Forward Look Frankenstein: 1961 Imperial LeBaron Review

[@markdavis3539]

My mom owned a 1961 Imperial Crown, and I well remember riding sitting on the center armrest. (long before the days of mandatory seat belts). That thing was really a showboat. Sweet ride.

[@matrox]

In 61' our family car was a 55' Olds Rocket 88 2dr h/t.

[@DalyTheThird]

“…the music of the devil.” I always love these little bits of sarcasm and humor you throw into these great videos. Excellent work as usual.

[@darwinskeeper421]

Very appropriate, if you owned one of these cars when they were new, you were a generation who looked at this new music with scorn. While some, like Tom Lehrer objected to the music's simplicity (he once said "...rock and roll and other children's records.") many feared that the mixture of country music and rhythm and blues would lead to sexual mixing of the races, which they felt was downright Satanic. Thus "...the music of the devil".

[@DalyTheThird]

@@darwinskeeper421 Great comment! I’m fully aware of the impact and the history. 🤘🤘

[@vincentrobinet2713]

I grew up a half kilometre from a Chrysler plant in Windsor Ontario, Canada. Chrysler workers would park these large cars on our street. As a child I would try and guess where they hid the fuel filler cap. Some time behind the licence plate. Some time in the rear of the fin. It was also fun to look for the changes from year to year as sometimes they were very subtle.

[@presspound7358]

Great memories. I remember waiting every fall for the Big Three Lineup of cars cruising down the main drag of our small city. Oddly enough, even kids knew that Chrysler’s styling “experiment” with “Twilight Zone” goofiness in the early 1960s was some kind of mistake. That’s why Chevys suddenly looked way better along with Fords. Then Chrysler was back in the game in 1965 with the “boxy” look. A lot of us had great childhoods back then.

[@Mr-Neven]

The attention to detail during the 50's was wonderful.

[@donswier]

Form > Function. Not my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it. Shoebox Ford a decade prior was cool restraint.

[@jmi5969]

Especially the pointed spear on the hood of the DeSoto (3:20). Move over, you peasants!

[@dustin_4501]

Especially when you consided that every year they made some change to the car design.

[@michaelbaka4777]

One of your best videos, Ed!!! And, I always loved Chrysler's take on the Imperial: biggest engine, loaded with luxury, unique to look at. Thanks, Ed!

[@legiontheatregroup]

As others have remarked, these Exner cars must have had pretty short service lives compared to today’s cars. I was old enough to be aware of cars about 15 years after the last of them were made, and they were already so rarely seen on the road that when I did come upon one it was kind of startling. I loved them immediately and own several today (all works in progress at the moment). As for the 61 Imperial - I’ve always felt that was the oddest of the bunch. I didn’t see my first 61 Imperial until about 1983, but I will never forget it. It was parked in the driveway of a wealthy estate kind of house. I marveled at the incongruity of those free standing headlights up front and absolutely massive tailfins in back. It was like a collision of time. What made this example even more astonishing was its color -a sun faded pink. When new it must have been the color of Barbie’s world. Wow, it was a lot of pink. For many years I drove a 1959 Chevy Impala - another car where the front end and rear end do not belong together. The front looks very conservative (to me) for 1959, while the rear is one of the wildest futuristic designs that ever made it into production. Thanks for the great videos.

[@tonylindsey8912]

Actually, that pink wasn't faded... It was ALWAYS the color of drowned flesh... pinkish brownish sorta-salmon. For 1961, the Shriners bought 25 '61 Imperial convertibles for parades, all of them alike: • White exterior • Salmon pink leather interior • Matching Salmon-pink convertible tops (only ever used on the Shriner cars) In case you can't tell, I was never a fan of that color. My '61's were always either white or (my preference) black.

[@MegaJustGeorge]

My friend, based on what I'm seeing in this particular model, I would just loved to asked Virgil Exner, "Sir, what have you been drinking? That's how outrageous this design is to me.

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

1959 Chevrolet billboards showed the car - a painting, not a photo - from the back, with the shouted "Distinctively Modern" headline. 1959 was the last year of exclusively big Chevrolets.

