The 1961 Imperial is the Fin Era's swan song - the last, great expression of exuberant postwar American car design. This Virgil Exner creation is his most spectacular, with the highest fins, widest body, and heaviest sheet metal of any production car. Freestanding headlights and taillights are classic-era details that blend with space-age effects like electroluminescent dash and pushbutton shift. With the powerful 413 'wedge' V-8 and legendary 727 automatic transmission, the '61 Imperial rode on a rigid frame with torsion bar suspension to out-perform all rivals. Almost hand-made in their own factory, '60-'63 Imperials were sold as "America's Most Carefully Built Cars." Every body joint was filled and sanded smooth at the factory before painting. Roll-pleated leathers were fitted to six-way power seats. The body exterior was decorated with over 100 chromed or polished stainless trim parts. Options included Auto Pilot (the industry's first cruise control), self-dimming headlights, swivel seats, dual air conditioning, and power everything (even vent windows). This 1961 Imperial Crown convertible is rarest of all. At $5,774 (when a typical house was $17,200 and gas 31 cents/gallon), just 429 of 12,258 '61 Imperials were soft-tops. Nineteen feet long, almost seven feet wide, with 5,000 pounds of steel and chrome, this is one impressive top-down two-door.
Survivors are few. They are respected and loved worldwide by a loyal fan club and all who appreciate the beauty, power, and sheer presence of these magnificent automobiles; from a time when everything was possible and more was just barely enough.
|
![[ 1961 Chrysler Imperial - White (YatMing) 1/18 - YM-IMPR-W - Chrysler, 1/18 Scale Diecast Model Cars - diecast model cars 1/24 1/18 ]](http://www.diecastcarsx.com/jag.gif)
![[ 1961 Chrysler Imperial - White ]](http://www.diecastfast.net/images/20138_w.jpg)