Vintage Dealers: 1957 Imperials In The Showroom

Let’s look at some new ’57 Imperials today. Here’s an interior view from the Max Barish Inc. “Exclusive Imperial Salon” showroom in Los Angeles. This one shot features prominently the rarer single-headlight Imperial offered that year.

Here’s the neat-looking exterior, located at 650 S. La Brea Ave. The small structure is long gone.

The “Exclusive Imperial Salon” was just one of Mr. Barish’s concerns, with the core of his business coming from his 444 South La Brea Chrysler Plymouth dealership. A facility opened in 1952, and in those early days, Mr. Barish hired a young Johnny Carson to promote the dealer. Barish Inc. would eventually become known for selling vehicles to stars such as Bob Hope, Cary Grant and Fred Astaire.

And my apologies if this entry is sounding too star-struck, but such is life in Tinseltown.

 

Related CC reading:

Automotive Milestone: 1957 Imperial – Most Exciting Car In The Planet – But Which Planet?

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