1952 Chrysler Imperial

[@joeseff8126]

In the late 50's, early 60's, my family owed a 1953 Chrysler Imperial. It looked exactly like this car. Same color, same interior, same wide whitewall tires. It also had the hydraglide transmission. I was always fascinated that it had an automatic with a clutch. My older brother drove it for years. On one occasion he was racing someone on the freeway and at about 90 mph the engine started rattling badly. He drove it another 100 miles home. He and my father pulled one of the heads and found that it had swallowed a valve. Amazingly, even with the valve completely in the cylinder, the valve stem was only slightly bent and there was no damage to the head or the piston. They had a new valve installed (did a complete valve job while it was apart) put it back together and it ran perfectly again. I recall that when it was sold it went to the president of the local Chrysler car club. (Central California) I'm guessing the car is still around somewhere. Another tidbit; at some point my father bought new front shocks for it. The parts store was amused that it used the same shocks as the VW beetle.

[@davido3746]

Cool story!

[@horaciomora75]

Lindo Chrysler Imperial. Superior terminación de fábrica. Muy cuidado ¡ a disfrutarlo ! .... yo solo puedo admirarlo desde tan 🇦🇷 lejis

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thanks for that! Great story!

[@Ma007rk]

I had one of these vehicles as well. You must have had the later model 1953 because in the year 1953, they changed from the fluid torque drive transmission (Which is what I had) to the transmission that you are talking about right now.

[@ramblerdave1339]

My grandmother had a '53 Imperial 2 door hardtop, maroon with white top, and maroon leather. My favorite feature, power vent windows!

[@josmotherman591]

My fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Archer, went to Detroit with her husband,. and drove their new 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire off of the factory line. This 52 Chrysler is a piece of work. That car is beautiful. I was surprised by the 180 horsepower Firepower motor in that early a model.

[@ramblerdave1339]

More likely she went to Flint, where the Chevy plant was. The only GM plant in Detroit was Cadillac. I lived 1/2 mile from the Chevy plant, in 1955.

[@raypeters4525]

ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIME ! BEAUTIFUL !

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

You are 100% correct: It was a CHRYSLER IMPERIAL until 1955. They were super high quality vehicles.

[@peterruddick1952]

Love the Imperial grilles and trim on the '51-'54's. No pizazz like a Caddy, very conservative early '50's Chrysler styling, but such a solid car... with the excellently engineered Hemi

[@angelitavaldellon7600]

The 54 had a different grille.

[@richardbailey202]

Stunningly beautiful!

[@califdad4]

My middle school teacher in 1968-69 was still driving her 52 Chrysler imperial to school every day. She had a 64 New Yorker at home. This was a upgrade Chrysler model. Hers was a lighter grey beige color that Chrysler used a lot in the early 50s , looks better in a darker color. My parents in 1952 ordered a new 52 Plymouth in California, they and my 2 older brothers took the train to Detroit and drove the new car home to northern California. It was pretty common back then because manufacturers charged bit more to transport the cars to the west coast.

[@mrfixzit1019]

I have my grandmother's 52 imperial im slowly restoring... Yours is gorgeous.... I hope to get mine looking that nice one day

[@donmoore8116]

Thoroughly enjoyed seeing this impeccable Chrysler Imperial (you are correct: car became a separate brand in 1955) - so beautiful, if I were 10 years younger would be calling you, thanks again

[@orphancargarage5746]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jerrycallender9927]

Such memories! Mama had a black 1951 Chrysler Imperial Town Sedan.

[@jrcrawford4]

Love that they went to the factory and drove it home. Can't imagine doing that with my Nissan Frontier. It says so much about American quality and loyalty at the time. Beautiful car -- so says the owner of a '52 Cadillac 60 Special. 16-9 sounds like a very reasonable price.

[@stevenhoman2253]

A rare car in remarkable condition for its age. I was born in 1957, ad believe me, if I were in as good a condition as this, I would be a young man.

[@jamesmisener3006]

Rare car but not difficult to maintain. Great colour. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@pedroballadares5253]

What a color name ; Jungle Green !😮

[@mauriceappleyard8269]

Beautiful , beautiful car .I wish this car was for sale here in Australia.

