How Much Would You Pay? 1956 Imperial
In 1955, Chrysler spun off its Imperial division as a separate make and they were on their own, at least in name, until 1975. The Imperial came back again on the J-platform (think, Cordoba and Mirada) from 1981 to 1983. Our own Todd Fitch has a very nice example from that era. This 1956 Imperial is posted here on eBay in Anoka, Minnesota. There is a buy-it-now price of $19,980 and the current bid is $9,658.58 but the reserve isn’t met.
This is a lot of car for 20 grand, in every way. It’s big, literally, at almost 2.5 tons, and it’s bold in this gorgeous turquoise color. The paint has its share of chips and scratches but it would be a spectacular driver-quality car for weekend drives. The first-generation Imperial was made for 1955 and 1956 and you won’t find a Chrysler badge on this car.
The gun-sight tail lights are a unique touch as are the tapered bright strips on the sides. I would want to put LED bulbs in those small tail lights in order to drive it on today’s texting-while-driving roadways, it would be a shame to have some unattentive clown damage this beautiful car. The seller doesn’t mention whether the paint is original or there’s any rust or bodywork, but they say that it has a “solid body” and it sure looks good in the photos.
They have provided dozens of great photos, including many underside photos. Well done, seller! It looks clean underneath, no? Yes. They say that the interior is original and if that’s the case, this car should be sold by now. Hagerty is at $21,500 for a #3 good-condition car and this one has to be close to that. The seats look too good to be true, both front and rear, and the trunk is loaded with a box of what I’m assuming are the former factory Airtemp Air-Conditioning components. Everything is said to be in working condition – other than the AC, of course. 1956 was the first year for the push-button shifter and this one works great.
The seller lists the engine as a 331-cu.in. Hemi, which I thought was only available in the 1955 Imperial. The information that I’ve found on this car for this year says that the engine should be a Chrysler FirePower 354-cu.in. Hemi V8 with 280 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque. It’s backed by a two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels. The seller says that the brakes need some work but they don’t mention how the engine runs. If it runs as good as it looks, this is one nice car. How much would you pay for this Imperial?
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Comments
Being privy to certain information about the author, I happen to know, he is looking for another vehicle for his”day job”,that requires a lot of travel. I’m mighty impressed to say, he got an astonishing 352,000 miles on a Prius, before recent repairs will exceed any value, Scotty, here is the Prius replacement. I realize that won’t happen, but in the 50s, auto travel was king. Faster than a train or bus, and safer than an airplane. One didn’t buy a car like this to go 4 miles to work, this car was meant to roll. L.A. to Vegas at 100 mph was the obvious purpose and this car could do it.
Today, there is surely a lot of interest, not because what a cruiser it was, but it’s just so unusual. Not many today can relate to what it was like driving a hemi powered Imperial in the 50s on mostly gravel 2 lanes. Imperials were considered the top of the line for many wealthy folks, from Hollywood to Shahs to Elvis. Caddys and Lincolns seemed to attract an entirely different crowd, Imperials were for the people. The bid hasn’t moved much, telling me, people may like it, but not $20 grand worth and I agree. As fantastic a car as it was in 1956, it’s just an old car now.
According to the US Bureau of Public Roads, in 1955, 56% of rural roads in the United States were surfaced with gravel, while 44% were paved. For urban roads, the figures were 12% gravel and 88% paved. This suggests that the majority of roads and highways in the United States were paved in 1955.
Make a good Moonshine runner 😎 🌙 🥴🥃🏁
These 50s Mopars are ridiculously cheap these days. What a car . . .
I must say I would rather pay $15 to $20000 for this car versus buying a new vehicle at $60,000 I could afford repairs with the savings. Granted, there are some safety shortcomings if you were to drive this daily (and the 25 miles a day average many use), but at least you wouldn’t be scared off by the Big SUVS out there. Nice car.
Hagerty’s values seems about right for this car. Lots of good honest pics too. Is that 6 volt or 12 volt? Potential to be a show car or just drive around to cruise ins. Only an experienced car guy will appreciate it.
Family had a ’55 that was six volt. Pretty sure they went to 12V in ’56.
That’s a 12 volt battery in there.
I recently bought my birth year car, a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan that checked all the boxes: as old as I am, flathead six, three in the tree with overdrive, power nothing and an orphan car. This one is still 6v and in near museum condition. I’m so impressed by its drivability and comfort. Really draws people in which is good if you have time to talk, and at seventy, I usually do. I paid 6K on ebay. No one bid on that opening bid price! I thought for sure I’d get sniped. I didn’t and then had to apologize and explain to my wife what happened. It’s been a couple of months now, and she hasn’t ridden in it yet! But she still talks to me.
