Re: IML: Imperial names . . .what's it all mean?

[Christopher H <imperial67@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There were actually no Southamptons after 1963. They were just called
hardtops.

As Kenyon said, the website is the place, but to put the terms in a simple
format (and now that you know that Southampton is the name for any Imperial
pillarless hardtop between 1956 and 1963...they were called Newports in the
earlier half of the 1950s):

Trim levels:
Imperial Custom (base level, discontinued after 1960)
Imperial Crown (middle)
Imperial LeBaron (high)
Crown Imperial (limousine; note order of words)

Customs typically came as 2-door hardtops and 4-door sedans.
Crowns came as 2- and 4-door hardtops and 2-door convertibles.
LeBarons typically came only as 4-door hardtops, but there were also 4-door
Sedans up through 1960.
The first 4-door hardtops of any Imperial came in mid-1956.

Limousines were called Crown Imperials. People often confuse this name with
an Imperial Crown. They are not the same. Very few people have a Crown
Imperial! The last Crown Imperials were officially 1966 models (though they
were based on 1965 cars before being sent to Ghia of Turin, Italy, for
conversion). Any limos built after 1966 were created in the aftermarket.

Crown Coupes were actually badged "Crown Coupe" on their C-pillars from
1964-68.

In 1967-68, the base trim level was reintroduced in a pillared 4-door sedan
only, called simply "Imperial Sedan" (even though it had crowns on the front
fenders for no good reason). All actual Crown models and the LeBaron were
hardtops (except for the Crown Convertible, of course). 1968 was the final
Imperial convertible.

1969 was the last year for the pillared sedan (until 1990), and it was in
the Crown trim level this time, though priced the same as the Crown 4-door
hardtop. Oddly, Crown Sedan VINs put them in the mid-line trim level (along
with LeBarons for 1969, even more oddly), and the Crown hardtops have
low-line VINs. Granted, a "low-trim" Imperial is no Dart. 1969 was the first
year for a two-door LeBaron.

>From 1970-75, all Imperials were LeBarons, either 2- or 4-door hardtops.
Late in 1974, the Crown Coupe option was added to the 2-door, though it was
still a LeBaron trim level. This option consisted only of a vinyl roof/opera
window treatment, also known as the St Regis Package on corresponding
Chrysler models. Underneath the padded roof there was a pillarless hardtop
with its quarter window fixed in place by a screw in the regulator
mechanism...there was not a full structural B-pillar, just trim!

The 1980s Imperials were all 2-door coupes (officially 2-door sedans since
they are not pillarless). The 1990s Imperials are all 4-door sedans.

And who knows what we'll see in Detroit in two weeks, but I bet it won't be
a coupe or an SUV (and let's not get that started again! I promise to send
pix from the day of the show!)

Hope I got this all right...!

Chris in LA
67 Crown 4-door hardtop
78 NYB Salon 4-door hardtop




On 12/27/05 4:22 PM, Ernie Stepney at estepney@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Joe:
> Southampton refers to the pillarless hardtop, custom is the base model, crown
> is the middle of the line and LeBaron is the very best. Customs and Crowns
> came in 2 and 4 door Southampton styles as well as a four door pillared sedan.
> Most convertibles were Crowns. LeBarons came as four door sedan and
> Southampton styles in the 50¹s and I think were 2 and 4 door southamptons in
> the 60¹s and 70¹s.
> To sum it up a Southampton is a body style and Custom, Crown and LeBaron are
> basically Trim levels.
>  
> Hope this helps sort out your confusion:
>  
> Ernie and The Black Bitc_!!
> 58 LeBaron 4 door Southampton.
>  
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Joseph Seybert
> Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 2:58 PM
> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: IML: Imperial names . . .what's it all mean?
>  
> LeBaron, Southhampton, Crown, Derham . . . wow.
>  
> Is there a comprehensive source of information I could read that would teach
> me about the Imperial names; what they mean to a prospective buyer? My primary
> era of interest is the 1960¹s.
>  
> I¹m hopeful there is an Imperial convertible in my future. I grew up riding in
> several different Imperials and driving Mom¹s ¹68 Imperial LeHampton
> SouthCrown Baron . . . or whatever. Help.
>  
>  
> Joseph Mark
>  
> Imperial-less
> 1966 Dodge Charger
>  
> 





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