[@phantomblott1]

Bought a used 1959 Impala Sport Coup in 1964. What an absolute beautiful car it was. Grecian Gray Metallic with a white side spear, bright red and gray interiour. The 348 engine with factory Bog Warner 4-speed manual. At times I would still have dreams about that Impala, so wished I could have kept it. @@stephendavidbailey2743

[@emjayay]

Particularly in snowy areas that used road salt cars really didn't last. Audi was the first to galvanize bodies in the 1980s, then other Germans and then American cars. Japanese were the last. Engines were not as precisely made or with as good materials, oil was not as good, and they might need an overhaul at 100K miles. But of course the far simpler cars were easier and cheaper to repair.

[@gregbingham4868]

I remember the day well. I was at the Glendale cinema, there to see "Return Of The Living Dead" and out in the parking lot was a weather beaten black beast with free siding headlights. My reaction was so WTF. I was in love.

[@mbryson2899]

When I was a kid a guy around the corner had one. It was beat up and painted matte black. As kids we didn't find it to be particularly weird or ugly (we had '59 and '71 Thunderbirds for that. As teens we admired the customized 413 with long runner intakes and dual quads. Watching the owner launch it was like witnessing an avalanche. Thanks for the video, Ed!

[@joehovanec1985]

The 1961 Imperial was a great car. My father had one for years. I didn't appreciate it at the time as much as I do now. I've learned more about them in recent years. People should be restoring them more than kids' cars like Road Runners and such. Nice cars to travel across the country with.

[@seed_drill7135]

No market, no reproduction parts, twice as expensive (if not thrice). A car like the one in the video would probably be in the high 40’s but cost over $150 to restore from a condition 4 example.

[@edpoe4622]

@@seed_drill7135 don't care, it's not even about the money, it's about preservingq beautiful piece of history!

[@sirtrently77]

I love the new format! It felt almost like a big brother or cool uncle was explaining a car to a new car enthusiast. Also, the comparison between 1953, 1956, and 1961 was a nice touch. Amazing how much can change in 8 years!

[@MarinCipollina]

At least in that era.. And yet, cars today that are even 20 years old don't look especially "old".

[@metricstormtrooper]

Or some really young child who never got to within decades of actually experiencing these atrocious machines, they convinced great swathes of the population that excess knows no bounds.

[@Infernal_Elf]

@@MarinCipollina yeah absolutely some cars in the ninties like the Toyota Corolla 1993-1996 really nailed the Curvy no hard edges look and now almost all cars are similar sadly. And Modern pedestrian safety and compression zones have put hard limits to hood/bonnet shapes and roof shapes.

[@tonylindsey8912]

I've owned eleven 1961 Imperials, including three convertibles (only 429 made). Obviously, I love the way that they look, and no amount of public shaming will change my mind. Whatever. During the decades that I have driven them, I only received one, single insult to my face... "These should all have been turned into TV trays a long time ago!" All other responses have been along the line of "You're so LUCKY to have such a car!" Everybody along the parade-routes have jumped up and SCREAMED at my '61 convertible, which has been in 23 Pride parades. No amount of restoration on a '61 Lincoln can get THAT response. Virgil Exner was at the BEGINNING of his retro-styling phase, and the 1965 Mercer-Cobra, Bugatti T101C-X and 1966 Duesenberg continued what had been started with the '61 Imperial.

[@tonylindsey8912]

Oh, and I can strongly assert that the '61 Imperial tailfins were EXTREMELY functional. Decades ago, I was leading fourteen Imperials of various years on the freeway at a high rate of speed in the fast lane. We were on our way to a statewide Imperial meet in California. I saw in my rearview mirror that the other Imperials were weaving from side to side like the drivers were drunk! I was puzzled, until I looked to the side to see cypress trees nearly blown horizontal by intense wind. MY car was unaffected by the crosswinds. According to 1960 Plymouth dealer brochure, tailfins were "Directional Stabilizers", which moved the polar moment of inertia WAY behind the car at high speeds. Just like the tailfins on jet planes! Modern super-sport cars try really hard to sneak vertical planes (current Bugattis, for example) onto cars WITHOUT directly using late 1950's tailfins, which would be so gauche.

