Running Hemi: 1956 Imperial Southampton Hardtop
This 1956 Imperial Southampton Hardtop demonstrates that wonderful classics remain hidden in barns and sheds. All they need is the right person to come along, liberate them, and return them to their former glory. The road ahead will be long for this classic’s new owner, but they can start the process with a rock-solid candidate. The Imperial is listed here on eBay in Villas, New Jersey. The seller set their auction to open at $1,000 but has received no bids at the time of writing.
The luxury car market during the 1950s followed a “me too” philosophy. General Motors had Cadillac as its prestige brand, while Ford had Lincoln. Chrysler joined the fray in 1955, transforming the Imperial badge to standalone marque status. This Southampton Hardtop rolled off the line during the second year of Imperial production. Its original owner ordered the car in Code 38 Black. The car looks pretty tired, needing nothing less than a total restoration to present at its best. That prospect may sound daunting, but the new owner will work from a solid foundation. The Imperial has been garage-kept throughout its life, limiting rust to a small area under the hood and another in the trunk. Both are patchable, meaning the winning bidder won’t face wholesale steel replacement. The floors wear surface corrosion but no penetrating rust. The frame is structurally sound, and the panels are clean. The trim is restorable, and most of the tinted glass should present nicely after careful cleaning. The windshield is broken, leaving the buyer to source a replacement.
There is no delicate way to say this, but this Imperial’s interior is trashed. The upholstered surfaces appear to have suffered severe rodent damage, and the paint has seen better days. However, every cloud has a silver lining because it does appear essentially complete. Finding replacement upholstery could be challenging, and it may require the attention of a professional to tailor new seat covers, door trims, and a headliner. The interior isn’t highly equipped by modern standards, but the power windows, power front seat, radio, and clock were all considered cutting edge in 1956.
Chrysler’s Hemi engine range remains one of the automotive industry’s triumphs, with various versions powering some of the most potent cars to grace American roads. The 364ci unit under the hood of this Imperial is no exception. In its prime, it churned out 280hp and 380 ft/lbs of torque, which fed to the rear wheels via a PowerFlite automatic transmission. The power and torque figures are lower than those available to Lincoln and Cadillac buyers in 1956, but the Southampton kept both honest when the subject turned to outright performance. This Imperial’s engine bay doesn’t make a positive first impression but proves that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The seller confirms the Hemi runs exceptionally well, with no smoke or odd noises. Its health and the car’s rock-solid nature could make returning the Southampton to active service as a genuine survivor a realistic short-term goal.
Some people find the prospect of restoring a prestige vehicle like this 1956 Imperial Southampton Hardtop intimidating. However, they shouldn’t. No black magic or witchcraft is involved in their design or construction, and returning one of these classics to its former glory is no more complicated than for any vehicle from the period. The sticking point is often the availability of items like trim and upholstery, but even those hurdles aren’t insurmountable. This classic won’t appeal to everyone, but with no bids submitted, it could potentially be an affordable restoration candidate. Is that thought enough for you to pursue it further?
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Comments
Love the look of these. Passed on one back in the eighties in excellent condition. Three grand. Ughhhhhh.
It’s too bad this is an all around restoration. A tear down. It will take a boatload of money and work. I hope someone takes it on but in today’s world I wonder.
Hopefully someone will restore this Imperial to as ads declared The Incomparable Imperial! Truly worth the time and effort 👌. Low production, likely very few survivors. Believe there was a 56 Parade Phaeton used in Eisenhower administration. If I were younger, I’d be bidding right now. First year of actual tail fins! Beginning of Exners fabulous finned fantasies for Chrysler! 🏆
Imperial parade phaetons were made, and even visually upgraded from the circa 1952 styling, for several major U.S. cities, including mine, Los Angeles, which is beautifully maintained and well used at public outings. Lauren Bacall can be seen(or her double) being dropped-off, by one, at a ritzy, NYC apartment building in the 1953 film “How To Marry A Millionaire,” famous for co-starring Marilyn Monroe, who I believe owned, or had the use of a white early 60’s Chrysler 300 coupe, and a 1960 white Cadillac sedan. So did Lucille Ball.
Well , I finally found a car that’s the same age I am ! How times have changed since the fifties & sixties ! Today’s automobiles don’t look anything like those of the past . The import cars far outnumber the American autos by a longshot . Why ? The oil crisis of 1973 -’74 coupled with rising fuel prices changed the look of our future automobiles . At that time , not many people wanted heavy cars like this ’56 Chrysler . Economy was the rage by then . Now we commute in electric vehicles . Happy Motoring !
