(first posted 11/2/2012) Nautical terms are often applied to automobiles. We’ve all heard the old saw about “Nimitz-class boats” navigating wide-open swaths of America on newly-built ’60s superhighways–but just how many of those old battleships could legitimately claim to have USN credentials? Click through for the full lyrics to this sea chanty…
As we can see, this fine vessel has been put up in dry dock for some time, and in the unlikely harbor of Omaha, NE. But that bumper sticker-ette hints at a completely different past.
First, the sticker: It reads “DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY…NAS DALLAS…DALLAS, TEXAS”, and is flanked by small stickers with dates possibly ranging from 1967 (according to the top sticker) to as far back as 1965 (as seen beneath the top sticker). So as it turns out, this naval-themed Imperial is no stranger to incongruous locations. Those of you having salt water in your veins know that in military jargon, “NAS” stands for Naval Air Station. The history of NAS Dallas is no more or less illustrious than that of most other military installations; Originally an Army training center for in the 1920s, it eventually grew into a large-scale flight operation due to a four-decade increase in the number of both runways and personnel that started in the 1940s. All of this begs the question: Who drives a late-model Imperial on a ’60s Dallas airbase?
There certainly are myriad possibilities: Base commander? Well-paid naval surgeon? The chauffeur who transports local dignitaries on-base? Or was it simply an airman who scored a screaming deal on a slightly-used Imperial in 1965? What isn’t up for debate is why someone connected with the Navy would choose to pilot such a vehicle. This, after all, was “America’s Most Carefully Built Car”, according to Imperial literature–and it would almost have to be. Get a load of those concave fender stampings, not to mention the extensive use of chrome and stainless steel. And those “pod” headlights! It could be argued that the driver’s rear-view mirror incorporates more style and panache than an entire modern-day commuter-mobile.
Those details, however, are only the beginning. The 1963 Chryslers were the last of the Virgil Exner-designed cars to come from Ma Mopar. In fact, this Imperial–while firmly a late refresh of the 1961 model–clearly shows the influence of newly-installed head designer Elwood Engel. Although Chrysler had hired him away from Ford in 1961, on the heels of the success of his well-regarded 1961 Lincoln Continental, Engel would not be able to fully realize his vision for Chrysler/Imperial until 1964. In the meantime, he settled for tweaking the last of Exner’s infamous ’61s. With this car, Engel’s influence is best seen in the roof line, which recalls his earlier Continental and is more formal than on the ’62 Imp. Engel and his staff were also responsible for subduing the Imperial’s completely outrageous taillight pods; in fact, they killed two birds with one stone by at once shrinking the fins and integrating the taillights.
Astute Imperial spotters will note that this particular Imp is not equipped with the “toilet seat” on the trunk. In fact, had it been up to Engel, the “FliteSweep” deck lid almost certainly would not have been available. Owner surveys showed that some customers simply demanded that the faux-spare tire remain available, and so it was. For his part, Engel would reveal his faux-spare tire desires in 1964, when he simply slid the whole affair down the trunk, thus replacing a horizontal throne with a vertical hump.
Provided a prospective Imperial buyer wasn’t prone to trunk-based excess, they were otherwise free to express their own individuality by checking the correct boxes on the order sheet. Power windows? Standard, and expected. Power vent windows? Absolutely available. Air conditioning? Of course… would you like one unit, or two? Backseat passengers get warm too, you know. Radio? Certainly…and the classy buyer would also opt for the foot switch-operated tuner. Cruise control? Well, yes…but here it’s known as Auto Pilot, and is controlled via a dash knob and a somewhat complex series of taps on the accelerator.
A rear-view mirror that adjusted itself to high-beams by detecting their heat? Check. Automatic beam changer for cars coming toward you, rather than coming up behind you? Check. What’s more, that ovoid steering wheel framed a set of electroluminescent gauges: Just slouch a bit while driving at night and view those brilliantly-lit gauges through your TV-shaped steering wheel! The list went on and on, right down to the 178 different color combinations a discerning Imperial buyer could choose from—every one of which was hand-buffed for hours at the factory .
