1950s Chrysler & Imperial Cars in Vintage Photos

Text by Patrick Bell.

Kansas native Walter Percy Chrysler would have celebrated his 151st birthday this week if he was still around.  He passed away in 1940, and in the next two decades much change happened in the world and the car industry.  Today we are looking at some of the products that bore his name during the 1950s.

Our opening shot was a 1956 New Yorker Sedan with a 1960 New York license plate issued in Erie County, where the seat is Buffalo.  Per image notes the location was Niagara Falls on May 27, 1960.  The original sales brochure calls this the “PowerStyle Chrysler, America’s most smartly different car”. The FirePower Hemi V8 introduced in 1951 received its first increase in displacement, up to 354 cubic inches, and the Sedan was the least expensive and most popular model from the New Yorker line.

This man was leaning on a freshly washed 1950 New Yorker 4 door sedan with a radio and whitewalls.  Passing by on the street looked like a 1949 or 1950 Ford.
The decade began with second year update of the 1949 restyle, and was the last year of the Spitfire 323 ci L-head straight eight that had been around in that size since it was introduced on the 1934 Airflow.  Horsepower had crept up to 135 in that time from an original 130.

A 1951 or 1952 New Yorker convertible was sitting in the shade on a warm day.  1951 brought a style refresh along with a new engine, the FirePower Hemi V8 in 331 cubic inches and 180 hp, and the industry exclusive Power Steering.  About 2,200 of these convertibles were produced in both model years.

Here was a lady and four little ones sitting in front of a 1953 Windsor or Windsor DeLuxe sedan with a 1957 Wyoming license plate.  The Windsors had a 125″ wheelbase during this era, which was six inches less than the New Yorker.  A reskin had freshened up the body, while power came from a Spitfire 265 ci L-head six cylinder, another design dating back at least to the 1930s.

A gentleman appeared to be looking over his clean 1953 New Yorker sedan.  The New Yorker engine was the FirePower 331 Hemi V8, carried over from 1951.  Fluid-Matic Drive was standard, while Fluid-Torque Drive was optional.  Both were semi-automatic transmissions.  On the right edge looks like the nose of a 1952 Chevrolet.

A nice and shiny 1954 New Yorker or New Yorker Deluxe Sedan was posing out on the farm.  It had a spotlight and a California license plate.  The 1954 model year brought a mild refresh in the trim, but the big news was the new PowerFlite transmission, Chrysler’s first fully automatic unit.  It was standard on all New Yorker’s, and optional on the Windsor line.

An oldster and a youngster were in this image, both in cars and people.  On the left a 1946-1948 sedan with a sun visor, and to the right a 1954 Windsor Deluxe Newport hardtop coupe.  Both of them had what appears to be 1957 Illinois license plates.
The 1946-1948 models were available in five series, three wheelbases, seven body styles, and two engines.  There was little exterior differences between the series, so they are difficult to ID.
The Windsor was in its last year of the old six cylinder, and was also available with the new PowerFlite transmission.

This man seemed proud of what was likely his 1956 New Yorker Newport or St. Regis 2 door hardtop with a 1960-1962 vintage Utah license plate.  The standard PowerFlite transmission now had push button operation.  The St. Regis was a high end hardtop model that was only available in 1955 and 1956.  The main differences over the Newport model were special paint style in two tone (1955), or three tone (1956), and interior trim.

Now we are viewing perhaps a funeral procession with a line of big black cars.  The featured car was a 1955 Crown Imperial 8 passenger Sedan or Limousine, with the only difference a retractable glass partition between the driver’s and passenger compartments.  These were quite rare and expensive, with 45 sedans at $6973 base list produced, and 127 limos at $7095.  They were equipped with the same FirePower 331 Hemi V8 as the other Imperials and New Yorkers.  Most of the normal luxury car items were standard equipment, with the option list only consisting of Airtemp Air Conditioning (which this car does have), Solex Glass (likely has), and Chrome Wire Wheels (does not have).  It received the 12 volt electrical system a year before the rest of the line, and it had factory 4 wheel disc brakes, well covered HERE by Aaron Severson.
Heading up the hill on the left edge were two 1959 Cadillacs.

This one was the beginning of the Mopar high performance cars, a 1955 300.  It was based on the New Yorker Deluxe hardtop coupe, and had dual four barrel carburetors on the FirePower 331 Hemi which upped the horsepower to 300 (hence the name).  The PowerFlite transmission was standard, and most of the New Yorker options were available.  The base list price was $4110, and 1725 copies were made.
The top image shows the Imperial grilles that were used on the 300, plus the New Jersey license plate first issued in 1959.  It also shows the 300 was at least 7 years old, going by the 1962 Chevrolet Impala parked to the right.  In front of the Impala was a 1956 Plymouth Belvedere and a 1952-1954 Nash.
In the bottom image you can see the license plate color without the reflection, and a corner of the 1958 Chevrolet parked behind it.

It is hard to tell who was the focus of this image, the cute girl, or the 1956 Imperial Sedan.  This angle shows off the “gun-sight taillights”, and the seven inch longer wheelbase over the New Yorker that is seen in the dog leg portion of the quarter panel.

The powertrain was the same as the New Yorker, while the standard equipment list was longer and the options list shorter.  The license plate was California issue used from 1956-1962, and the location looked the same.  Down the street were a 1962 Dodge Dart wagon on the left edge, two tone 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Coupe, and a 1950-1953 Plymouth Suburban wagon.

Here was a man that was color coordinated with presumably his car, which was a mildly customized 1957 Windsor 2 door hardtop with the optional four headlamp system.  It had dual dummy spotlights, a custom grille and wheel covers, curb feelers, the nameplates were shaved, and it was lowered.
This was round two of the Forward Look, and was quite a departure from the conservative styling that Mopars were known for.  The Windsor powertrain was a 285 hp version of the Spitfire 354 V8 with a standard 3-speed manual transmission.  New for the year was the Torque-Flite 3-speed automatic transmission, which was optional on the Windsor, and standard on the Saratoga and New Yorker.

New Jersey was apparently the home of the letter cars, as this 1957 300C was also from there.  The FirePower Hemi V8 was now up to 392 cubic inches in the New Yorker with 325 hp, and 300C with 375 hp standard, and 390 optional, but “not recommended for the average 300C customer”, per the sales brochure.  A manual transmission was now an extra cost option, and available only with manual steering, for those who wanted a real muscle car.  On the left edge was a red 1961 or 1962 Ford F-series and a white over blue 1953 or 1954 Plymouth.

We will end today with the south end of a 1957 Imperial 2 or 4 door Southampton hardtop that could have been any of the three series; base, Crown or LeBaron.  It had the optional Flight-Sweep Tire Mount, an “AAA” badge, and a what appears to be a Wisconsin license plate.  The New Yorker’s new 392 ci Hemi with 325 hp was also the Imperial’s power plant, and the “gun-sight taillights” now looked more built in than added on.

Thanks for joining us and to all good day!

 

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