Suicide doors / Engel designs

["Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>]

Your man was confused.  Both cars were designed by the same man.  Engel jumped to Imperial in the early 1960s after creating the all new 1961 Lincoln.  While he may have had an effect on the 1963 Imperial, his first complete effort on Imperial came as the 1964 model.  I am no Engel fan, and it speaks to a timidity on both his part and that of Chrysler Corporation that his designs for Imperial were so similar to the Lincoln.  While the underpinning chassis and engine were pure Mopar, not being able to come up with something different from his work with Ford, is not the mark of genius.  No wonder after almost forty years, the casual observer has difficulties.  "My" museum has a 63 Lincoln convertible.  It is an unreliable money pit.  I'd love to unload it, but, on the other hand, it is one of the nicest cars we have and the public seems to enjoy seeing it.  It is a pig on the road.  Give me an Imperial any day.

 

Hugh

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Daehkrib@xxxxxxx

To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Monday, March 22, 2004 11:53 AM

Subject: IML: Suicide doors

Today a gentleman stooped me and asked what happened to the suicide doors on my 65 imperial. He said that his family had owned them for years. I was unaware that there were suicide doors on imperials I thought it was only the Lincoln's. Is this correct and if it is what years and models were they? Any input is grateful

 

Thanks

JR

65 Crown Imperial