[@josephpolanin182]

I absolutely love this car. I have a model of it on my train layout. Back in the day I was really taken with those offset headlights.

[@tylaranderson8559]

I had a 61 Newport in high school , the dome style dash is still the best dashboard I have seen in any car

[@That_AMC_Guy]

The irony is the initial design proposals for the 1959/60/61 Imperial were actually quite tasteful automobiles. The front ends featured what I can only describe as a design evolution of the 1957/1958 DeSoto front end with a full width grille, very heavy bumper and --- get this --- hidden headlights. The rear was essentially what we've been given here, though Exner and crew initially envisioned the fins featuring not free-standing pods for tail lights, but pencil-thin, high intensity NEON tubes in the trailing edge of the fin. Very clean and ultra-modern. Unfortunately, with the recession of 1958, Chrysler upper management decided hidden headlights and Neon-tube tail lights were far too costly and forced the design crew back to the drawing board. The same thing happened just a few years later when management got spooked that GM, Chevrolet in particular was DOWNSIZING it's cars for 1962/63 and forced Exner to reduce his current designs (what were being described at the time as the "S-cars" or "S-Design" platform), shrink down their wheelbase and kick them out the door. Exner, infuriated that this was happening AGAIN, didn't hold back, stating what they wanted to do was create a full line of "plucked Chickens". And Exner was right, yet again. People thought the '62 and '63 cars were strangely designed and much smaller than the competition (at the same price!!) and as it turned out, Chevrolet was NOT downsizing; they were simply introducing a Valiant/Lancer stablemate called the Nova or Chevy II. But by this time, Exner's mouth had gotten the better of him because twice now, his hands were forced to do what management wanted and the product suffered and failed. But management, being what they are; blamed EXNER for these failures and subsequently gave him his walking papers. It's quite sad really because in my opinion; the original design for the Imperial would have been a very handsome automobile and would've made the '59 Cadillac look like a train derailment in comparison. The proposed 1962 cars based on the S-platform would've also been of the more clever, more handsome designs of the early 1960's and probably would have sold well. There was even a proposal for a close-coupled 2+2 sports coupe with a large back window which was probably the inspiration for the Barracuda a few years later.

[@jamesstuart3346]

If you look at subsequent Imperials, Elwood Engel did a masterful job of taming Virgil's excess yet keeping the faith. The 1964 was quite lovely

[@5610winston]

Engel had to work with the 1957-model cowl and windshield until the Imperial could be redesigned for a unitized body.

[@alanblanes2876]

The 1957-1966 Imperial body had way more sheer class and appeal than the 1967/68 version.@@5610winston

[@SomeOne_86]

My absolute favorite is the 1969-1970 model. Such an elegant, beautiful design.

[@jamesstuart3346]

@@5610winston I always liked those A-pillars

[@matrox]

Indeed it was. 64-66 Chrysler Imperials were so elegant. In 65' I was in grade school and built an AMT model of a 65' Imperial.

[@KnucklesMustache]