Even the mechanicals designed to be unobtrusive in an Imperial were not ignored. All 1963 models came standard with the 413 cu in engine originally introduced in the ’59 models. While wilder versions were available in other Chrysler vehicles, the Imperial mill was outfitted exclusively with a single Carter AFB four-barrel carburetor fueling 10:1 compression, and developed 340 hp and 450 ft. lbs. of torque. Add that to the TorqueFlite and optional Sure-Grip, and any ’63 Imperial will pull like an ocean-going tugboat. In traditional ChryCo fashion, the torsion-bar front suspension enhanced handling.
Perhaps these clues will take us down the proper trail of ownership. So far we’ve focused far too much on the “N” in NAS, and too little on the “A”. You see, that’s what NAS Dallas truly was: A training station for aircraft pilots, not ship’s captains. And the Imperial’s bird iconography comes through in spades, with no less than two Imperial eagles on the front end plus another on the trunk, each of them highly stylized. 1963 models also retained a vestige of the ’50s Imperial icon, the little gold crown at the bottom of the taillight lenses. This Imperial was built to take flight–not to slide sideways into the ocean, hastened by a champagne bottle.
So who, then, was the owner? I can say this much: This exact vehicle was offered for sale (and may still be) by a small local dealer that seems to specialize in Curbside Classics. I’ll say that the price was far less than five figures…which, considering what it would cost to get her in good shape, is probably about right. Right next to the price–and with absolutely no confirmation offered–the seller was advertising it as “PREZ JOHNSON’S CAR!”. Speculate at will.
“PREZ JOHNSON’S CAR” means this Imperial would have once belonged to LBJ (Pres. Lyndon Baines Johnson).
Johnson was a Lincoln man.
Indeed he was. LBJ loved running around his ranch at 70 mph in his ’64 Continental 4-door convertible drinking scotch and soda out of a styrofoam cup. He also had an Amphicar, in which he would amuse unsuspecting passengers by driving full speed into a nearby lake.
In fact he owned 11 1966 imperials..all of them white with blue interior …I know because I worked on them at Jay Smith Chrysler Plymouth in Austin Texas..they had skid plates under them because he drove them like jeeps around his pasture ..drinking Lone Star or Pearl beer..he drove up in one as I delivered another…with a lone star in hand..unshaven and in a kaki pants and a wife beater T shirt ..threw me the keys and said…Take this one back with you Timmy…it needs some work.
Lyndon Johnson had a least one Imperial – a 1957. See below:
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1957/celebs.htm
Not Andrew Johnson? 😛
I’ve just finished the third volume (of 4) of the big LBJ biography by Robert Caro…what a character.
Love this car–when they say, “they don’t make ’em like they used to,” this is how they used to make ’em.
Ah yes… LBJ = “Low Blow Johnson”. That’s what my dad told me the initials stood for.
Two photos of him stand out in my memory: 1) Swearing in as President moments after Kennedy’s death; 2) Showing off his gall bladder scar; 3) Towering over and standing real close, in the face of another politician;
He was a character all right. Manipulative, ruthless, persuasive, wheeler dealer, politically incorrect and colorful….the consummate politician But regardless of his flaws, there’s probably no one else who could have rammed Great Society, Medicare, Civil Rights, Space Program and Vietnam war down Congress’ throat like he did. They don’t make ’em like they use to.
At least he has good taste in automobiles. Lincolns and Imperials are nice cars..
Towards understanding who may have owned this vehicle, we learn from the the front bumper decal that it belonged to a civilian employee of the NAS. Civilians got black decals. Officers decals were blue, enlisted were red.
Imagine if you could get her in good shape, though. People probably would think it was President Johnson’s car.
Pardon me as I wipe the drool from my keyboard. I. Love. These. Though I slightly prefer the 62 with the gunsight taillights, I have no problem at all with the Engel-ized 63.
A very nice piece, Mike, on a really great car. I hate seeing one of these old Imps in such weathered condition, because I know that the odds of one of the 4 doors having the kind of money lavished on it that it needs to bring it back are mighty slim.
