Chrysler Imperial - Educational Opportunity

[ImpSvcs@xxxxxxx]

Good Morning All,
       Mike, you're absolutely right.  I think we've all seen this at one point or another. 

       I think we should make a concerted effort to help people understand the Marque.

       Using the same positive (although Cliff Claven-esque) "Did you know..." tone you'd use with a student, you can explain that Imperial was indeed it's own division, just like Plymouth, Dodge, and DeSoto.  The situation is more akin to the relationship of Ford and the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford... Ford Motor builds Fords, and has a division called Lincoln-Mercury.  Chrysler builds Chryslers, and also had divisions called Imperial, DeSoto, Plymouth, and Dodge. 

       I have finally got the ladies at the local Secretary of State's (DMV) office understanding that Imperial IS the make... now when I approach the counter I get a smile and "it's the Imperial guy".  If done tactfully, your student will go away with a new piece of knowledge they can pass on to others.

       The best place to start is to be sure we're all singing from the same sheet of music.  My only source of information has been Krause's Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1924-1990, which is IMHO an excellent book that I refer to almost daily.  Some of the information, however, seems a little clouded at best.

      The 1955 section states "Beginning this season, Chrysler considered Imperial to be a separate 'marque' or 'make'.  Therefore Imperial production figures were broken out from the totals for the test of the Chrysler line."  Unfortunately, the book then muddies the waters by stating "Chrysler Division's New Yorker and Imperial Series climbed to second rank in the high priced field."  

       A short intro to the Imperial section remarks "Imperial became a separate division of Chrysler Corporation in 1954."

       The book continues on to report that *1956* is the first year that Imperial production records were recorded separate from Chrysler Division.  Separate production lines were set up at the Kercheval and Jefferson plants in Detroit that year as well.  The 1960 entry mentions "the Chrysler-Imperial Division of Chrysler Corporation" in reference to 1959 and '60 production.  The 1962 footnotes then state "The car's maker was now called the Chrysler-Plymouth Division of Chrysler Corporation, which had been formed in 1961."

       This could cause a casual reader to conclude that the car would be called a Plymouth Imperial...

       I think the ending point of the Imperial nameplate is generally accepted to be 1975.  How do we describe the later Imperials?

       Does anyone have a more definative source of information we can agree on to use in our educational crusade?


Thanks,
Steve Charette
Imperial Services
www.imperialservices.net


In a message dated 7/18/02 5:57:28 AM Pacific Daylight Time, mailing-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:

I had to pull teeth at the registration tent to get my
'67 listed as a 1967 Imperial Imperial...they screwed
up, I told them it was an Imperial Crown.  its sad
when Mopar folk don't even know Mopars...

Of course, Carlisle had us listed as "C" body
Chryslers, Imperial, All.

We need a nationwide campaign to raise awareness.  No
wonder the marque tanked.  Would anybody buy a car
called a General Motors Cadillac?