Always great to see a nice video about these Imperials. The floor buttons were actually easy to tell apart by feel in real life. The one that sticks up much higher (left) is the dimmer switch. The radio button on the right is much lower to the floor & further from your left foot. I never hit the radio button by accident when I had one. The Automatic Beam Changer (dimmer) was an option that this car doesn't have. That would have added a light sensor eye sitting up on the dash looking very science fiction-y. The same floor dimmer switch could be used to manually override the automatic operation. If you really want Frankenstein's monster I would vote for the '63 Imperial. It's got similar excess/weirdness but the Engel-era, apologist styling tweaks are visually incompatible with the Exner boldly weird design. The C pillar & rear bumper appear to be grafted on from 2 other cars styling-wise. The 63 rear styling has little to do with the front of the car and the forward motion look is lost. The 61 design may be excessive and very 1950's but on a 2-door Imperial coupe it all fits together intentionally to give a clear visual impression of forward motion while standing still. The whole philosophy of the Forward Look was to look a bit like a dart in motion with fins being the fletchings (intentionally styling the rear to be higher than the front to give a forward motion illusion). Chrysler corp fins (very unlike GM or Ford fins) were wind tunnel tested to actually have some stabilizing effect at higher speeds, especially in cross winds, so they weren't 100% for show (maybe only 80%). Chrysler Corp cars were already the best handling large US cars of that era by a wide margin due to their suspensions but the fins did help a little too. The unique chrome roof trim is a trompe l'oeil visual trick to make the roof seem thinner, lighter, & lower than it actually is (when viewed from the side) while also very abstractly hinting at a minimalist crown or tiara. On the coupe especially, the roof trim echoes and (via a different C pillar) leads into the curve of the fin beautifully. Lastly, I was very surprised that you sat on that swivel seat for so long but never showed it swiveling.

[@johngraves6878]

I submit that because the Imperial has design features from the future and the past, that it would be perfect for time travel, ala Back to the Future. I love the way we finally got a full, comprehensive review of a dashboard out of Ed. That was the best part. All in all, a very strong episode and enjoyable enough for multiple reruns in syndication. A bit of a shame you couldn't actually drive the thing.

[@beyond_the_pale]

My dream car!

[@thechroniclesofmaintenance4192]

Good video, you essentially nailed it. I remember those cars as a kid, they were interesting for sure and always got second looks. The old guys who were driving them were the same guys who drove the big fender cars in the 30s with the bullet headlights. They had reached a point in life where they could afford "luxury cars" and the Imperial was an option for them with the throwback styling, such as it was.

[@joshuac4772]

When it comes to the 50's, Chrysler seems to get left out of the conversation. Everyone talks about, 50's Cadillacs, Thunder Birds, C1 Corvettes, The Edsel, Tri 5 Chevys, The Ranchero, Super Chief & Star Chief Pontiacs, even Ford F-100s & Customline, ill see all of them at car shows but i almost never see any 50s Chrysler products at all. Great video. Loving the channel. Keep up the great work.

[@UberLummox]

I'm surprised you see '50s Pontiacs & Edsels. I never even see those. Or even Rancheros. Hell, don't even see T-Birds that much. Maybe because Maine.

[@joshuac4772]

Yeah, the last few years, I've seen well-done restorations and/or resto-mods of all of those cars listed, and yes, it may be a regional thing. Here in northern Alabama, lots and lots of custom shops and car shows are going on all the time, whether permitting, which is usually all the time except for the few weeks in the dead of winter, but that never lasts long. I love the car culture here, the people in it, and I love the climate here. We experience all 4 seasons regularly, and I think that plays into why there is a thriving car culture here.

[@UberLummox]

@@joshuac4772 For sure. You're lucky, on that front at least. 👍

[@RichardQuitel]

My favorite Imperial is the 1961,finest expression of the Forward Look, by Virgil Max Exner. Beautiful shark FINS. Best style of the mark. So modern, finest expression of the Forward Look. 😊❤

[@Jasona1976]

A true gem, a true and unique beauty of a car!!

[@ronaldlynch2120]

Totally agree. A. Fine. Motorcar

[@Jasona1976]

@@ronaldlynch2120 When style and elegance ruled....unlike today in ThugLand.

[@cheharrison7107]

The Homer! all it needs is the bubble top and a La Cucaracha Horn. Interesting episode, I'd love to see an episode on the styling of the later 60s, like the Newport, Fury and New Yorker and designers like Elwood Engel. Great channel man, 🤘

[@leonb2637]

Yes, a new video with Ed's unique, interesting perspectives and well supported presentations on cars. For sure that era Imperial was odd and it didn't sell all that well vs. Lincoln and Cadillac. It was completely changed for 1964-66 with a more Lincoln inspired square edged look.

[@giggiddy]

Can't help but think how difficult it would be to properly detail that front end. I happen to like the headlights and such. But one could spend all day cleaning in the nooks and crannys.