To Mark, 🎵 To me, Electrofying 🎵 is really 🎶 TERRIFYING 🤮 🎵 . Not to mention melted jelly beans and Glorified TRUCKS masquerading as Luxury vehicles.
1956 was a high point for all of Detroit’s styling.
Certainly a highlight for Chrysler before Vergil took them to outer space…
This one has Virgil’s influence. He liked stand-alone tail lights.
My neighbor had one, it was such a cool car, then he bought a 57 Bonneville fuel injected convertible that was incredible. Great memories. Hopefully this one gets saved!
MAN ! all these killer machines poppn up…I have a 70 Coronet I’m redoing ,if I didn’t have it, I WOULD be in the runn for this MOPAR !….Maybe a GEN III HEMI n Trans from a RAM, CHARGER, CHALLENGER or MAGNUM and rebuild the GEN I for man cave art
My heart sunk when I saw this. My favorite Imperial of all time. But this one is far too gone. Parts car.
I don’t know what you consider to far gone, its solid ,yes interoer is shot but that can be fixed,,,,wjhat do you want some to just wash , put tires on and drive?
What is most important is it’s all there
Minuses:
needs lots of work and money.
Pluses:
IT’S A TWO DOOR 56 IMPERIAL SOUTHAMPTON!
Beautiful looking car. 1956 has always been my favourite year for the Imperial, until the 1962 Imperial, and then the 1967 Imperial. This would make an awesome resto project, or possibly a restomod.
The Hemi is actually a 354 not a 364.
Wrote the article about a Caddy first, then misplaced the number… But most know he meant 354 vs. Caddy’s 364; (I think). No big deal…
364 is the next year’s Buick engine until the 401 was introduced. It wasn’t a Caddy engine either.
Buy it for the running Hemi
And Eisenhowers’ ’56 Imperial parade car was his ’52 Chrysler parade car, with ’56 sheet metal – it is in the basement (vault) of the Petersen Museum in LA. No bubble top, no tons of bullet proof sheet betal and glass, a diferent world then. In Kennedy’s funeral parade the heads of state from all over the world walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, DeGaulle prominent, becasue of his height and hat.
My first car was a black 56 Chrysler Newyorker, looks like this barge. You got to be in love with Mopars to want this project, cuz you ain’t gonna make any money on it.
My father was an engineer at the Chrysler Ave. assembly plant. When I turned 16 I wanted a 55 Chev conv. even if it was a 6 cyl and standard. My father had zero common sense and he made me buy a 1951 Chrysler Imperial sedan, dark blue. Was a mint car and I drove it until I went to college and then got a 1957 Plymouth 6 with stick, Plaza but had the belvedere two tone option. This car lasted me through college
That’s a 3 speed Torqueflite, not a 2 speed Powerflite, makes it even rarer.
I’d love the motor
A car like this, the price is insignificant. It could be one dollar . . . that’s the cost of admission. The money is going to start disappearing once the new owner says “Hello”.
Put another way “The most expensive car in the world? A free car”
The original owner ordered it in code 38 black but the jambs, floor, roof, trunk, inner fenders say green. Someone painted it black, I may be wrong, but I don’t believe the factory painted this car black.
Agree….it was a green car with green seats inside….
Perfect candidate for a Chrysler-era convertible conversion!
A perfect candidate for a Chrysler-era convertible conversion!
Have owned a few of these year Imperials along with a Windsor station wagon and now have a Windsor hardtop/300 clone. Having a good running motor is have the battel – they make adaptors to bolt up the later automatic trans…..this ones a little down but not out….production I think was around 2500 on the hardtops.
My 55 Packard Clipper custom constellation has a 352ci v8. The cubic inch wars just started. I’ll trade for the Imperial and some cash as mine is a beauty. 3 on tree and OD
51,000 miles.
Somebody likes it because the bidding is at $3,050.00. I like it but no moola.
Wish it had fac tory AC. I saw a burgandy 1954 Chrysler Imperial 2 door hard top with factory AC. This car is down around Calexico, Ca. I go there a few times a year and hope to spot it again. Also saw an early 50’s Mercury pick up truck. This is when these trucks were built in Canada and Mercurys were Fords and Fords were Mercurys. An elderly farmer was driving along down there in it.