Imps of this generation are awash (let’s keep your Navy theme going) in detail. I simply love the outrageous “I” in the Imperial scripts from the Exner years. Even a basic front bumper – it has those little wings under the headlights. And the interiors, with a dashboard that a guy could sit and stare at for hours at a time. Ant your second picture shows how there is not a single exposed seam to show where the front fenders attach to a header panel over the grille, making a single, unbroken expanse of surface surrounding the grille.
If a guy had luxury car money to spend in 1963, he would have certainly had a tough choice between three very nicely done cars.
I’m totally with you on the outrageous I. It captivated me as a boy; a neighbor had one of these.
It would have been Lincoln hands down for me.
I have owned a 63 Cad Fleetwood and a 64 Imperial (quite similar under the skin to this 63), but have never driven one of the Kennedy-era Lincolns (much to my dismay). Of the two I have driven, they drove differently, but both were fitted out with top quality pieces everywhere an owner would look or touch. I suspect that the Lincoln would be the same here. At this stage, maybe I would have to agree with you if only to complete my set of early 60s luxcar experiences.
I just like the design and concept of the Lincoln.
Back in the day Motor Trend annually tested the three luxury makes against one another. Imperial usually got high marks for its power, handling (torsion bar suspension) and transmission (the mighty Torqueflite), Lincoln for its innovative styling, quality control, and great interior control layout, and Cadillac for its overall quality and balance of trend-setting features (e.g., cornering lights) with solid engineering and traditional styling. Sure was a simpler time when choices in this model range were limited.
Imperial’s styling was so quirky – fun for us car-crazed kids but not as marketable as the other two brands. Of the 61-63, I liked the 62 best for its overall balance of front and back designs, for the wonderful gunsight taillights, and for not having those god-awful fins of the 61. I liked the 63 but never thought the new rooflines matched up with the Exner body as well as his more slender-pillared versions of the previous years.
Motor Trend tested a 63 LeBaron (separate from the other luxury makes) and noted some concerns, including the engine dying during hard stops, brake fade under normal conditions and rear brake lock-up on hard stopping, and fit and finish not up to par (when compared with “other cars in this price range.”).
Why not both 🙂 ???
Long ago, I owned five or six of these Imperials, four or five Lincolns, and three or four Cadillacs. I would prefer a ’64 Cadillac today.. over all of ’em.
Cadillac all the way in the 1960s. Nothing else came close.
I’m with you on all counts. My favorite part of the car is the beautiful Imperial script! (The ’68 Impala script is quite nice too, BTW). “Imperial” is an absolutely perfect name for this car isn’t it?
What amazes me is that a lot of people fall all over themselves when they see a Nova or Chevelle or Duster….and a lot of those heaps get restored & hot-rodded…yet such incredible cars like these get hauled off for scrap because “they weigh a lot”.
One of these came through the scrapyard last year — it was complete. I grabbed the wheelcovers off of it & noticed a large gap between the lip of the cover and the wheel rim. Since the covers were solid (no holes), Chrysler “vented” the covers through the attaching retainer. It’s hard to describe (darn) but it was a neat idea
If the Imperial wheel covers are in good condition, I would be interested in buying them from you. I might need to research this first though, as I recall reading that they will only fit on certain rims.
JB: But you didn’t get those cool “Imperial” scripts? I would’ve!
Ha-ha — I don’t think I did swipe them (sigh). I’m real weird about cutting wires & snapping off pieces…even when the victim is at its final resting place! I’ve gotten quite upset when parts I needed were destroyed by some goon who tore them away to get to his “shiny object”.
I’m thinking those emblems had nearly-impossible-to-access speed nuts or something on the backside. For some reason I didn’t grab the clock either — THAT was a mistake!
BOC, those wheelcovers had some dings on them & weren’t perfect,but they’re yours for the shipping if you need them (or just want to hang them on the wall like I do) 🙂
> Pardon me as I wipe the drool from my keyboard. I. Love. These. Though I slightly prefer the 62 with the gunsight taillights, I have no problem at all with the Engel-ized 63.