[@michaelreilly1310esq]

Why bother to clean its so ugly

[@ernestfinch1578]

I love it !

[@emjayay]

That one could use some chrome polish on the grille.

[@monkmchorning]

Imagine the wind noise at highway speeds.

[@LuciFeric137]

That commercial intro is lol funny...

[@ZER0ZER0SE7EN]

LA's Boss Radio 93 KHJ AM. It was used in Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.

[@tonydagostino6158]

One little detail you missed. In addition to power seats the driver and passenger seats would swivel out for ease of access. The control for that is the small chrome lever on the side up near Ed's knee. Virgil Exner added that seating feature to many of the cars he designed in that era

[@ScrotumThroatum]

That's a great feature.

[@Sonormuseum]

Did I miss Ed mention the fins? That was the last year for fins across the Chrysler spectrum. By ‘62, gone. Completely. And boy, did they go out with a bang! I know this ‘61 is a styling mishmash, but I like it. Interestingly, when Elwood Engle came on board, he had completely restyled it by 1964, giving it the Continental look, but it was still the same body shell. You’d never know it at first glance.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

😍Beautiful Imperial!!!!! 👍

[@rockdog2584]

Back in the sixties, some family friends had one of these. What I remember of it (I was just a little kid) was that it had the GREATEST sounding three-tone horn. Today, I see a lot of great parts off of that (like those headlights and taillights) that could be used to customize something else.

[@JClark-34695]

No myth: Imperials were banned from demolition-derby events in the US due to the strength of the '67-'68 unibodies. Someone in the governing body didn't bother to investigate why those two years were the culprit (first year Imperial was a unibody and the engineers really overdesigned everything for fear anything less would result in squeaks, rattles, etc...), so they simply banned anything with an Imperial name on it. Also, that LeBaron insignia on the C pillar contains a cloisonne crest, which the American government declared to be "jewelry." Hence, all Imperials with it had to pay the luxury excise tax in effect at that time.

[@fredericducomet.boquier7920]

Thank you very much for this video Mister Le Baron !😅👍 I do like your tone, texts and voice !

[@Cajun_viper27]

Such a beautiful car, I love cars from the early 60s

[@jeffrobodine8579]

Imperials with their body on frame construction built before 1967 were so tough and durable the were banned from demolition derbies in the 1970's. A true tank in the literal sense.

[@VictorySpeedway]

Excellent video. Thanks very much! For me, the pinnacle of Imperial design was the 1960. It had the fins, a better dashboard, and a grille that made it look angry. One of these is featured in Godfather II.

[@rodferguson3515]

Virgil Exeter definitely was one of my favorite car designers in the sense he came up with a little retro designs that were a little strange but also very inspiring as well.

[@1966425]

This was fantastic! Thanks so much.

[@williamegler8771]

Chrysler Corporation was more known for its engineering and reliability/durability and workmanship before the "100 Million Dollar" look. Rampant rust and mechanical issues with those models ruined its reputation and it's never really recovered!

[@bigblockjalopy]

Rust, yes, mechanical, absolutely No. In Fact they came with bullet Proof drivetrains. The Big Block and slant 6, Torqueflites and 8.3/4 axles introduced during the FL years became Legends. I drive one since 1988, engine never caused any Problems never rebuild 370k miles still Runs Like new. 1960 Plymouth 383. It's the Most dependable Car on the Road. None of my FL Cars ever had serious mechanical Problems. I'm restoring these since the late 80s mechanical Rock Solid Cars, build for the eternity..

[@comusrules1244]

It’s so nice to see you in front of the camera. I love this channel. Learn so much about cars I didn’t even know existed. 😊

[@taguer261]

I grew up seeing tailfins lurking thru foggy mornings looking like uboat conning towers and your interpretation of the style is spot on. Insightful and well written. Thx

[@Camska427]

i love the crazy Virgil designs. they fit the 60s so well

[@truman1158]

The 1963 Imperial is my favorite. It retained the floating headlamp design, but modernized the rear end design, softening the fins and integrating the taillights into the trailing edge of the fins.

