Christmas came early for me, my fellow Imperialistas! Today I received my May
1959 issue of Car Life magazine, with Jim Whipple's (did he go on to later
fame and fortune as Charmin's "so squeezably soft it's irresistible" Mr.
Whipple?) consumer analysis of the best buy in the luxury car field. Starting
off on the inside front cover is an ad for the new Skoda 440 (who knew Mopar
was testing this engine 7 years earlier in this Czechoslovakian car - slogan
"Promised by Detroit soon, but in the Skoda NOW!"!), available at Continental
Car Company, 1728 Broadway @ W. 55th St., New York, phone PL7-7790.
On to Imperial topics: The article begins with giant grill graphics of the
Cadillac bullets, the Lincoln fence and the Imperial teeth. It reviews the
Cadillac, summarizing by saying that Cadillac is the car for you if...You want
the most desired car in the U.S. [by nouveau riche social climbers! -ed.]
...You want the inner satisfaction of knowing that you own the best all-around
engineering job to come out of a U.S. auto plant [if you're uninterested in
the BRAND NEW Imperial plant and the all-new 413 engine! -ed.] ...You like the
idea of a really luxurious car that does not sacrifice anything in roadability
or ease of handling [except to the Imperial's Torsion-Aire suspension -ed.]
...You're interested in getting all the quality and fine workmanship [and
chrome, front & rear -ed.] you're paying for.
Lincoln is the car for you if...You want the roomiest and easiest to enter of
all 1959 luxury cars. ...You want a B-I-G, M-A-S-S-I-V-E, roomy car that's
surprisingly easy to handle and remarkably good at holding the road. [okay, I
will concede it IS easier to drive than it looks. -ed.] ...A well-balanced
package of styling, comfort, roadability, workmanship and performance makes
sense in your luxury car choice.
Imperial is the car for you if...Its smooth and distinctive styling pleases
you. ...The excellent maneuverability that results from the quickest steering
in its field stands high on your list. ...You appreciate the levelest, most
sway-free ride rather than a suspension which absorbs more surface vibration.
...You find it difficult to get in and out of today's low-slung automobiles
and appreciate the convenience of Imperial's swivel seats.
The article rates each car, with the Caddy getting 5 of 5 checks in riding
comfort, ease of control, workmanship and value per dollar (4 in the rest),
and winning the competition with a score of 4.4. The Lincoln got 5 checks in
roadability and interior design, 4 in the rest, garnering an overall score of
4.0. The Imperial got 5 checks in styling (DUH!!) and roadability, with 3 in
serviceability and 4 in the rest, and an overall score of 4.1. This guy must
have been a shill for Cadillac!
Later in the magazine there is a page with trade in values for various
base-level 4-door sedans (and a few others) from 1954 to 1958. Interestingly,
this is how some of them stack up:
1955 1957
Cadillac $1510 $2890
Imperial $1140 $2320
Lincoln $ 770 $2110
Packard $ 535 $1360
Chrysler $ 775 $1460
DeSoto $ 735 $1300
Buick $ 715 $1335
Chevrolet $ 525 $ 965
Austin Healey 100 $1335 $1910
Jaguar Mark VIII $1400 $2680
Mercedes 190SL not avail. $3175
In spring 1959, one could buy a 4-year old Packard for less than a Chrysler,
Buick, DeSoto, Mercury, Olds, Pontiac, and only a bit more than a Chevy or a
Dodge. Even in 1957, Packard was roughly even with Buick, DeSoto, Mercury and
Olds. It shows how far Packard had slipped from its glory days 20 years
earlier.
Neal Herman
1959 Imperial Crown, with "lively performance", "class-leading styling",
"smoothest cornering"
1972 Buick Riviera
1983 Chrysler Cordoba
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