The classic car didn’t sell as well as the Cadillacs of the same era, but it does have some fascinating features, as highlighted by Steve Magnante.
The Last Of The Breed
The Imperial line was effectively the Chrysler answer to Cadillac and Lincoln, but they were never able to sell that many. In 1966, Cadillac sold 194,212 cars, while Lincoln sold 54,755, but Imperial sold only 13,742 cars. What was wrong? Magnante doesn’t have the answer to that, but what they did make were pretty incredible. The 1966 model year was the final year of body-on-frame construction for Imperial, so this car is the last of the breed. It was this construction that made these cars so good on the demolition derby circuit.
A Big Brute Of An Imperial
One little neat feature is the gas tank filler cap hiding behind the Imperial crest on the back of the car. The Crown also has a huge trunk, and it is still complete with its original spare tire. This example is a four-door hardtop body, and inside it still has its telescoping and tilting wheel, the headrests on the seats which, like the wheel, were an option, and even air conditioning. An option in the 1966, but now pretty much standard in all cars. Under the hood, though, is where most of the magic lies.
The Big Mopar Beast Within
Under the hood of this Imperial Crown is a 440 Mopar engine, the same engine that would form the basis of the Road Runner 446 pack. It is a solid engine and an absolute beast within the bowels of this Imperial Crown. Magnante talks us through some of the interesting exterior features too, such as the glass Pyrex headlight covers, a cool touch for the time. This is certainly one of the more intriguing cars you could come across in a junkyard, and Magnante does a great job at taking us through some of its key points.
Source: Steve Magnante YouTube Channel