Let me make one thing clear - the Lincolns and Cadillacs of this time period were in no way comparable in terms of technology and performance with the Imperial. I say this with a particular stress on handling, braking, and long term durability. The 440 was a far better engine than the 460 or the 472 in terms of the amount of punishment it could take and continue to function. The Lincoln had rust issues where the hood is concerned and the Caddy where the rear window and trunk areas join. The problem that Imperial had was one of consistency year over year with the over- all cosmetics and in this era cosmetics counted for a lot. The pre- 67 Imperials were clearly distinguishable from the lesser lights in the Chrysler line. In ' 67 this began to fade as the Imperial shared many styling cues with the New Yorker. This was even more apparent when the fuselage models came out - If you lined up an Imperial next to a New Yorker next to a Newport next to a Dodge Monaco next to
a Fury VIP the similarities were obvious. Cadillac had this problem in '58 when a Chevy and a Pontiac looked , at least head on very similar to each other - for which Cadillac was roundly criticized.
That 1969 was the third best year for Imperial is at best a Pyrrhic victory - the Packard Patrician had the highest gross profit of any luxury car in America in 1956. The fact remains that only Cadillac and Lincoln are left and Cadillac is but a shadow of its' former glory for many of the same reasons that Imperial is no longer with us.
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