Bill Watson wrote:
"I, too, am a
great fan of Elwood Engel. Under his leadership some of the most beautiful Chrysler vehicles were built. And that includes the most graceful and elegant Imperials ever built." Bill, the last statement of your
post summed up my sentiments EXACTLY regarding Mr. Engel's designs. I
first saw these beautiful vehicles ('64 models) on The Beverly Hillbillies t.v.
show when I was eight years old in the fall of '63! I was as smitten
as a kid could get with the new styling of these cars!
Black or dark blue ones reminded me of a limousine! The next year brought
the tempered glass covered headlights and the aircraft styled
seats.
There was a character on several episodes
in the 64/65 season of The Beverly Hillbillies. That character's name
was Dash Riprock (played by actor, Larry Pennell), a rugged
movie star wannabe who became Elly May's beau for a while.
He drove a '65 Imperial convertible! I have named my Sequoia
Green '65 convertible 'Dash'! Those cars were about as elegant as an
American car could get in 1965! As much as I love the earlier
and later models (fins to fuselage and beyond), I think the '64 thru '66 design
was a real highpoint in Imperial's history!
Just my humble opinion!
Greg McDonnell
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