Comments about this vehicle

Author	Message
vilero ◊ 2009-11-30 17:24	Could you narrow down the year between 56 or 57?
Commander 57 ◊ 2009-11-30 20:13	'57 to '59 range. Definitely not '56.
vilero ◊ 2009-11-30 20:23	Typo, sorry. I wanted to say '57 or '58 (the movie is from '58)
vilero ◊ 2009-11-30 20:54	I found a little difference at the rear between '57 and '58 models. While in '57 there were two little tops in the upper side of the bumper These there weren't in 1958 models. The upper side of the bumper at the rear was completely straight, like main pic shows
Commander 57 ◊ 2009-11-30 22:06	I believe it is a '58, but not for the reason you state. I found a '57 Imperial brochure that does not show the "bumps" you mention. Link to "www.oldcarbrochures.com" However, the '58's had small reflectors below the taillamps which the '57's lacked, per your 2 B&W photos. (1959's had dual taillamp "rings" and a somwhat modified bumper, BTW.) I cannot imagine what those "bumps" are and can't recall ever seeing anything like them before. (Some kind of accessory??) -- Last edit: 2009-11-30 22:12:54
pilou ◊ 2009-12-01 10:14	It is a 1958 Imperial Crown but it does not appear to be a convertible : it has the chromed roof bar and one can see a door handle under the rear roof pillar on the third thumbnail pointing to a 4-door.I rather go for a 1958 Imperial Crown Southampton 4 door hardtop ( LY1-M). What you call " bumps" may indeed be seen on some - but not all- 1957 Imperials and I have a factory picture of a 1957 4-door sedan showing those .So it must be a factory accessory , I suspect white reverse backup lights.
Commander 57 ◊ 2009-12-01 23:37	?? Aren't the back-up lamps in the bumpers?
Victor M ◊ 2012-06-25 22:18	Hello all...Those "bumps" on the rear bumper of some 1957 Imperials were nothing more than vestigial- and none functional- bumper guards available for those buyers who weren't quite ready to completely embrace the future. Although pictured on pages 21 and 22 of the owners manual, they weren't listed as an option and were generally left as a special request or dealer installed item. By 1958, they weren't available through Chrysler at all, but something similar could still be purchased through the J.C. Whitney accessory catalog.
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-01 21:14	I forgot to mention that the small reflectors beneath the taillights was also a special order or dealer installed option on all '57 Imperial. They became a standard feature for 1958 and '59.
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-01 22:30	So if the car has the reflectors, is there any way to ID a '57 (with the option) from a '58 at the rear?
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-01 22:56	Hi, Commander 57...I just happened to stumble back across this site. Fortunately I did and can answer your question. The distinction is in the faux hubcap at the center of the Flightsweep Rear Deck. The '57 cap design was very distinctive from the '58. There's less of a difference between the '58 cap and '59, but as you know, the '59 rear bumper distinguishes that model. Incidentally, in '59, only the LeBaron had double rings on the taillight cone. However, the single ring on the Custom- first year for the "Custom" designation, by the way- and Crown series was widened and redesigned to look like two thin, reflective rings, joined by a ribbed band...Incidentally, I always enjoy your knowledgeable posts. I haven't checked your profile, yet, and I haven't yet taken the time to create a profile of my own. Nevertheless, it's a pleasure to talk cars with someone who knows their stuff.
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 00:17	I can be found extensively in the post-war Studebaker section (my specialty) along with the postwar Packard section and stepdown Hudson area. Have been looking at lots of '57 to '59 Imperial photos just this afternoon and concur with your assessment. What about cars without the faux tire imprint? The '57 models appear to have no trunk center emblems. Hard to find '58's and '59's without the imprint but they both seem to have winged eagles.
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-02 06:28	Commander 57, the 1958 and '59 faux hubcaps in the center of the Flightsweep Rear Deck lid feature winged eagle emblems, both of them, yes, but the '59 is all brightwork, while the '58 version should feature the eagle emblem on a background that is color-keyed to the car- I say, "should", because some restorations have neglected that detail...As for the 1957 version, the faux cap on the Flightsweep Rear Deck lacks the eagle detailing and is intended to closely resemble the actual factory hubcaps on the car...By the way, you bring up a good point; on those 1957 and '58 Imperials that lacked the Flightsweep rear Deck option, there is absolutely no distinction from a rear-view, unless the '57 happens to lack the reflector option or wears the vestigial bumper guards...Now, I'll look forward to encountering you in the Studebaker, Packard, and Hudson pages. My Father had a '55 or '56 President, as well as a '51 Hudson, and I once bought and sold a '62 hawk GT, but in spite of that and my great appreciation for Raymond Loewy's work with Studebaker, my knowledge of those makes is sorely lacking...Hopefully, too, I can build my profile on this site in the next day or two.
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 13:55	After looking at many photos, I have concluded that plain-decked '57's had no rear emblem at all. I found a grand total of ONE photo of a plain-decked '58 and it had the eagle emblem. Could that have been an incorrect restoration? I found a very few photos of plain-decked '59's and they appeared to show an eagle over a circle.
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 14:05	This was the lone non-Ghia photo of a plain-decked unit I could find labled 1958. Your comment please? It appears to show a small eagle with the Imperial name along the rear edge of the trunklid. Correct application? http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5259/5542674224_c6de6c12f5.jpg -- Last edit: 2012-07-02 14:07:57
