Mr. Drysdale in "The Beverly Hillbillies." Of course, the show started when the finless 1962 Imperials began appearing. But, this car is indeed like a time capsule and one of the last of the Chrysler cars designed by The Incomparable Virgil Exner.

that is a beautiful car Lou. I notice there isn't a right side mirror. I wonder if that was an option.

The front end to me is one of the prettiest front ends and they had the arguably best engine,and the best and strongest and one of the most efficient automatic transmissions compared with the other luxury cars of that time.The sad part is that car never enjoyed the sales it should have had.

You know these cars were powerful, well-built and handled well because some famous and successful moonshiners used them to run their 'white lightning'. The spacious interior and trunk meant that they could carry a big load of the stuff and one rumrunner claimed that he hit speeds of up to 180 MPH with his 1960s Chrysler New Yorker with a full load of shine. He never got caught, either.

When they came out they cost more than a Rolls-Royce bet it rode smooth as silk love the colors and all that chrome screams class

So big he's got a jet landing on his trunk!

I really like '61 and '62 Imperials.

Nice pastel color.

The Imperial was in a class by itself. Try squeezing one of those in a garage today!

I love imperials

Wow, I haven’t seen one of these in forever. I think quite easily the most hideous domestic of that era, and what a crazy styling era!

Dunno if it's true, but I heard people used to enter these Impereals in demolition derbies and always win. Subsequently Impereals were banned from participating. Nice to see a survivor.

Very interesting video. I sure would have liked a car that I could get 5 cheerleaders in when I was in high school. It would have been great if it were a convertible driving in the Homecoming parade so those cheerleaders could sit back there waving their pompoms.

I offer my reverence to Barry 🙏🙏