Parked in 1973: 1957 Chrysler Imperial
This 1957 Chrysler Imperial (technically it is not actually a Chrysler as the Imperial brand had been separated from Chrysler in 1955) was driven into a barn in 1973 and didn’t move until recently when it was brought out by the current owner to be placed up for sale here on eBay. Located in Archer, Florida, it is offered with a clear title. The seller has set a BIN of $9,999 but the option is there to make an offer.
The seller states that this Imperial appears to be complete and very solid. Certainly all of the external trim and hubcaps seem to be present and in good condition. While the body looks straight and the panel gaps look good, there are some rust issues to be addressed under the original paint. From the available shots it appears that there is rust present in the passenger side rocker just under the back door, and there is also rust apparent around the rear wheel arch and the lower quarter panel on the same side. Unfortunately there are no clear shots of the driver’s side to verify whether that is suffering from the same problem. One interesting touch to the body is that it has been fitted with the FliteSweep deck lid, which was optional in 1957.
Inside the car the dash looks to be complete and in fairly good order. There is some discoloring apparent, but I suspect that this will clean up okay. The door trims look to also be in good condition although there may be some problems with the driver’s armrest, while the carpet and seat covers will need to be replaced. This Imperial is also fitted with the optional transistor radio which it developed in collaboration with Philco, and only introduced as an option from the 1956 model year onwards. The car is also fitted with optional power windows.
That is the original 392ci V8 that was backed by a Torqueflite automatic transmission. The engine currently doesn’t run, but the seller states that it does turn over by hand. If it hasn’t been started since 1973 then potentially there’s going to be some work required to get this old girl up and running again. One nice bonus is that the original owner opted to have the car fitted with factory air conditioning. Back when this car was new that was a $590 option, which was a lot of money back in the day.
When this Imperial was new it was delivered with every comfort and convenience option that was available at the time. Its new price would have been around $4,800, while the options would have added a further 20% to the price. Today good examples with a similar options list are selling for prices in excess of $20,000. At the BIN price that would potentially leave $10,000 to spend on a restoration for the car to make economic sense. If the body is as sound as it appears that could make it an interesting proposition.
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now2 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now2 days$4,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now2 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now4 days$10,500
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now6 days$460
Comments
Ok, think back, who would buy a tank like this in 1957? Bank president? Governor? Safety minded, maybe? Remember, back then, their idea of safety was make it as big as possible. Extremely expensive to restore, and people are paying big bucks for 392’s. Sadly, that’s what will happen to this old gal. Someone will yank the motor, and make a fireplace out of that front end and a couch out of the trunk.
My step grandfather had an Imperial Southampton two door hardtop. Real estate guy.
I traded a motorcycle for a 1958 2 door Southhampton Crown, 392 hemi and all.
It was funny the little square pink slip from California had Imperial as the make and 2dshcrown, or something like that, as the model.
It had snow tires on the back, in california, and would burn them all the way down the street.
My car was even this color. I should have kept that one.
FLOATING down the hiway!!! Must have been awesome taking ownership of it when it was new!
How much for a four door sedan???? In 1988 I purchased my ’59 Imperial Custom Coupe that needed complete restoration for $500. Add another 10k plus minimum to his price for restoration.
Now yours is SWEET! Beautiful car! .
Yeah the seller is ummm…ummm….optimistic . How about crazy. I guess the dollar that doesnt mean much anymore. To me that car is $2500.00 all day long.hell the interior alone will cost you five grand. Power windows and a/c are great but do not boost the price for me.
Niiiiiice!
My hat is off to you, Pete. That gorgeous masterpiece is amazing! I was 9 when that came out, became a car nuts one year earlier, and always had a spot in my heart for Imperials. Your 2 door with that awesome roofline was my favorite. I see it has the “tire” on the trunk lid, too, a nice feature. I know you are very proud of that gem, and it must surely turn heads when you cruise down the street. How long and at what cost did it take you to get it restored? Did you do some (or all) of the work yourself?
The car was restored in 1988 for 15k. The drivetrain, interior/exterior brakes etc was all done. I did the dirty work and professionals did the rest.
FYI people 15k in 1988 dollars equals $30,000 + in today’s money.
SWEET car. I was 8 when these came out. I was fascinated by the tail lines and those awesome gunsight-rocketship tail lights.
Car nut since birth (my dad used to tell stories about when I first learned to talk I would point to cars and ID them. )
Four when my step grandfather started coming around. I thought the fold down armrest was a kid’s seat.
I remember being much more impressed with Granny’s 60 Ambassador wagon when they showed me the rear facing seat.
Beautiful car and the same color as Papaw Byrd’s, Pete.
Thanks for the memory trip.
Pete, that is a beautiful car!!!
10k won’t restore this thing, and, while it does have a certain cool factor, it is a four door and really not that interesting. I think the BIN price is pretty aspirational. Not enough value in the finished product, if one were to go down that rabbit hole…
Imperials weren’t built as track-day strip burners or corner carvers, so 2 vs 4 door really isn’t very relevant in the case of this car, like it might be with a Polara or something.
I agree on the price, though. Whoever buys this and spends the money is going to have to want one for themselves, not wish for a Barrett-Jackson payday.
Wow! In 1973 I was in kindergarten. Strange to think of how this car at the time was as old as a 2002 model would be today!
LOL, Theodore, in the early 70s these were just ugly old cars. 2002s are better looking than today’s modern monsters.
Things have reversed.
I’ll be going backward, model year-wise should I ever have to replace my 05.
Early 1970s tanks have nothing on this barge.
1973 – This grand dame would’ve barely made it home from the filling station with the 5 gal limits due to the gas crisis. My grandmother drove either Imperials or a New Yorker, which ever one my grandfather got a better deal on. She must have put the other wives to shame with her Imperial in the car pool line. (Perks of being a doctor’s wife, I guess) She had a ‘58 (a sedan just like this one), then kept it until ‘63 since she loved it so much, then a ‘66. After that she had a 1968 New Yorker until the crisis of ‘73, where she traded for a Mercedes.
Ok. Thanks for that info. So 30 years later it’s still going, still beautiful, and you couldn’t possibly find something as nice as that now for that money. Happy motoring Pete!
Me too Miguel, only mine was a ’58 LeBaron 4-door HT. I got it cheap
because the seller thought the engine
was seized from sitting so long. After
a few sessions with a large can of Marvel’s Mystery Oil, I got the hemi
running again. After that, I filled the
crankcase with Mystery Oil and let
it idle for a bit before drain it and
adding fresh motor oil to replace it.
Couldn’t believe how much dirt and
sludge came out of the engine after I
did that. The car itself was smooth and powerful while accelerating
and yes, you did indeed float down the road feeling very few bumps.
And with the windows rolled up the interior was very quiet. Traded
mine to a friend of Dad’s for a ’58 Eldorado Bearritz and some cash.
Boy, did I ever get taken. Point is, I should’ve kept my Imperial
instead of trading it. Sure wish I had it now.
Ken, it’s funny how many Imperial owners regret selling their cars and wish they’d kept them. I might have to be cremated in my ’62, 2 door hardtop, nobody’s getting it off me any time soon. As someone once said, “It’s like driving a tournament billiard table”.
Sum’tins not right.
That ebay link shows a car for $119k!