[@johntechwriter]

I was not aware of the beauty of these pre-Exner Imperials! More than a match for Cadillacs and Lincolns of the era.

[@michaelwhite2823]

Thank you for finally explaining fluid drive. Now will you fix that passenger window? Thanks

[@rickstenquist8831]

I had a 1950 Chrysler with a similar tranny. The low range had 2 speeds, 1 and 2. It shifted automatically between those 2. You had to use the clutch to get it into High range (3rd and 4th). It would automatically shift between 3 and 4, but you had to take your foot off the accelerator to initiate the shift. (Same thing with 1 & 2). It was reliable and easy.

[@ramblerdave1339]

Advanced technology, my 2002 Ford Ranger won't upshift with the pedal to the floor, either. 😁

[@JonnyQ358]

Great looking car and site..Thank you..

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thank you!

[@JohnSmith-cf4gn]

331 Hemi no doubt. A really good engine. The car is the same age I am.

[@thisbandreallystix]

Wow! An armrest in the front seat of an early 1950's car! I don't think I've ever seen one in a car that early before. (That surely must have been a special-ordered feature right there.)

[@Al-thecarhistorian]

N the Imperial the front arm rest was a standard feature, not an option.

[@seed_drill7135]

Fluid Torque Drive because they added a torque converter to the earlier fluid drive, which needed manual downshifting for low gear. Then there was a version that required mashing the gas to access the under drive.

[@eileenmacdougall8945]

So nice. Thank you.

[@Jddvs]

To my knowledge, the only American car that can be ordered for factory delivery is the Chevrolet Corvette. It involves an extra fee and is delivered at the Corvette Museum located beside the factory in Bowling Green, Ky.

[@orphancargarage5746]

I believe you are correct.

[@ricksand6477]

What a beauty! Great price as well.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Agreed!

[@bgrzesiak5996]

Another spectacular offering. What a great price.

[@orphancargarage5746]

We agree!

[@joeseeking3572]

Very, very nice. Always thought the 51-52 Imp was a classy looker - shared the New Yorker wheelbase and bodies, but the clean side and skirts really gave it an understated elegance. There's one that appears at a car show local to me; never seems to draw much attention, but I think it's beautiful. Now, price. My base guess was going to be 12k, with a bump to 15k on condition. I might be light if indeed 'needs nothing', though there's a 53 Series 62 on offer at Hemmings for 16.5. Sadly, these are just not appreciated, and early fifties is a bit of a dead spot. Yet in 52 Chrysler was building quality (though the chrome has to have been done - Korean War chrome didn't hold up too well), and the more valueable today 57-58 models pale in comparison.

[@orphancargarage5746]

I couldn't agree more!

[@winthropthurlow3020]

It's a stunner! I doubt you'll hold on to this for long.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Four days it lasted.......

[@jamesfox2579]

An Incredibly Beauuutiful Car!💕

[@DSP1968]

This car is beautiful. I hope it finds a good home.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Me too!

[@LyallAbbott58]

They have always appealed to me

[@michaeltipton1919]

I think those imperfections on top of drivers seat is from groom and clean hair dressing.

[@alanstrong55]

That was a rich man's car by a long shot. Someone had the money in their pockets. Chrysler was a champion automaker in that day.

[@anderander5662]

Contrast the 52 and 53 Imperials with a 57..... It will blow your mind

[@angelitavaldellon7600]

53 was different than the 52.

[@billdoty1938]

My Dad had a 1951 Chrysler Imperial It a cream color with a two tone interior.

[@rick0e295]

The Crown 👑 emblem is interesting 🤔. Chrysler built a Coronation Imperial to commemorate QUEEN ELIZABETH in 52. Exterior was white over royal purple 💜.

[@pedroballadares5253]

That is a great car , also noted that green studebeaker around that building!

[@orphancargarage5746]

Good eye! That's my 59 Lark

[@brentmorrison4317]

@@orphancargarage5746 I was gunna ask what that was. Both are nice cars!

[@ericbutler8284]

Wonderful car. The seating material has been replaced.

