Whatever you do, don’t call it a Chrysler. The Imperial name started as a Chrysler model in 1926, but come the mid-1950s, the top-of-the-line Mopar became its own marque. Much like the Lincoln/Continental separation of 1956-’57, the idea was to permit Chrysler to continue positioning itself against the likes of Buick and the junior-series Packard cars, while creating something more exclusive that would justify a price point closer to Cadillac and the senior Packards.
The greater differentiation from Chrysler seemed to work. For example, 1957 was the best-selling year (37,593 built) for the whole of the Imperial marque—likely a function of the distinctive styling applied to finally set the brand apart from less-expensive (but also Forward Look) Mopars. Chrysler Corporation even retained body-on-frame construction for the Imperial many years after the introduction of unitized bodies in the rest of its offerings. That, plus other
