For 1956 the Imperial’s two-door hardtop lost the Newport name and became the Southampton, and a four-door Southampton hardtop sedan was added to the range. The cars gained small tailfins, a larger Hemi V8 and the longest wheelbase an Imperial ever used.
Imperial Southampton at a glance
| Maker | Imperial Division, Chrysler Corporation |
|---|---|
| Production | from 1956 (nameplate) |
| Earlier name | Newport, used in 1955 only |
| Bodies | two-door and four-door hardtop |
| Engine | 354 cu in (5.8 L) Hemi V8 |
| Power | 280 bhp (209 kW) |
| Wheelbase | 133.0 in (3,378 mm) |
| Length | 229.6 in (5,832 mm) |
| Gearbox | PowerFlite automatic, push-button from mid-1956 |
| Built in 1956 | 10,268 |
| Styling | small tailfins, gunsight taillights |
| Air conditioning | $535 option |
based on one source (English Wikipedia); there is no separate article on the Southampton.
History of the Imperial Southampton
Imperial had become a separate make in 1955, and in that first year its two-door hardtop coupé was called the Newport. The nameplate survived a single season: for 1956 the car became the Southampton, and a four-door Southampton hardtop sedan joined the two-door in the range. The body was carried over from 1955 with small tailfins added at the rear.
The Hemi V8 was enlarged from 331 to 354 cu in (5.8 L) and its output rose from 250 to 280 bhp (209 kW). The wheelbase grew by 3.0 inches (76 mm) to 133.0 inches (3,378 mm), the longest ever used by an Imperial, and overall length reached 229.6 inches (5,832 mm). That made the 1956 cars the longest non-limousine post-war American cars until the “Fuselage Look” Imperials of the 1970s.
Midway through 1956 Chrysler made the push-button PowerFlite automatic available, with the control pod installed to the left of the driver. Packard offered a similar Touchbutton Ultramatic in the Caribbean and the Patrician, and Mercury introduced its own Keyboard Control for 1957, so the button gearbox was briefly a talking point across the American luxury market.
Power brakes and power steering were standard, air conditioning remained a $535 option, and the styling came from Virgil Exner, who defined the Imperial look from 1955 until 1963. The gunsight taillights of these cars stood free in 1955–56 and again in 1961–62, and the shape remained an Imperial fixture through 1962. Production of the 1956 Imperial came to 10,268 cars, against 11,430 a year earlier.
Design and features
- Four-door hardtop: the Southampton body added as a sedan for 1956.
- Bigger Hemi: 354 cu in and 280 bhp, up from 331 and 250.
- Longest wheelbase: 133.0 in (3,378 mm), never exceeded by an Imperial.
- Push-button gearbox: the PowerFlite control pod beside the driver from mid-1956.
- Tailfins: small fins and gunsight lamps on the 1956 body.
Imperial Southampton versions
- Southampton two-door hardtop (1956): the former Newport under its new name.
- Southampton four-door hardtop sedan (1956): added to the range that year.
- Newport (1955): the one-year predecessor.
- Gunsight cars of 1961–62: the free-standing taillights returned for two seasons.
The Southampton replaced the Newport hardtop and shared its body with the four-door sedans. The first-generation cars are described in Imperial Custom, and more are in the Imperial collection.
Video: 1958 Imperial Southampton – For Sale
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Imperial (automobile), English Wikipedia: 1956 models, engine, dimensions, production
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