[@5610winston]

11:03 Some Studebaker and Nash models had the starter button on the floor under and to the left of the clutch. Nothing automatic aboit that dimmer switch.

[@ReasonablySane]

I'm currently 70. In the early seventies as I was graduating from high school one of our neighbors had a car like this and I considered that to be my favorite car design ever. In fact it might still be one of the top three. The other two being the 1959 Cadillac eldorado convertible and the 1963 Lincoln Continental convertible. My whole life I've been into sports cars if I had an extra $100,000 to spend on a car for occasional drives, it would not be a BMW or a Mercedes or anything like that. It would be one of those two cars.

[@Sevenfeet0]

Completely agree on the Frankenstein bit. This was a styling failure in my book....trying to do too many things and completely missed the next wave coming. Even Cadillac was tipping off buyers in 1959 that despite of the outrageous fins of nearly all of their cars, the very limited edition Eldorado Brougham reigned the fins in, which pointed to the future. Also, props to the Louwman Museum for not only allowing you to film these cars but actually allowing you to sit in the artifact itself.

[@Jasona1976]

Says people with no taste...

[@metricstormtrooper]

​@@Jasona1976so you're a 76 model who never witnessed these "things" first hand badmouthing people who actually saw and put up with these grotesque vehicles in everyday life.

[@Jasona1976]

@@metricstormtrooper Poor baby...you had to endure life with cars you found ugly. How tragic! The horror of it all!! I weep for you.

[@Jasona1976]

@@metricstormtrooper Aww, poor thing. You had to endure life with ugly cars on the road. The horror of it all!

[@monkmchorning]

As outrageous as the '59 and '60 Caddies were, the design elements worked well together. They evoked an idea. And that is why people collect them now.

[@dennisalexanderreilly8624]

Excellent Job!!! I grew up with these cars and actually rode in them in the late 1950's in my New Jersey suburban home. Thanks for featuring these throwback dinosaurs. Gotta love the over the top space age theme.

[@formula73]

I love every single inch of that car.

[@emjayay]

The 1961 Lincoln Continental at 15:02 is actually a 1963 model. Same body, but the front end (between the blade fenders) was normalized in 1962 and of course got a new grille pattern every year.

[@Friedbrain11]

I used to own a '63 Imperial LeBaron. I really loved that car and wish I had it again. It was a solid and so well built car and it really was head and shoulders above the rest. The steering wheel was so easy to use and much better than a round wheel. It also wasn't "oval" but more like a rectangle with rounded corners. Mine had the Wonderbar foot button too. The styling was fantastic and I loved it. My '63 had vertical lights in the rear and it had the tire bump on the trunk lid and with the correct parts, a wheel could actually be mounted to the trunk lid on the inside. Mine didn't have the same roof as the '61 and I like the '63 better.

[@tomdelisle8955]

I love the free standing headlights on these Imperials

[@giggiddy]

Love the Sopranos shout out!!!😊

[@mcsg_pelecan]

Thank you Ed! Great showcase as always!

[@BubbaSmurft]

I love the Duesie II; thanks for the glimpse.

[@slowturtle6745]

My uncle had one of these and I loved it. It looked like a vulgar tank rolling down the road. If Darth Vader had a car this would be the one he'd drive...in black.

[@Thankingyou1]

My absolutely favorite Imperials are the 1964 to the 1966 model years. They are absolutely the best. It's a shame that so many have been destroyed in Demolition derbys.

[@LerockJohn]

It's not just a car. It's a piece of art. From Canada, Peace Out!!

[@Tacko14]

2:10 oooooh… That custard yellow…. That’s just perfect! Whatever it is, a Chrysler showcar obviously, I want it! The grille is a bit awkward, but that only makes it more special. You know, the Streisand Nose…

[@kevinfrances1694]

Ed thank you i love your sarcastic reviews

[@beatglauser9444]

A friend has a 59 Imperial, and I love this car with the over the top grill and bumper. The 61 is quite hidious in my eyes. If you see how incredibly elegant and good looking a 1960 Cadillac is, this car is actually a monstrousity.