I’m with you there, though my favourite is the 61. I love the gunsight taillight hanging down into the notch cut out of the trailing edge of the fin. It’s the only iteration of Exner’s gunsight taillight that looks designed-in, not like an afterthought stuck onto the top of the fender.
> Ant your second picture shows how there is not a single exposed seam to show where the front fenders attach to a header panel over the grille, making a single, unbroken expanse of surface surrounding the grille.
I was going to mention that, but you beat me to it. 🙂 All the seams between the panels were filled on the assembly line. Imagine a car being built that way today!
And your second picture shows how there is not a single exposed seam to show where the front fenders attach to a header panel over the grille, making a single, unbroken expanse of surface surrounding the grille.
Not a good car to have a fender-bender in, eh? In more ways than one.
These early sixties’ Imperials kept me quite intrigued as a kid. Who’s idea was it to do free-standing headlights? Hard to figure. Yes, and those flight decks. There was a rich old lady who lived around the corner from us that had one, and in the summer I would practically crawl into the open window to gaze at that conglomeration. Totally amazing stuff; these guys were having fun, obviously.
Or a good car to have repeated fender benders in, at least the later versions that retained that fully welded and leaded front clip. They were unstopable in demo derbies and were subsequently outlawed but not before great quantities met their fate taking out lesser automobiles.
Free standing headlights? Exner . . . Exner . . . Exner . . . all the way! It was his interpretation of the “classic era” (late ’20s/early ’30s) look that he wanted to use for distinctiveness . . . but somehow, in 21st century eyes contradicts itself in the overall “space age Googie” rocket themes. (I love these cars very much BTW). Road tests of the day had these Imperials a car length ahead in a drag race with a Caddy, two and a half over the Lincoln. Uncle Tom McCahill switched from Lincolns to Imperials in the late ’50’s and that’s all he pretty much drove (Imperials) from then on.
I think Elwood Engel’s real Imp influence is the ’64 to ’66’s . . . . and IMHO did a masterful job disguisingt the ’57 model upon which it was based. Only give away was the a pillar and windshield (again – I loved these) and there is a common belt line shared with the ’57 all the way through the ’66 model. My only desire is that Chrysler should’ve carried over the 1960 Imperial dashboard which I believe better highlighted the electroluminecsent gagues instead of the “bat child ears” and strip instrument cluster (which I don’t like).
No arguing with the almighty 413 . . . .
I’m pretty sure the suicide-door Lincolns also had “seamless” front clips. My father had two junkers at one point (the ’68 was stolen out of our yard) and there didn’t appear to be any seam between the front fenders and the header panel.
I always thought the Lincolns & Imperials of this era were a cut above GM’s finest.
Unit-body T-Birds and Lincolns also had front fenders that integrally welded to the structure, unlike Falcons et al with bolt-on fenders.
An old time body man (at the auto trim shop I worked thru college at)
told me that guys would visibly wince whenever one came in.
If this factory drawing is anything to go by, these also had front fenders that were welded on just like a quarter panel.
I remember the lead filled seams, and always thought it made it, at least partially, a hand built car. Very Impressive IMHO.
Whenever I looked at a 2011 Malibu I think how much better that bit of detail would have looked.
The build quality on the ’60 through ’66 Imperials was impeccable. They had their own Warren assembly line until MY’67. The Imperial was able to keep that high level of craftsmanship, if not necessarily by design, but by default due to the low volume. Imperials were still pretty classy and impeccable in ’67 and ’68, but come MY ’69, the cars wound up being a New Yorker in a formal gown, but assembled more like a end-of-model-year Plymouth Fury III.
The “nose” on the early-to-mid 60s Imperials WERE made into one piece, with lead.
For no obvious reason this is one of the best stories I have read on CC
My life is somehow richer for it. Thank you.
The other day over on TTAC, a question was asked about what “Premium” meant. I would have to say this car and everything about it screams “PREMIUM”!
I don’t know if the reliability measured up to the materials used, but it should have.
