I should NOT want this ‘57 Imperial! But I do! Watch out for bright turquoise!

airansun · Jan 27, 2019

God help me, I should not lust after this car.

It’s huge and gaudy. I know from experience; back in the day, my father owned a far more conservative black four door ‘62 Imperial that I was expected to wash once a week.

It gets maybe 8 miles to the gallon. There are NO parking spaces anymore made for a car this wide and this long. Nearly 19 feet long and over 6 and a half feet wide.

But there’s something about the combination of colors and shapes that is driving me crazy!

I love this detail, the bar on the roof carried inside like this.

I know there’s a way that this car is ugly. Still.

Somebody spent over $100k on restoring this car.

Last year of the Hemi, but you’ve seen those.

Added benefit: (from Wikipedia):

“One advantage of Imperials of this vintage was their strength; their crash worthiness got them banned from most demolition derbys for being too durable and too tough to take down. Unlike the rest of the Chrysler Corporation, the Imperial retained separate full perimeter frames for rigidity through the 1966 model year. These substantial frames had a box cross section with crossmembers forming an "X”.”

It’s currently on eBay, but it’ll never sell there.
Dead Link/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/163500345221

Thank goodness, I don’t have the means or the space to take this on.

But, I keep looking at the photos.

Gold plated trim.

blufinz52 · Jan 27, 2019

I love it! Great photos.

noelekal · Jan 27, 2019

It's glorious! I'd love to have it too.

Fretworker · Jan 27, 2019

My Christ, that's a dog, mortgage the house, that's style

Mac5 · Jan 27, 2019

You take up two parking spots and part of the sidewalk and nobody will say anything!

Reddy_Kilowatt · Jan 27, 2019

airansun
God help me, I should not lust after this car.

It’s huge and gaudy. I know from experience; back in the day, my father owned a far more conservative black four door ‘62 Imperial that I was expected to wash once a week.

It gets maybe 8 miles to the gallon. There are NO parking spaces anymore made for a car this wide and this long. Nearly 19 feet long and over 6 and a half feet wide.

But there’s something about the combination of colors and shapes that is driving me crazy!

I love this detail, the bar on the roof carried inside like this.

I know there’s a way that this car is ugly. Still.

Somebody spent over $100k on restoring this car.

Last year of the Hemi, but you’ve seen those.

Added benefit: (from Wikipedia):

“One advantage of Imperials of this vintage was their strength; their crash worthiness got them banned from most demolition derbys for being too durable and too tough to take down. Unlike the rest of the Chrysler Corporation, the Imperial retained separate full perimeter frames for rigidity through the 1966 model year. These substantial frames had a box cross section with crossmembers forming an "X”.”

It’s currently on eBay, but it’ll never sell there.
Dead Link/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/163500345221

Thank goodness, I don’t have the means or the space to take this on.

But, I keep looking at the photos.

Gold plated trim.

Congratulations on your new car!

neilfrancis · Jan 27, 2019

Buy It Now

Flatfoot · Jan 27, 2019

Don't ask me, I'm a first class enabler when it comes to cars... I love it too. Turquoise, chrome and gold trim. Absolutely a late '50's tasty treat.

Do you bid at "dollars per pound"? ...It might soften the blow to the wallet if you look at it that way 😗

Nathan1967 · Jan 27, 2019

Man alive! That is magnificent!
I can see you “rolling” in that, an incredible machine.

Taddyangle · Jan 27, 2019

I say buy this car and a 2915. Then start a thread called Roll Call: Is the year of your watch the same as the year of your car?

Mtek · Jan 27, 2019

Opposite end of the spectrum is a diminutive ‘57 Isetta. The use of chrome, plaid, and color is similar in a completely diff automobile. I miss distinct and stylish cars.

Fritz · Jan 27, 2019

I passed on one just like that a few years back, except in that seafood green colour they also came in, not enough space at the time.

But sometimes I wish I'd made the space... sometimes ya just gotta!

hanky6 · Jan 27, 2019

@airansun, you have great taste in cars. I think that cars, and many other things as well, were designed and made to be pieces of art more than just a practical object back then.
@Taddyangle, I can play, but with a bit more modern watch and car, both from 2007 so nothing really interesting.

noelekal · Jan 27, 2019

Mtek
Opposite end of the spectrum is a diminutive ‘57 Isetta. The use of chrome, plaid, and color is similar in a completely diff automobile. I miss distinct and stylish cars.

That Isetta might leave as much as a bug stain on the Imperial's front bumper.

Mtek · Jan 27, 2019

Taddyangle
I say buy this car and a 2915. Then start a thread called Roll Call: Is the year of your watch the same as the year of your car?

My dream of this would be a 65 seamaster chrono with a 65 GTO tri power.

noelekal · Jan 27, 2019

Love any big, honkin' Mopar iron with great, huge engines. I always thought I'd like one of the "sportier" original letter series 300s. Your '57 Imperial find made me search for a '57 Chrysler 300 C. Same engine, but available with twin four barrel carburetors and cross ram intake manifold. Rode in one once. Unbelievable acceleration and speed for its size, but ... no effective brakes for all that bulk.

noelekal · Jan 27, 2019

Hey airasun! Did you see the '57 Imperial convertible that's also on Ebay?

Note the headlight styling differences between the coupe you found and this one. Quad headlights were just coming in and they weren't street legal in all states. I've also seen other '57 Chryslers and Imperials with either style.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1957-Chrys...m=132914815198&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

airansun · Jan 27, 2019

noelekal
Hey airasun! Did you see the '57 Imperial convertible that's also on Ebay?

Indeed I did. Loved those single, huge headlights and the white top. Almost posted photos of that car here. But, honestly, it didn’t move me the way that this coupe does.

Mtek · Jan 27, 2019

Those two tone Buick’s of the 50s were nice too.

57s

noelekal · Jan 27, 2019

airansun
Indeed I did. Loved those single, huge headlights and the white top. Almost posted photos of that car here. But, honestly, it didn’t move me the way that this coupe does.

I love convertibles, but you're right. That Imperial coupe is more eyecatching. Don't know if it's the styling of the hard top or the color ... or both.

Love ol' Buicks too. My grandmother was driving a 1956 Buick Roadmaster four door hardtop just like this one with the same paint scheme when I was a little kid. I can still recall the fragrance of the ethyl gasoline wafting in when she had it filled up. Soon traded it for a '59 and then a '61, all Buicks. That's all she would drive. Last one was an '83 Electra Park Avenue.