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 15:33	Ah, hah! From the Imperial club site. A nice factory photo of the rear of a '58 without the tire insert. http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1958/FactoryPhotos/Bumper.jpg Note unique '58 rear design with the individual Imperial letters and small emblem at the base of a chrome streak. (Can't tell what the emblem depicts, however.) So, ALL Imperials, with or without the trunk lid tire imprint, can be individually identified from the rear! -- Last edit: 2012-07-02 15:34:03
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 15:46	Comparison shot of all 3 years from the rear, showing the differences: http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/3315/195719581959imperialrea.jpg '57 on the left, '58 in the middle and '59 on the right. (These are all factory photos.) -- Last edit: 2012-07-02 15:50:52
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-02 17:24	Hi, Commander 57...Okay, you have me stumped on this one. I knew the 1959 model had a distinctive design on the trunk of the cars lacking the Flight Sweep rear deck, but I believed the '57 and '58 models were identical. I based that belief on experience. In 1965, a family friend had a '58 basic series sedan that had a trunk lid exactly like a '57. Later, I bought and sold two sedans, a basic series '57 and a '58 Crown. Neither had the Flight Sweep rear deck, and the trunk lids were identical. The '58 did not have the chrome strip or the block lettering seen in the pictures you provided. I wondered, then, if the chrome strip and block lettering was an optional upgrade that I wasn't aware of, given how few cars you see without the Flight Sweep deck. So, I went to the Imperial Club website and looked at every period photograph and article I could find pertaining to the 1958 models. I found a number of cars lacking the Flight Sweep deck, and sure enough, every one of them wears the chrome strip and block lettering, with no mention of the decoration being optional. I could conclude, then, that my '58 sedan, as well as the one belonging to my family friend, had both been fitted with 1957 trunk lids. To be honest, though, that just doesn't seem reasonable, but I have no other explanation. A little later, today, when I have a moment, I'm going to contact an authority within the Imperial Club and see if they might have some useful information. If I learn anything, I'll post it here. In any case, thanks for the heads-up. If there's anything I enjoy more than a mystery, it's learning something new!
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 19:13	Looking forward to the results of your "insider" contact!
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-02 19:41	The mystery is solved! I contacted the Imperial Club. The webmaster got back to me, quickly, with an explanation. He wrote that Chrysler was notorious for using up existing parts in the following model production. as well as sometimes making changes well into the production run, and, most likely, my '58 Imperial, as well as that belonging to my family friend, were both early production cars that were, indeed, fitted with the '57 trunk lid. I can easily imagine that happening, especially given that the trim change was minor, and the production of cars lacking the Flight Sweep rear deck was relatively low. It also makes more sense of the fact that the later design trunk lid featured block lettering, which was in keeping with the block lettering that appeared on the '59 model. This really had me going because- aside from the cars I and my friend owned- I was absolutely certain I had followed a dark green 1958 Imperial basic series sedan around a corner in Amarillo, Texas, when visiting family there in 2007, and that car wore the same 1957 design standard trunk lid. I was equally sure that I had seen others over the years. Now that you've brought this to my attention, I'm sure I'll find myself looking for examples of both styles, even though, as you said, the cars lacking the Flight Sweep rear deck are few and far between.
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-02 22:12	Interesting. I guess for the sake of identification for this site, we can regard plain deck units as "1957 style" while those with the chrome streak and block letters as "1958 style" if we are lacking any front or side views. Thanks for your investigative efforts.
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-03 06:27	Sure, that works for me. In my personal files, though, I may reference those '58 models as "early production 1957 variations" or something to that effect. One last thing, Commander 57, I'm trying to understand my Father's Hudson, but I know so little about those cars. I believe his was a 1949 to '51 model. It was a maroon four door sedan, with a step down body. I vaguely remember a tan cloth interior, with wood grain on the doors and possibly framing the interior windows. My parents always referred to the car as a "Hudson silhouette", but I don't find mention of a silhouette series. Do you have any ideas or is my description too general?
Commander 57 ◊ 2012-07-03 13:10	A bit general, yes. With the woodtone, it would have been a Commodore if between 1948 and 1950. If it was a '51, then it could have been a Commodore or a Hornet. There was never any model called the "Silhouette". The "stepdown" body was used between model years 1948 and 1954. -- Last edit: 2012-07-03 15:09:39
Victor M ◊ 2012-07-03 15:51	That's more than I knew before, and it narrows things down a bit. Thanks for the info. Catch you later.

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Last completed movie pages

1958 Imperial Crown Southampton 4-Door Hardtop [LY1-M-43]

1958 Imperial Crown Southampton [LY1-M-43] in Lonelyhearts, Movie, 1958

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