This place is dedicated to one of my great loves—cars—and specifically, to one of my favorite marques: the IMPERIAL, a former product of the (former ;) Chrysler Corporation.

Illustration of my former 1973 Imperial LeBaron (by me, from a polaroid)

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• Imperials wore distinctive, sometimes radical designs. These cars were, above all, individualists! Over the life of the marque, I can't think of one year that wasn't readily identifiable across an expanse of parking lot or half a mile down the road. There were many years when a Cadillac or Lincoln—seen at a distance or partly obscured—might be confused with a lesser platform mate or cousin, but there was no mistaking an Imperial.

• The name, Imperial, to those not familiar with the cars, may conjure images of overly chromed parodies of luxury cars. In fact, however, Imperials as a marque had a highly stylized and disciplined use of chrome and trim. While the overall shapes and effects of Imperials were dramatic, looking at the cars closely, year by year, one thing becomes clear: the details were carefully rendered. Trim elements of chrome and sometimes brushed stainless were used judiciously on these cars to define their personality and accent their lines; on lesser cars, trim was used merely to create inexpensive change for sake of model-year freshening, or to make up for the inherent lack of good design.

• Imperials commonly suggested a split personlity, in my opinion. Styling that was daring, eccentric or outright radical was typically mixed with conservative or ultra-traditional elements. In certain model years this dichotomy of personality was subtle and perhaps unnoticed by anyone but the owner, while more blatant in other model years. Some examples: in the "fuselage" years of Imperials—so named for the styling theme of the 1969 through 1973 Chrysler and Imperials which featured flush, sleek surfaces and grilles completely encircled by bumpers—the cars were aggressively modern, with concealed headlamps in very contemporary textured grilles and slab sides that spoke of aircraft fuselages and rockets...but the cars also had old fashioned "coffin-handle" style door handles and many of the cloth upholstery choices would have been suitable for a victorian revival or a grandmother's couch. By way of contrast, a 1961 Imperial had a heavily chromed grille with freestanding headlight pods—also chromed—which were not strictly speaking, traditional in style, but certainly were classically inspired, yet these Imperials also featured very futuristic "flush" flipper door handles and push-button transmission controls! Year by year, the heritage of Imperial was consistent in this never-ending dilemma, the choice between conservative and radical, left wing and right wing. Whether this was by design, the reality of cost-accounting on a car that sold in relatively small numbers, or by corporate marketing targets, the result was always the same: a car that ultimately was like no other.

• Imperials weren't just posers, either, by any means. Powerful, heavy and well constructed cars, they debuted many technological advances. The premier automatic transmissions of their day were the PowerFlights of Imperials -debuting in 1953; *electric* (as opposed to hydraulic) window lifts in 1951, first full-time power steering (Imperial and New Yorkers) in 1951; swivel bucket seats in 1959, first compound-curved side glass of a production car in 1957; Auto-Pilot (cruise control plus a speed warning) in 1958; 60-40 split seats, these are just some of the industry leading features of Imperials. AirTemp air conditioning systems, beginning 1953, marked the reemergence of auto air conditioning systems after a 13 year hiatus following experiments by Packard in 1940 and Cadillac in 1941. AirTemp systems were capable of cooling a big Imperial from 120F to 85F in about 2 minutes, and completely eliminated humidity, dust, pollen and tobacco smoke. Relying on fresh air--and drawing 60% more of it than competitor systems--Airtemp avoided the stale air smell associated with the other more primitive systems of the era. In comparison with the complicated, cumbersome rivals of 54, it was easily the most advanced and was the highest capacity unit available. It was simple to use, silent and unobtrusive—a typical Chrysler Corporation technological feat. And finally, nowadays antiskid brakes are all the rage—did you know that Imperials had 4 wheel disc brakes with SureBrake antiskid systems...back in the 70s?! Guess what else: in 1956, Imperial even topped its class in the Mobil Gas Economy Run (grin!). True...but economy wasn't what an Imperial was really about. Value, however, was always a part of the Imperial mix. On that note, I'll add that Imperials were typically ahead of their competitors in the warranty department also—in the 1960's Imperials had a 5 year, 50,000 mile drive train warranty unmatched (by a long shot) by luxury competitors Lincoln and Cadillac.

• Last but certainly not least to me, one thing common to many Imperials in the sixties and seventies at least, was storage compartments located under hinged armrests on the doors! Sure, map pockets and storage crannies are common now in minivans and many cars, but years before any lesser vehicle had them, they were just one of the many little touches that graced Imperials with comfort, convenience, luxury and above all else, distinctive personality.