Imperials were always rare cars, but by the early 1970s, they were especially scarce, at least when compared to contemporary Cadillacs and Lincolns. After 1975, the Imperial marque was a done deal (unless you count the bustle-back, rebodied Cordoba or EEK restyled Fifth Avenue). The rarest of the rare was the two-door hardtop.
1973 was the last year for the fuselage-bodied Chryslers, and that included the Imperial. By now, there were just two models, the two-door hardtop and the four-door hardtop. Though the Imperial had started sharing the Chrysler chassis in 1967, the Imperial was still top of the line and priced accordingly: $7541 for the sedan and $7313 for the coupe. Only 16,729 Imperials were built for the 1973 model year, of which a mere 2,563 were coupes.
I ran across this very cool dark green Imperial a few days ago, but didn’t have my camera. Yesterday I was on the way to pick my folks up from the airport, but stopped long enough to get a few shots of this LeBaron. It appears to be in very nice condition, other than missing wheel covers and some rust on the rear bumper. Hopefully I’ll see it at some of the cruise-ins this spring. Check out the shot below with the New Beetle in the background; this is a LARGE car!
Has to be the original owner. Five bucks says the interior decor of that trilevel is similarly unchanged from 1973.
My God the rear quarter panel on that car is huge!
Thee Imperials are fascinating for their sheer size but the generic Plymouth-like appearance seemed clunky and out of touch. Cadillac ruled in these years with the Coupe de Ville. From 1961 through 1979, CDV sales increased steadily, to well over the 100,000 mark every year in the Seventies. The 1971-73 CDV was an especially beautiful car and you’d really have to be a Mopar fan to drive a new Imperial away from your local Chrysler/Plymouth dealer. Ironically, Chevrolet benefitted tremendously with the Cadillac-like look of the 1971/72 Impala/Caprice while the Imperial died because it looked like a slightly customized Fury hardtop. GM was still the style leader in the Seventies.
Using common chassis/fuselage bodies not withstanding, these were beautiful cars IMO. I test drove a ’72 Imperial back in the summer of ’83 in looking for a car to replace my ’68 Chrysler Newport I had to junk.
It was dark brown 4 door hardtop, had a tan interior, forget if it had leather or not but the cruise control stalk was broken and that would’ve needed to be fixed but it ran fine otherwise but also was just too big for my needs.
I think after that, test drove a ’73 Newport 2 door and it was just too much money we decided for what we wanted to spend. The only thing wrong was a coffee stain on the carpet from where it got spilt. It was beige and tan and don’t recall anything the matter with it though. Again, this was in 1983. I would end up buying my oldest sister and her first husband’s ’74 Nova 4 door sedan for $300 that fall.
Ciddyguy, I don’t think you could get anything but leather in an Imp of this era. In the 60s you could get brocade and even wool broadcloth. Because having your interior dry cleaned is always an option…?
[Salutes]
I’ve only seen two other ’73s in the flesh, one at a show, since I bought my car in ’91. Both were four doors.
Totally lustworthy!
This is a seriously sinful car. And I don’t mean fun sinful like the new CC roadside service. I mean wretched, decadent evil. Most of the seven deadly sins are on display in one hunk of heavy metal. Gluttony: how much petrol has this thing wasted? Avarice: say no more. Lust: look at the ridiculous size of the rear flanks. Sloth: can it move out of its own way? Pride: giant car for giant egos. Wrath: anyone in a small nimble car trying to manoeuver round this whale. The one sin it doesn’t inspire is Envy.
Darth Vader needs SOMETHING to drive!
And of course, that was actually part of the advertising for the late great Impala SS.
These are excessive cars in every way, of course, but still much more tasteful than any number of ’70s boats that appeared around the same time. Not so much bloated as imposing.
Ah, you’re jealous that in Kiwiland you couldn’t ride the range in one of these. Big Chrysler cars with the 440 V-8’s were NO SLOUCHES.
Alistair, sounds like you have a bad case of little car syndrome.
+1 Methinks Alistair has never had the opportunity to experience a big-block powered sitting room.
The 69-73 Imperials were the ultimate. I don’t know if I’ll ever get one, but a coupe would be my favorite car of all time.
Yesterday afternoon doing 70 in the middle lane of Route 495 west of Boston I heard a rumble over my left shoulder. I glanced in the door mirror and saw the twin of this car (with hubcaps though) overtaking me rapidly in the left lane. It roared by me doing at least 80, singing loudly from what had to be twin glasspacks, and disappeared over the horizon. Spectacular. My 83 year old mother, who was riding with me, said “that’s an Imperial”. It certainly was. My late father (39 years with Chrysler) would have been proud of her.
Love this, Fred!
Well then the car’s worth at least that experience.
Good story, Fred. I’m in your neck of the woods and have never sighted such a rare bird. I did enjoy a moment on I-95 last summer when I was riding in my Imp with my kids, and a ’69 Charger – blessedly stock, blue with white vinyl top – rolled past leaning on the horn. I hit the rim-blow, kids were psyched, good times.
No wonder it rumbled by you….You will get run over if you do under 80 on 495 most times of day. I drive it everyday and its not unusual to look down and see 90 while just cruising to work…
That’s one of the most moving things I’ve read on the internet.
As a child of the 70’s, driving similar tanks as a first and early experience was gut-wretching to say the least. My ’81 Corolla (first new car) was a revelation to say the least…..
Still beautiful to look at though….
the age of excess
It’s funny, because I hadn’t seen one of these in years. Saw one on Sunday and then it’s on CC on Monday! My own preference in Imperials runs to the 64-66 models, but it was just great to see that one in full cry hauling down the Interstate. It looked to be in good shape, a mildly custom driver (with twin chrome pipes out the back) rather than a restored show car, and being enjoyed for what it is–a highway cruiser.
Here is an old Imperial I saw a while ago. It looked to be in great shape. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ky-850DReM
Some years of certain cars I much prefer the 4dr. models.
Like 64-5-6 Valiants, ’63 to ’70 Cads, and others.
I have a ’71 2dr. and there’s much I prefer over the ’72-3 2drs.
The shape of the rear qtr. windows and the rear window are toaly different and a lot less flow-y and less proportionally pleasing in my opionion.
I do like some of the details of the ’72 and ’73s like the wild loop around the parking lights, and the taillights are good looking too exept they look a lot like a ’73 Fury.
So yeah, these ’73-3s look better as 4drs., but there’s something about my black ’71 coupe.
Best of all the fusalge Imps imo….maybe I’m just a little biased?
The only other gripe I have is ’70 – ’73 Imperials used the same hubcap found on a plain old Chrylser Newport but with an Imperial logo. Not cool!
They look positively bland to me.
I run either plain steelies, ’58 Buick Raodmasters, or ’57 Lincoln Premiere caps.
You know, I usually don’t like wide whites on post-’61 cars, but on this, they work.
Nice car!
You’ve said word for word exactly what I say about it too. Almost an automotive faux-pas.
The first and only car past ’61 I’ve done this to, but it somehow works.
It tricks the average Joe, they all think it’s a much older model.
“Very Eisenhower” another guy remarked which cracked me up!
I had a 72 Imperial coupe back in 1986,gold with tan interior,gas in Tx was about 50 cents a gallon but I knew a gas station that was selling for 40.
Tempmatic a/c took care of the weather,the FM radio even old was acceptable,and the car was pretty much undestructable,those were the days.
Very powerful,very fast car,extremely reliable.
That was glorious to drive to say the least.
What else can I say about it ?
God bless America !