The four-door Imperial was the practical side of Chrysler’s luxury make: in 1955 the pillared sedan accounted for 7,840 of the 11,430 cars built, and for 1956 a four-door Southampton hardtop sedan was added to the range.
Imperial Sedan at a glance
| Maker | Imperial Division, Chrysler Corporation |
|---|---|
| Model years | 1955 and 1956 |
| 1955 body | pillared four-door sedan, 7,840 built |
| 1956 addition | four-door Southampton hardtop sedan |
| Limousine | Crown C-70, 172 built in 1955 |
| Engine 1955 | 331 cu in (5.4 L) Hemi V8, 250 bhp |
| Engine 1956 | 354 cu in (5.8 L) Hemi V8, 280 bhp |
| Gearbox | PowerFlite automatic |
| Wheelbase 1956 | 133.0 in (3,378 mm) |
| Length 1956 | 229.6 in (5,832 mm) |
| Air conditioning | $535 option |
| Imperial production | 11,430 (1955), 10,268 (1956) |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); the photograph shows a later Imperial Crown sedan of 1962, not the 1955–56 cars.
History of the Imperial Sedan
Until 1955 the luxury car of Chrysler Corporation was the Chrysler Imperial, a model that had been built since 1926. For the 1955 season the Chrysler name was dropped and the Imperial was registered as a make of its own under the Imperial Division, with notices sent to the licensing agencies of the 48 states. The aim was to take on Lincoln and Cadillac, and the body design came from Virgil Exner, whose “100 Million Look” defined the Imperial from 1955 until 1963.
The 1955 range was built on the platform and bodyshell of the big Chryslers, with a wheelbase 4.0 inches (102 mm) longer for rear-seat room. Two C-69 models were offered, the two-door Newport hardtop with 3,418 cars and the pillared four-door sedan with 7,840, and a C-70 Crown limousine added 172. Total production of 11,430 was more than twice the 1954 figure. Free-standing gunsight taillights above the rear quarters were a feature of the 1955 car, and a wide-spaced split egg-crate grille matched the Chrysler 300.
For 1956 the four-door range grew: the two-door hardtop was renamed Southampton and a four-door Southampton hardtop sedan joined it. The Hemi V8 went from 331 to 354 cu in (5.8 L) and from 250 to 280 bhp (209 kW), while the wheelbase stretched by 3.0 inches (76 mm) to 133.0 inches (3,378 mm). At 229.6 inches (5,832 mm) long, the 1956 cars were the longest non-limousine post-war American cars until the Fuselage Imperials of the 1970s. Production that year was 10,268.
Power brakes and power steering were standard on the range and the PowerFlite automatic was the only gearbox; from the middle of 1956 it came with push-button control beside the driver. Air conditioning was a $535 option. In 1955 the Newport hardtop was priced at $4,720 and the Crown limousine at $7,737, which put the four-door Imperial directly against the Cadillac and Lincoln saloons it had been created to fight.
Design and features
- Pillared four-door: the volume model of 1955 with 7,840 cars built.
- Hardtop sedan from 1956: the four-door Southampton added to the range.
- Hemi V8: 331 cu in and 250 bhp, then 354 cu in and 280 bhp.
- Long body: 229.6 in overall on a 133.0 in wheelbase in 1956.
- Gunsight taillights: free-standing lamps of 1955–56 and 1961–62.
Imperial Sedan versions
- Pillared four-door sedan (1955): 7,840 built, the most popular Imperial.
- Crown limousine, C-70 (1955): 172 built, $7,737.
- Southampton four-door hardtop (1956): new body style for the second season.
- Two-door hardtops: the Newport of 1955 and the Southampton of 1956.
The 1955 two-door is the Imperial Newport and the 1956 hardtops are the Southampton; the first generation is described in Imperial Custom. More cars are in the Imperial collection.
Sources
- Imperial (automobile), English Wikipedia: 1955-1956 range, sedans, dimensions, prices
