| What's New?
Best-looking member of the Chrysler
family, perhaps best-looking '57 car ... Sculptured roof contours
that differ with each model ... Compound windshields on all
Imperials, compound-curved back windows on hardtops ... Side
glass curved to match the "tumble-home" Luxurious
interiors replete with interesting details found on no other
car . . . Power assists standard for all driving functions.
Dual headlights optional.
Your Choice
As in the past, there are the
Imperial and Crown Imperial. They are outwardly identical
except for medallions, but differ vastly on the inside. The
latter is, of course, more luxurious with power windows and
seats standard. The difference is best compared to Lincoln
Capris and Premieres rather than Cadillacs and Eldorados,
for there is not that much of a price gap. Models available
in both regular and Crown form include a four-door sedan,
two- and four-door hardtops called "Southamptons,"
and in Crown only, a luscious convertible.
Possibly exceeding the Cadillac
60 Special in luxury of appointments is the Imperial LeBaron,
a four-door sedan that* really ought to be chauffeur driven.
The name is a bow to the classic past rather than an indication
that LeBaron has started building bodies again..
At presstime, we received- word
that the limousine would be continued this year with Ghia
building the bodies on a chassis slightly longer than the
standard 129 inches. Academically speaking, it would be nice
to see and drive one of these, but the odds are against it
for only about 20 are planned.
A stylized but false spare tire
cover impressed in the deck lid is an attractive option on
any body style. Dual headlights, requiring an expensive (for
the factory) grille rework, are optional for cars delivered
in states where they are legal. They will probably become
standard later in the year, and we'll bet that you wouldn't
run afoul of the law using them in states where they are technically
barred. Nash isn't worried (see page 44), and there will always
be quadri-lighted tourists passing through.
Imperial Power
The Chrysler New Yorker Firepower
V8, the largest (392-cubic-inch) passenger car engine currently
built in America, is borrowed unchanged to power the Imperial.
Performance, naturally, will suffer a little from pushing
the bigger car's extra 600 pounds, but the difference should
be slight and of no consequence to the average Imperial owner.
Increased displacement is gained
by a wider four-inch bore and a longer 3.9 inch stroke. The
engine is still "oversquare," but just by a hair.,
Compression ratio is kept to a low (for the high-price field)
9.25 to 1. We have a hunch that the much-touted hemispherical
combustion chamber isn't quite so tolerant of octane numbers
at high compression ratios as are modern versions of the Ricardo
design used by all other American manufacturers.
Three-speed, push-button Torqueflite
is standard on all models. For normal driving, push the DRIVE
range button and the transmission will always start in low,
pass through second and into high automatically. Full throttle
accelerations between 25 and 70 mph will cause the unit to
automatically shift to second; below 25, it jumps into low.
Engine braking downhill is controlled by pushing the buttons,
choosing according to speed and steepness of the incline.
You can't make a mistake; regardless of the button pushed,
it won't go into or stay in a gear that would cause damage
from over-revving the engine. Reverse can't be used above
10 mph forward speed. Starting in gear is impossible, since
you must depress the N-for-NEUTRAL button to actuate the starter.
Imperial on the Road
The Imperial is the kind of a
car most buyers plan to keep for many miles, so you should
be interested in the simplicity of front-end upkeep. The new
torsion bars are pre-loaded to increase fatigue resistance,
but should they sag after years of hard usage, there is an
adjustment built into the rear mounts to take up the slack.
Grease fittings have been reduced from 23 to 8.
Though there are those that argue,
most engineers agree that a big, heavy car when sprung properly
can produce the most passenger comfort. This is certainly
true of the Imperial when compared to its smaller cousins
with identical but scaleddown chassis. Handling, on the other
hand, is a shade more ponderous. Standard power steering and
brakes help here.
Inside Your Imperial
Many drivers will consider the
Imperial instrument grouping to be the finest combination
of mechanical efficiency and esthetics produced to date. Instead
of thermometer-type gimmicks surmounting a multitude of confusing
warning lights, there are good, honest, readable gauges, beautifully
set in a tooled steel panel.
Transmission buttons are mounted
vertically, an arrangement easier to remember than the standard
Chrysler layout. Padding is complete, above and below the
panel, and even on the steering wheel. Heater and air conditioner
(cowl-mounted) controls are nicely integrated when the latter
option is chosen. As in all Chrysler products, a gasoline-fired
heater and Hi-Way Hi-Fi record player are optional extras.
Quality of upholstering is top-notch.
Why Buy?
If you are a Cadillac owner and
tired of seeing yourself surrounded at every intersection
by other Cadillacs, try an Imperial . . . Relatively low-production
Imperial goes down a separate line at the Chrysler plant;
workers have and take more time to build it . . . Some personal
opinion rates Imperial tops in styling; figures show it to
be competitive in performance and ride. |
