A Look Back at the 1964 Chrysler Imperial

The Chrysler Imperial was an icon of its time, a model of power and luxury in the car world of the day. Learn more about the classiest vehicle of 1964 and how one designer from Lincoln was able to help Chrysler revamp their flagship Towncar.
Written by Jason Crosby
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
The 1960s signaled a turning point for carmakers. Bold body styles and a race to satisfy a growing middle class’s demands for luxury vehicles meant
Chrysler
needed to step up. With the birth of the 1964 Imperial, Chrysler had finally created a luxury car that could stack up against any of Cadillac or Lincoln’s best. 
The 1964 Chrysler Imperial went down as one of the most comfortable, luxurious rides money could buy and is still a hot commodity in the classic car world. Thanks to a fine level of quality control by Chrysler and high expectations from customers for a next-level driving experience, the Imperial quickly made a name for itself in 1964. 

Chrysler’s flagship Towncar 

The 1960s saw a marked increase in luxury and power in cars—car engines were becoming larger, interiors were getting nicer, and power windows, door locks, and air-conditioning became standardized in luxury cars. To keep up, Chrysler enlisted the help of former Lincoln Continental designer Elwood Engle, who was able to help Chrysler revamp their flagship town car. As a result, the 1964 Imperial got a complete interior and exterior redesign. 
Quality control on the Chrysler Imperial was so high that, according to
Automotive Mileposts
, Chrysler’s engineers even went as far as to record the interior of the vehicle with super-sensitive microphones to ensure that the cabin was near completely sound-insulated. It needed to be, though—at 227.8 inches (nearly 20 feet long) this pickup-sized towncar came loaded with a 413 CID engine. 
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The Chrysler Imperial was massive in every way

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Compared with the 1963 model, sales for the ‘64 Imperial increased by 65% after Engle’s design changes. To match its new look, the Chrysler Imperial had 340 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque to haul its massive body down the road. It also came with a hefty three-speed manual TorqueFlite transmission. The Chrysler Imperial had a hefty curb weight as well, weighing as much as some modern trucks at almost 3 tons. 
As
Top Speed
reports, only 23,000 units were produced in 1964, making the Chrysler Imperial a moderately rare classic car. In fact, well-kept, higher-trim models are going for over $100,000 at car shows and when listed online by collectors and vendors.
The days of 3 ton, vintage sedans like the Chrysler Imperial have passed, but this classiest of
classic rides
will always go down as one of the highest-quality vehicles Chrysler ever produced. And it couldn’t have been possible without the help of one man—Elwood Engle, a former designer for Lincoln. 

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