Exner Years

Engle started the demise of the Imperial, and forever sealed it's fate. Exner brought it to its greatest recognition, and it's most distinct styling. Chrysler has always been a manufacturer for the solid middle class, a niche above Ford, and a niche below GM. The problem with Chrysler is, it has not had a flagship automobile since the Imperial was discontinued, and I am talking about the real Imperials, They are turning out some of the best designs today, but there is still no flagship. There is the new 300, which is a very nice car, but comparable to a Pontiac, Bonneville. With the globalization of the auto industry, it is somewhat doubtful that we will ever see an automobile like the Imperial resurface, nor would I want to. When I look at cars today, it is very difficult to define top end from lower end, except by the logo stamped on the car, and this is not an Imperial world! If Chrysler had introduced the '61 Imperial in 1959, and continued upward from there, things may have been different, but they just kind of laid back on their laurels, and lost it. Our Imperials are what they are, and they are from an era that we will most likely never experience again. They are indeed very rare top of the line, and very distinct automobiles, and we are the keepers of them. Aren't we the lucky ones!