[@stevenhoman2253]

The front passenger floor mat looks like it has a cutout for the high beam switch? Perhaps a switch of these would look perfect? Does the Imperial have no leather? Oops, I got the mats wrong, but still curious about the leather option.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Yes, driver's side has the high beam switch cutout and it's perfectly placed.

[@williamgregory6684]

I'm 67 and I've never seen one of those,even in a picture! Outstanding condition! Amazing 🤩, someone who didn't smoke in the 50's..Most 100 watt+ guitar amplifiers don't have 8 tubes! You should be able to hear that radio 10 miles away.The engine is probably worth half that,it has to be sold by now?

[@orphancargarage5746]

Indeed. It sold in 4 days.

[@opera93]

Thanks, interestingly, nice Classic… & for the short History, & overview…..I am just a “ 13:54 History Vehicles Fan”,…

[@TairnKA]

Whoo, look at all that legroom. ;-)

[@jerrycallender9927]

ANYONE who claims this car, or ANY Chrysler Imperial pre 1954, wasn't labeled Chrysler publicly exhibits their ignorance.

[@orphancargarage5746]

I had one guy try and correct me. It's all good.

[@joenicoud5967]

I wish I wasn’t 82 years old one I’d buy that in an instant

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous.

[@mrdanforth3744]

Fluid Torque Drive was an improvement over the older Fluid Drive system because it used a torque converter in place of the fluid coupling. The torque converter multiplies engine power. Combined with the 4 speed transmission, if you take off in Low and do a brake torque that big Hemi will take off in a way to scare you. Not that I recommend you try it. I had a 52 New Yorker with the same engine and very similar car. That year Chrysler was the first year for air conditioning. 1951 first year for power steering. Hemi engine, 4 speed automatic, torque converter, air, PS, PB, tinted glass, power windows. NO other car in the world had all the features of the big Imperial. No Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes, not even Rolls Royce.

[@billkallas1762]

My father had a 1953 Dodge with a semi automatic transmission just like that. I got to drive it in 1963 occasionally, after I got my license. Can't remember if it was 6V or 12V, or if the tires still had tubes in them in the 50's.

[@orphancargarage5746]

6 volt

[@billkallas1762]

@@orphancargarage5746 That's what I was thinking. Many foreign cars continued with 6V into the 60's........I had a 1963 VW Bug that had a 6V battery under the back seat.

[@ValdezJu]

@@billkallas1762 I owned a '61 Bug with the optional gas gauge and a sun roof but, as every owner knows, no heater or defrost fan.. you just had to wait until it was peculating down the road to get any air flow..

[@billkallas1762]

@@ValdezJu I always had to carry a small window scraper to scrape the frost off the INSIDE of the window for the first 10 minutes.

[@eliutdelrio1474]

Gorgeous machine!

[@markkoepp624]

I love classic car's

[@Mr05241948]

Really beautiful car

[@richardfeibel3154]

JUST A FEW COMMENTS. FIRST THE TRIM ON THE SEATS IS NOT VINYL ,IT SHOULD BE 100% LEATHER UNLESS THIS WAS RESTORED WITH VINYL. ALSO THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT ALONE IN 1952 '''SAGINAW POWER STEERING''' WAS ALSO INTRODUCE ON GM CARS IN 1952. AND POWER BRAKES AS WELL. AIR CONDITIONING WAS ALSO AVAILABLE ON CERTAIN MODELS FROM GM.

[@orphancargarage5746]

You are correct. I believe it's leather. Thank you for the other notes as well.

[@petespurgeon343]

Beautiful baby , yes sir & at 16 wow. P.S. Tx.

[@stephenwinter8892]

Greetings from southern Ontario Canada do you use leaded gasoline because my family owns an original Studebaker lark 1960 V8 3 spd manual gearbox on the steering column I had to modify the gasoline tank for 87 octane

[@donsmith8614]

wow haven't heard of abington for a very long time ,my parents grew up around there & whitman i left taxachusetts in 74 for the USAF and haven't been back, good luck in selling that beautiful carrr. haha

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thanks Don! If ever back visiting, stop in!

[@bikdav]

Back in those days, were any conventional manual transmissions offered instead of the Fluid Torque Drive?