To me, this is what a premium car is supposed to be – the materials used. For example, a friend has a very nice 1995 Cadillac Seville kept in exquisite shape and the Northstar engine has never given him trouble. HOWEVER…all the plain black plastic dash knobs and trim are of no better quality that the average Cavalier. It does run and handle like a scared rabbit, though!
If I’m paying the kind of money required to own something considered “premium”, I expect something above and beyond what is standard on a “lesser” car.
Having said that, the world has changed and the playing field has leveled so much that your average mid-size Malibut, Camry, Altima, Fusion and Accord are as good, if not better than the tanks of old, save for ride smoothness.
Still, those old battleships have a PRESENCE that ANY currently-available automobile cannot match, and the subject in question appears to deserve a second life and restoration for posterity “just because” it symbolizes what magnificent chariots once ruled the road!
Boy oh boy, I miss those square steering wheels!
The ’60 through ’63 Imperial boasted of a “one cut” hide of leather, which only they and Rolls Royce did at the time. I believe that if you look at the leather seating surfaces in a 1960 through ’63 LeBaron . . . . The Imperials most certainly DID use premium hardware pieces apart from lesser Mopars (although many of those pieces were machined from dies made from the ’57 models!).
And, for LeBarons of this vintage, there was a fiberglass “cap” that filled in the otherwise large rear window expanse area found on Customs and Crowns. The seams were carefully leaded in . . . .
Well it was last had the registration renewed in 1983 in Texas, which means those are 1975/6 issue plates judging from the off-white and black paint.
Cool car, and NAS Dallas connection makes it even better since I live about 15 miles from there. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Imperials.
Yes, that letter prefix would have been issued in 1975, so that Imp spent at least the last few years of its life in Texas.
I was reminded of the maroon 1960 Imperial sedan I once looked at in Tacoma – it had an Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association sticker on the instrument panel.
That’s one of the Imperials I always kind of wanted, but I failed to run across one at a time when I had money. My 1958 Imperial was the only one I ever owned.
Great analysis of the many design details on this ship. Strange that all 3 of the eagles are completely different.
It was actually a “faux pas” to have both an upright hood ornament and also a logo in the grille itself. 1961 Imps had an eagle in the grille but no hood ornament. 1962 had the hood ornament and just the word “Imperial” in the grille. Perhaps there was a miscommunication during the 1963 design refresh?
This was a good story and I am intrigued by the Military connection. Don’t forget the owner could have been a Marine as well.
Obviously there wasn’t an effort to sell a million of these. It was a good effort to separate a rich person from his dollars when new. Chances are it was bought used by the owner of that base sticker. Because of the target client this was as foreign to me as caviar. I like the story but not the car. Good job.
Another idea is that someone bought a luxurious 2 year old car for cheap. Imperials of this era were notorious for poor resale value compared with Cadillacs. As much as we ooh and aah over these, they were usually only purchased by “Mopar people”, which only consisted of about 15% of the car buying public. Chrysler built about 14,000 of these Imperials in 63, while Cadillac churned out 163K. These did not carry the snob appeal of a Cadillac, and were real bargains when used cars if you liked Chryslers.
NIce story, beautiful car! It does still have a strong sense of the 1950’s, the ultimate decade for unselfconscious fantasy in car design.
Seeing curved side glass was a surprise, but it seems Imperials were the first production car to have it – in 1957 no less.
As to ownership, it’s also possible it could have been inherited. A middle-aged higher-up gets it when his well-off dad dies?
I saw a picture recently of a 63 Imperial that someone had painted in a two-tone white and red scheme, separated by the chrome strip along the body side. That gave the car a very 50’s look, which is probably why you couldn’t order these in a 2-tone paint scheme when new.
Still want to cruise around one Halloween in an Imperial while wearing a very detailed Darth Vader costume.
LOL, +1. Lord Vader, your ship has arrived. Ideally it would need a little script somewhere that read “Executor”.
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Executor
Uhhh…no you don’t. Think of your academic reputation!
I work at Great Lakes Navy Base, and the stickers are now required to be on windshields. The same month/year stickers, but years are two digits: 11, 12, 13.