[@Zenny_6969]

..hi Ed...I actually owned one of these cars in the 80's, a 4 door like that one, but not the LeBaron.....you'd get some looks tooling around in it, for sure.......wish I still had it....thanks for the tour and history.....

[@stevecritchley2506]

I kinda like it - apart from the dash and steering wheel! Great work as usual, Ed.

[@stephenhiggs4553]

That intro threw me there, I literally thought that was a genuine commercial from the 1950s, right up until Ed walked in. 😂

[@davidmiller3263]

Cool video! Love that you used a slightly different format and actually went and showed the car! Great video

[@OLDS98]

This was quite good Ed. I thank you for the effort and sharing in detail about the car. There have been some interesting Imperials over the years. What is interesting how forward thinking Chrysler was and the features on today's cars. There are elements of this car that ended up on the 1990's Imperial as well. Thank you Ed.

[@MarinCipollina]

Elements of this car that ended up on 1990s Imperial? Such as?

[@giulioarcangeli6169]

Don’t know if you knew, but actually one of the Chrysler prototype of this period was the one off Norseman, famously sinked with the Andrea Doria ship

[@0tiochico]

Ed reviews are great, always a treat to watch each episode.

[@PeBoVision]

I've been watching your videos for a number of years, but this is the first time I have encountered a live appearance. (Hope it's not the last, it truly personalized your review) The '61 Imperial LeBaron was certainly ostentatious. Huge han of the head/tail light mounting, less so of the dashboard (I always thought that horizontal speedometers looked cheap compared to circular designs when Cadillac instituted them) and hated push button transmission, but the aim for over-the-top opulence was clear. Like the '59 Eldorado though, the tail fins do not make a smooth transition within the lines of the body, but seem to pop up suddenly, making them feel added on. Reducing their height, both here and with the Cadllac, would have allowed for a much more ellegant and graceful transition improving the look. I can almost hear Exner saying, "No, no, no they have to be at least as high and pointy as Cadillac !!!!" Excellent car review as always. You are easily among KZbin's finest vintage automitive channels (Along with "What it's Like" you are certainly my favourites).

[@emjayay]

The original 1957-1959 Imperial fins with the forward leaning end were better - awesome and perfectly done shape.

[@edwardaustin740]

Another awesome video Edward...

[@stuart8663]

G'day from Australia. Great Video, so many professional production values about it. I must admit, that quick glimpse of the '57 DeSoto you showed almost took my breath away. Beautiful.

[@milehighkit4725]

I grew up with all these vehicles, and you always do an awesome job covering them!

[@jamesfox2579]

I would proudly own AND drive this Car over ANY Car built today!💕

[@anthonys_expired_film]

Wonderful analysis, Ed! Love the close-up look at the exterior and interior features of this unusual car. Nice job from the Netherlands! Thanks for sharing. 👍🏻

[@loveisall5520]

Your friend, Adam, treats these vintage cars with more respect and certainly a greater understanding that our times are not like those times in the car world--or in any other aspect except human nature. That is why I prefer his channel to yours--respect for the cars of the past.

[@tonylindsey8912]

Don't be too rough on him. He is a child of a European culture that was driving two-stroke diesel tiny cars after WW2's destruction. When Reagan turned the American dollar into toilet paper in the early 1980's, American cars, motorcycles, juke-boxes, guitars and OTHER manifestations of American Happy Days were snatched up en masse by other countries that envied our former affluence. That's why you see so few of them in America nowadays. Our respected and lovable host Ed has his opinions, and that's okay. He didn't grow up with cars like this EVERYWHERE on the streets and back-alleys. It affects your perspective.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

Dude, not all old American cars are great. Would you say nice things to any Malaise-era rustbucket?

[@Donald_Shaw]

Another excellent review and this time Imperial was in the spotlight. Thank you Ed for your research and posting of these interesting videos.

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

I much prefer the 1960 Imperial.. afterall, Jackie O had one for her limousine during Jack's funeral - can't go wrong with that!