[@orphancargarage5746]

Yes. GM had introduced the Hydramatic in the 40's and Ford had the Ford-o-matic. Both fully automatic. Chrysler was late to the party..

[@angelitavaldellon7600]

No.

[@johnduncan4725]

Thankyou!!!

[@orphancargarage5746]

You're welcome!

[@thisbandreallystix]

What color is this? Medium to dark gray?

[@orphancargarage5746]

It was a gorgeous shale green color.

[@tombrown1898]

Beautiful car! So much more attractive than the 1953 restyle. The rear fender skirts just make the car. So very similar to Humphrey Bogart's limo in "Sabrina.". Why didn't it sell better?

[@mrdanforth3744]

Chryslers are under appreciated in the collector car market. Look at this Imperial. Hemi head V8, power steering, tinted glass, power windows, auto trans, padded dash, no other luxury car in the world offered all those features in 1952. No Cadillac, Lincoln, Packard, no Rolls Royce Bentley or Mercedes

[@briamcrawford410]

☆☆☆☆☆ great video thank you

[@orphancargarage5746]

Many thanks!

[@albertcarello619]

The HEMI either requires premium gasoline or it probably performed much better on premium gas

[@angelitavaldellon7600]

Actually it didn't, which was one of it's selling points.

[@albertcarello619]

@@angelitavaldellon7600 That's a pleasant surprise! Many people however back then still used premium leaded fuel in these cars thinking that they'd get better performance. Premium gasoline was very popular back in this era .

[@mrdanforth3744]

That year the Fire Power engine had 7.5:1 compression and ran perfectly on low octane gas. That was one of its selling points, it developed full power and performance on low cost regular gas.

[@kipbrown1549]

Outstanding car!!!

[@orphancargarage5746]

It absolutely was.

[@michaelwaldmeier1601]

What would airconditioning have cost for this car when new?

[@InflatablePlane]

Chrysler didn’t introduce air conditioning for their cars until the following year. But if I had to guess, around $150 or more back then.

[@johnreitz5676]

Just for the record: AC for the very similar 1954 New Yorker was $595.00.

[@mrdanforth3744]

Air was offered in 1952 but I don't know how much it cost.

[@billdoty1938]

Dad's was brown leather and fabric interior

[@robertd8362]

IRONICALY I was offered an 83 CHRYSLER IMPERIAL in Enfield Ct circa 2008 for $3700 🏁

[@allinder1]

Do you have a website where you display the cars you have available? Where are you located.

[@orphancargarage5746]

I do! orphancargarage.com. We're in Abington Mass. You are welcome anytime!

[@seed_drill7135]

One great thing about that car is you can run it on the interstate. Cheaper makes didn’t have the power or gearing for modern highways unless you have an overdrive.

[@richruksenas5992]

I beg to differ. Any car from 1952 is perfectly capable of highway speeds. With the exception of small cars like Crosley, Rambler and such.

[@seed_drill7135]

@@richruksenas5992 I own a 1950 Dodge. You can drive it 60 or 65, provided you are not going uphill. However, the RPMs are far too high to be running at that speed for extended periods. And 60 really is not a safe speed in modern traffic. If I had the four speed Gyromatic rather than the three speed fluid drive, it might have been better. Plymouths, Chevrolets, Kaisers, and six cylinder Studes and Nashes have even less power than my Dodge.

[@richruksenas5992]

@@seed_drill7135 Somewhat agree with you, but Studebaker V8s were capable, and several "cheaper makes" had light business coupes that didn't have to carry much weight. And Hudsons were screamers with a 6 cylinder engine, albeit it's a mid priced make. Guess I'm a little biased, I own a 53 Packard Cavalier with a 327 straight 8 and it's speed sometimes gets away from me.🙂

[@angelitavaldellon7600]

Not true.

[@LyallAbbott58]

How affordable is it?

[@chevken1831]

The rich Corinthian Leather!

[@gregstabryla9945]

Love this stuff. New sub.

[@barryobrien7935]

Isn’t there a low gear as indicated on shift display? It says R Lo

[@orphancargarage5746]

Indeed but would rarely if even need to shift into that from our experience.