Anyway, the higher ups here drive top line SUV’s or Lux import sedans/coupes. Or, a few top line Camaros/Mustangs. Not too many new Caddys, but some Chrysler 300C’s. About the same price class as Big 3 luxury cars of the time.
I have a 63 Imperial Custom, 65 Imperial LeBaron, and a 63 Cadillac Fleetwood. I have had more exposure to Cadillac’s and Lincoln’s than Imperial, but find the era Imperial’s we are talking about much more interesting than the Cadillac’s. That said, I love them all.
I just hate the seller’s claims of history they cannot prove. Limousines seem to be great targets for such claims.
The Imp more likely was owned by Milburn Drysdale, President of the Commerce Bank of Beverly Hills, before someone brought it to the Naval Base. Look for remnants of the big side stickers that encouraged the people to vote for Margaret Drysdale for Possum Queen of Beverly Hills.
I wish I had the money, time, and skill to redo that wonderful car.
It could have been owned by a civilian employee at the base, as well. All of my dad’s cars (literally every car he owned in his lifetime) wore similar stickers for NUSC (later NUWC) in Newport, RI.
You are probably correct. Although it can vary, in that time frame Red was Enlisted, Blue Officer, and civilians Black. Obviously that can vary depending on which commander gets a wild hair but that is a good guess.
I love the detailing on these cars, one of the few Chrysler products I’d want to call my own. I remember the first one I saw and was fascinated by the old style stand alone head lights on such a “modern” car. The little bumper on top of the bumper for them and the way the front turn signals were such a contrast as it looked like they were trying to hide them. The stand alone gunsight tail lights on the earlier version are also quite cool I prefer them to these integrated into the clipped fins.
I believe Black stickers were issued to Goverment employees/contractors, obviously a well paid one. Had one of these for a few weeks back in the 80s, even then I couldn’t put up with the mileage on what was just (at the time) “an old pile of tin”. Kinda wish I had it now for occasional cruises, but not a daily driver.
In the 1970s enlisted had red stickers, officers blue and I believe retired military had black stickers.
Unsure about stickers for non-military.
craigslist find!
http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/ctd/3309326260.html
That looks like a good price if it’s a runner.
I’m convinced that luxury barges from the 60s are really the best bang for the buck in the hobby. Sure, there are typical electrical bugaboos and difficulty in locating parts, but how can you go wrong with a 413/TorqueFlite? Even if your power vent windows don’t work, you’re cruising in big style with big muscle under the hood. I’d spend $5k on this car over $5k for a ratty same-year Impala.
I would strongly applaud you for so doing, Impalamino. But you do understand, don’t you, that the hypothetical alternative you mentioned… would bring you a lot more dough at selling time.. and sell faster!
The biggest problem that I had with the Imps that I owned.. were the (rain)water leaks into the body! Absolutely will drive you nuts!! Those 413s were smoother than the later 440s… but neither of them lasted very long—not like the old Hemis.
Hey, anyone see the humpy old Dodge panel in the background of one of those shots…?
At least this one may find a home. In 2008 and 2009, there was a ’63 Imperial Custom owned by a Coast Guardsman that sat folorn in the long term parking on the Coast Guard Island for the longest time. Eventually, it was kicked out of the base (and most likely abandoned) as it sat on Embarcadero Drive for the longest time . . . . and then it was gone. Chrome was not pitted. . . . white paint chalky from oxidation; interior not too bad – a definite TLC restoration candidate. Can’t save ’em all . . . most likely towed away by the City of Oakland and sold off for scrap. Probably ended up north of Coast Guard Island up the estuary to the Schnieder Scrap Yard in Oakland and is now a Chinese made refrigerator. Sad. Especially considering the ratio of ’63 Imperials to ’63 Cadillacs . . .
To me the 63 Lincoln is boring compared to the Imperial
61-63 I think the Imperial is fun in a kitschy kind of way. The Lincoln is elegant in it’s beautiful simplicity.
I didn’t know the year, but this was a favorite Imperial of mine. Should have known it shared the lines of a favorite Valiant as well. Could have given birth to the 64.