I wonder if many others share that desire to have a birth year car. If so, the 50’s cars might start gaming in value…
you had better take her for a nice long sunday drive pdq, if you want more than “still talking to me” my dear dennis. he says with a cheeky grin.
after all hot meals and clean undies are real nice too lol
now this is a fin car i might have to like. she is bye-u-t-yfull.
how much would i..? well if i was really going to, probably as far as the buy it now; but i’d rather be down around 15k.
I bought a 1949 Kaiser Special memorial day 2022…..been to 7 shows, 5 trophies. Get a lot of questions about Kaiser (“Is that a German Car? Where were they made?” etc. 46 is my birth year but first car when I was 16 was 49 Dodge Wayfayer, had a 49 Dodge Coronet Club Coupe for 13 years in the 90s. Sold it spent the last two years looking for it. No luck so I bought the 49 Kaiser. I hope you are or are becoming a member of the Kaiser Fraser Owners Club International
Unlike Dennis, I would lean towards finding something nostalgic from my teens even though 1964 has a nice selection to choose from. 😊
Years ago I had a Bentley built (completed) on my birthday. Sorry I sold it. At 800 – 850 cars per year there couldn’t have been many done on that date.
This is the one car I have desired to buy as a year of birth treat, but the ’55 for my wife. Only issue is our exchange rate makes this a $30K purchase and then I still have shipping and import charges to get it to New Zealand, so looking at $40K+.
My first car was a Chrysler New Yorker just about identical to this Imp, same engine and interior. They were big, slow and had an attitude that said “Get out of the way, if you know what’s good for you!” I bought it from my best bud’s old man for $500.. in 1970
The fabric inserts on the seats is certainly NOS or repro, but I’d say those seats were redone sometime in the past. The color of the fabric on the doors (and the fabric on the front seat backs) has the patina of age.
“…and the trunk is loaded with a box of what I’m assuming are the former factory Airtemp Air-Conditioning components.”
I don’t see any indication this car had factory AC. A ’56 would have had the trunk-mounted evaporator and the air intake “scoops” atop the rear fenders and there are no fender scoops on this car.
correct…..that looks like a radio in the box and the heater fan with cover from under the hood – could be extra’s…..a RARE it doesn’t have A/C but that cost some money back then….A/C trunk units are not hard to come by…..
Thanks for the info, Tiger66 and stillrunners. There I go again assuming, that always gets me in trouble. That’s a good lesson, thanks much.
I was born in Detroit in 1955. At the time, my family all drove Chryslers, my mom’s side of the family all worked at Chrysler’s Highland Park headquarters. My dad’s side all worked at the Ford Motor Company. GM, not so much. But back in the 50s, everyone drove American cars, especially in Detroit, that’s just how it worked. My dad had a 65 Desoto Firedome I think. I was two tone of course, black and coral, with black, white, and coral interior. I was too young to know about all the details, but I’ve seen a lot of pictures of it. I know he liked it. We moved to Southern California in 1958, but before the move my dad bought a new 58 Dodge Custom Sierra wagon. That was a huge car, a two tone as well, red and white with black and white interior. I wish I was older in the 50s, it was a great time for American cars. Detroit built what the car buying public wanted, no one cared about gas mileage, they didn’t have too with premium gas at less than 50 cents a gallon. True Story. We loved our cars, the bigger the better, it was a time when the engine cubic inch were increasing every year. The engines had to get bigger to carry around those fantastic fins, and at least 47 miles of chrome trim. Was any of it necessary, of course not, but it was a time when Americans could do things we liked, because we could. The only problem with that kind of thinking was we thought it would always be that way. It stayed that way until the 1973 oil crisis changed everything in the fall of that year. Like I said, it changed everything. It took years for things to stabilize, some might say things never really recovered, and I would be one of them. Now all we have are SUVs and trucks, and they all look like used bars of soap.
Auction update: this beautiful Imperial sold for $18,300!
Comments are over, it’s sold. Know what? That’s a damn shame. I do believe that if the exposure and time permitted that that car could have brought near $ 25-30 k. It was a killer ride. Not rare , but a 2dr. ht. 331hemi sitting in a super clean package. I’m going on I know,but it’s one of the few I’ve seen, go out the door, very underpriced.
Hi every body
I’m the new owner ,Wath I like for this Impérial 56 is the combo color and the average inside or outside .Chrome is very nice ($$$$) ,complete car,they need love and I will give some , Now is in my garage collection . I hope I make a good deal !!!
Congrats! I think you got a great deal and the colors are beautiful Wish it was me.