[@mrdanforth3744]

It is a 4 speed transmission. All normal driving is done in Hi range. Shift into Hi and take off in low gear of high range, when you get going 14MPH lift off the gas and the transmission shifts into high. The Lo range is for starting off on a steep hill, pulling a trailer or driving thru deep snow, sand or mud. In Lo range you start off in Low-low and shift up at 6 mph. Then if you want to go faster shift manually to Hi range. The torque converter plus Lo gear gives that big barge a really starling takeoff from rest if you rev it up against the brake and floor it. I had a 52 New Yorker which was next to the Imperial and mechanically identical and it surprised a lot of people the way it would take off.

[@NewDayMedia.]

wonderful car i love your videos. please do something about you microphone or edit the wind noise out. don't mean to be critical.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thanks and I agree! Rarely do we have a calm day. I may start doing them inside actually. It bothers me too...

[@reyzapata9375]

Are you selling this one by chance.?. &, What’s the Price your asking.???.

[@orphancargarage5746]

It was all stated in the video. It was for sale but sold.

[@reyzapata9375]

Bummer ☹️. I used to own a 1950 Chrysler Imperial which we owned for 67yrs. Now it in Idaho at a good friends house since 2016. 😇🙏🏽👍

[@somersetdc]

Very py car. 🚗

[@rosendodominguez942]

WAT AAAA KOOOL CAR MAN .👽👍🤓

[@orphancargarage5746]

Thanks!

[@brianandglendaharkin9457]

MOPAR old school or no car. 👍🏻🇦🇺

[@antonfarquar8799]

at that price it must have sold instantaneously.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Close! Maybe a week tops.

[@stbdtack123]

Beautiful car! not the original interior.

[@davidharris7932]

You are correct sir! The floor mats are from Sears. They are identical to the ones in my 1969 New Yorker that I had my mother order for the car before it was delivered. Those are later seat covers that look like late '50's to mid '60's. Love these "experts" on here. Interior would have been all fabric in Bedford cord or broadcloth. Do research instead of BS.

[@jimw1997]

Beautiful car. The presenter tends to repeat himself.

[@orphancargarage5746]

Indeed I did.

[@ajgd5657]

I'll buy it!!!!

[@orphancargarage5746]

Took a deposit on her and hour ago....

[@williamg2552]

IMPERIAL was the FIRST PRODUCTION CAR in the WORLD with POWER STEERING!! (What do you Cadillac and Lincoln fans have to say about THAT ??)

[@rpbphx]

Huh. The value of $4,500 in 1952 today would be about $52,000...

[@gerrynightingale9045]

*Very pretty...but even if by some odd circumstance I could own it I would never dare to drive it!* ( *I would need a special garage just for it to sit in and wipe it down with old diapers every week!* )

[@kirbywaite1586]

The crown is crooked. Can't it be straightened up?

[@tracy4good]

Chrysler's top end car was marketed as Imperial from 1955 to 1966. All other production years they were CHRYSLER IMPERIAL, ie, from 1926 to 1955 as well as from 1967 to the end

[@orphancargarage5746]

I try to forget the later, 90-93 models...

[@KCCardCo]

Carlo Rizzi's death car in the Godfather.

[@peterwiremuormsby9383]

The. car is awesome but the human was bloody iratating.

[@bgbrown5286]

why does it say 1946 chrysler on the bill of sale?

[@peterwiremuormsby9383]

@@bgbrown5286 I don"t know but to me it appears that those papers don" belong to that car. Something fishy going on there.!

[@supersportus]

@@bgbrown5286 The 1946 is the trade in car.

[@orphancargarage5746]

That was the trade in vehicle.

[@myronfrobisher]

carpet is original

[@brianaustin208]

Absolutely beautiful I hope it finds a loving home!

[@orphancargarage5746]

Us too!

[@tomsmith2331]

Totally stunning!

[@davidsias5351]

Anytime you get an imperial you get a lot of car for the money

[@orphancargarage5746]

Agreed!

[@slackthompson6984]

price is more than fair

[@orphancargarage5746]

Agreed! Probably why is sold in 4 days.

[@christopherlucy1772]

I think it was nicer than a CAD OR LINCOLN. But it wasnt a money maker