Thats my car alright. I bought it over 12 years ago from a guy in Texas. He told me, as well as others, that it was a car owned by the government and that the car was “driven” by LBJ. It was supposedly on the LBJ Ranch when Kennedy was assasinated!! I have a title for the car and several names of fellows that know about the car. I cannot verify the LBJ fact due to it being a government car and was titled as a Government car. Not in LBJ’s name. I’ve been looking for pictures of him in it to no avail. A photo of Him, (LBJ), is said to be circulating somewhere in the world. He was in the drivers seat and foreign dignitaries were in the back and front passenger side. Until I find that photo, the car just sits in its spot for the racoons to nest under the hood. A shame I know! I should be ashamed to call myself a Mopar guy to let a car sit. But ANYTHING can be restored. The car is for sale for the right offer. Once the picture is found the sky’s the limit or, the limits the sky? I dont remember how that goes.
Photo taken in Cambridge, Ont about 5 years ago. Shame that nobody could save this one,
Sparrow strainers intact,,
Another car from the year of my birth that would find a home in my dream garage. While I’m not usually a Mopar fan, there’s nothing like one of these old Imperials, and it’s sad to see it rotting away. This is one car that needs to be restored to its former glory in order to showcase its era.
>> A rear-view mirror that adjusted itself to high-beams by detecting their heat
Um, these units used a photoelectric cell that detected light, not heat.
I’m going to console myself by believing that this car has been completely restored to showroom condition and is someone’s baby since the original post is several years old. These are among my all time favorites, it’d be a real shame if this was still sitting there sinking into the ground.
How fitting: Just yesterday we visited LBJ’s ranch. Several Lincolns were there, no Imperial though.
I can’t read a post like this without missing my ’63 Crown Coupe (It’s been 5 years since she went to Germany). Mine had the toilet seat (A $69 option) and every other geegaw mentioned in the replies. The best of it was the dual air units that made for a draftless, central air sort of climate control. The only problem with the Imp was its size; most of my collector car driving is done on tight, small town streets with short blocks. Chryco did a wonderful job on the handling, even on this scale, but having to dip in behind parked cars to let oncoming traffic go by was the norm.
I tried to push the wheel covers farther on before I realized they were supposed to stand off for brake cooling. They occasionally flew off on their own.
The Mirrormatic light sensitive rear view mirror was annoyingly noisy, while being super cool, and the green glow of 225 volts through the electroluminescent dash was a sight to behold – nothing like it existed before fiber optics. The freestanding headlamps could have been fared in to match the tail end, but the car’s character would have changed too much for a last year of bodystyle.
Wolfgang,
The Lincoln & Continental Owners Club works with LBJ Ranch management to maintain the Lincolns at the ranch. They are great people and support the LCOC by bringing the ’65 convertible to our meet in Salado, TX in April.
An argument could be made that the ’63 Imperial is the final iteration of the Imperial theme introduced for 1957. The ’57 and ’63 are nice bookends to the general look, and I think are the best of the bunch.
The ’63 would have been a very sophisticated car in 1957, and with modest changes, might have beat Lincoln at all the way through 1960, or even beyond – Cadillac wore 1950’s worthy fins through 1964 – so why not?
I’m a sucker for any midnight blue car, and this is no exception. It pains me to see it up to the floorboard in mud, and with open windows. This car’s fate is to not weather well and if it is still around, it is likely far worse for the wear.
I believe for 1977 Chrysler introduced a road wheel option in the ’78 Chrysler LeBaron. I’d suspect they were styled against the ’63 wheel cover. Both are very handsome.
The wheel covers and wheels on a couple of good looking cars………..(and suddenly, I wonder if the ’78 LeBaron’s somewhat odd headlight arrangement was inspired by the Imperial’s freestanding headlights!)
You know, I never made that connection to the ’78 LeBaron’s headlamps (which have always bothered me, even when they were new)…but you know what? It definitely makes sense!
Our “79 Lebaron” had those full wheel covers. They’re one of the few things on that car that didn’t require work.
The air conditioner in this one is a Mopar aftermarket unit. My ’62 Valiant had the same one. The factory air in the Imperial would have sent air out through nozzles on top of the dash, much like other full-sized Chrysler products of the time.
Imperials without air conditioning had plain defroster nozzles on top of the dash. Those with built in Airtemp A/C had adjustable nozzles that could be swung upwards when the air conditioning was is use, plus chrome nozzles under the dash. Dual A/C cars had an extra evaporator in the trunk with a set of vents on the package shelf. The effect was coolness without a draft.
As far as the body is concerned, the ’63 is, in fact the same body as the ’57, there’s no argument about its pedigree.
It may be urban legend or not but the Kennedy death limo is said to have remained in presidential service until 1973, serving LBJ and Nixon. The Lincoln was further stretched, enclosed and armored IIRC. I believe the car is now in the Henry Ford Museum. I have this large, heavy magazine featuring President Kennedy, dated December 3, 1963, 11 days after his death. I’ve read it cover to cover and there is no mention of the assassination! ?
Here it is.
That issue, with the wonderful photography by Stanley Tretick, was distributed to newsstands four days before the assassination.
@Mr. Devney: you’re correct about the limo (see “Presidential state car” in Wiki if you wish). As I mentioned in the Lincoln thread yesterday, the Ford Museum has dozens of pictures of the car undergoing its 1964 modifications (armor, etc.).
I’m more of a ’64 thru ’66 Imperial groupie!!
With a stroke of a pen, the excess flash of floating headlights and tail fins were brushed aside for a more formal, dignified style. All this was done in the same chassis, frame, and windshield of the ’63 Imperial. All time favorite is the ’65 where the push button automatic was moved from the dash to a more traditional steering column format and a separate glass lens was placed over the bezel of the headlamps.
Elwood Engel, who had designed the Lincoln, moved to Chrysler in time to design the new Imperial for ’64.
If I had the time and patience, this would be the car that I would like to have in the driveway.
Sad, yet fascinating at the same time. Like looking at the SS United States docked in Philadelphia these days.
The color of the sticker may have been an indication of the status of the owner. When I was dealing with them in the 70s, Enlisted personnel got red stickers and Officers got blue. Among other things, that made it easy for the Marines to know who to salute at the entrances of the Bases.
I think this is where Ethel Merman says “WE’RE in the Imperial and WE’RE last? Why don’t you step on it a bit and see what happens!”.
A great movie….
They probably had some fun making it!! Ethel M. was ‘off the chain!!
I recently purchased this exact car from the estate of a Mopar collector in Texas. I have documentation that it was originally purchased by the U.S. government. It was ordered with factory “radio delete”, but it bears signs of early telephone or 2 way communications suitable for government (or vice Presidential?) purposes. The radio delete and a massive air-conditioning system in the trunk would be a very unusual combination for a luxury vehicle unless it were ordered for a specific purpose. It has several oddities in addition to the Dallas Naval Air Station stickers which support the idea that it was used to transport LBJ. (Note: LBJ was a Navy man.) It is believed that Lyndon Baines Johnson did in fact drive this Imperial on his Texas ranch. I know this is an old article and comment thread, but if anyone has information or comments regarding this car PLEASE SHARE!
Here’s my 1963 Imperial:
So wait… I want to hear more from Gary W who purchased this car 10 years after the CC article and it turns out that it might have been actually associated with LBJ?!?
What’s the status of that project?
I think it’s a beautiful car…regardless of its association with #36 or not.
Not that LBJ doesn’t sound, from some of the earlier comments here, like a fun guy to “have a beer with” (or maybe a case of beer with).
So after much labor, “Lyndon the Imperial” is alive again. Yes, I actually drove it to a car show. People loved it with all the bruises and battle scars and it was a fun way to visit history that many were unaware of. Here are a couple of pics.
The color of the sticker is black, which (IIRC) indicates retired military, or base worker; red is for enlisted, blue is for officers. 🙂
Base Sticker;
Red = Enlisted
Blue = Officer
Green = Civilian Government Employee (Sand Crabs)
Black = Contractor (Like our Pratt and Whitney Technical Representative)
Stationed NAS Dallas 86-90.