[@Kazwell111]

Always look forward to your presentations. They are always educational and well crafted.

[@peterterry398]

I think this car was absolutely gorgeous !!!!!

[@MrKruger88]

Your recording and editing skills have come a long way. Love the channel, keep it up!

[@IllinoisMan]

Absolutely love this car!

[@paulpage5034]

Grew up with one of these. Contemporary with the Jetsons TV cartoon, we would use it as a space ship until chased out of it’s cavernous interior.

[@alanrogers7090]

When I was growing up, one of our neighbors had a 1956 Yellow DeSoto Fireflite coupe. It looked very much like the one in the museum. We, on the other hand, had Yellow and White Pontiac Starfire. I remember when we drove to Florida. My parents in front and us two boys in the back seat. We had a coloring book and crayons we kept inan old cigar box. One day, after coloring, we put the cigar box on the rear parcel shelf to keep it out of the way, as my brother wanted to take a nap. The heat from the sun melted the crayons through the edges of the box and made a mess that never cleaned off.

[@emjayay]

Crayons melted into rear shelves (usually a sort of very low pile carpet type covering) were a common feature back then.

[@christophersmith1155]

MY NEXT DOOR NIEGHBOR HAD ONE. I LOVED IT. IT WAS MORE LUXORIOUS THAN THE ROLLS ROYSE OF THE SAME ERA.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I like the early 60's Chrysler cars. My favorites are the canted headlight compact cars. But this one is pretty cool too. I'd love to see more from this museum.

[@emjayay]

Big Chryslers had canted headlights in 1961-62. Compact Valiants and Lancers (a slightly different Valiant sold as a Dodge) and Darts never had them.

[@UberLummox]

Great video! It's not just an X frame, it's a ladder frame (like this = ) with an X in the middle. Partly why they are so deadly-strong in a demo derby. Never cared for the headlights '61-;63. But '61 fins are the greatest. Always wanted to put a '60 front clip on a '61 Imp.

[@Johnnyynf]

Since I found my love in classic US car design, I started to like the coke body less and less and like the stuff from the 50's like from Harly Earl or Virgil Exner more and more, like coke body era are pretty cool, but for the time span and from various manufacture and yet it all looks kinda samy. But cars from the 50's can look so different and still a lot of them look cool, delicate, classy and sturdy at the same time.

[@caribman10]

One of the rare times that a car looking like a "dream car" actually made it to the streets. A beautiful triumph of automotive art.

[@halepauhana153]

Love the opening! Ed travels back in time to 1961!

[@charlesb7019]

Compared to the 59 Cadillacs, the 61 Imperial is a beauty queen! In my opinion, the 62 Imperial is the one to buy - gorgeous!!

[@Htfsik]

I’m a Mopar fan so by default I like the ‘61-63 Imperials. But I must admit the ‘61 is so extreme in the ornamentation with so many different design elements that it requires one to like it for the extreme-ness. My personal favorite is the ‘66 LeBaron followed by the ‘56 and ‘73.

[@robertdoherty2001]

The last car to feature tall, pointy fins. Even by 1961 they were looking a bit dated; by 1962 they were diminished or eliminated altogether.

[@dustin_4501]

Not really Cadillac would have fins until 1964.

[@matrox]

@@dustin_4501 But Caddys were always stylish. You remember the old saying...." Plymouth did the first big fins in 56" ...Chevy did the first big fins right in 57".

[@dustin_4501]

@@matrox And then Chevrolet decide to go plane wings with their rears, and Plymouth cut off their fins...

[@emjayay]

@@dustin_4501 The winged Chevy is the 1959 model, somewhat tamed for 1960. Boxy after that.

[@KoolDog570]

It was nice to see a yellow 56 DeSoto from my home state of Pennsylvania make it all the way to your country 😎 I recognize the yellow plate when you walked around in the back of it to show the tail lights..... Exner ruled Detroit in the late 50s for sure....

[@johnstapler5956]

Greetings from Maine 0:52 Nice job, Ed. You're one of the best.

[@sergioleone3583]

Great video, and a lovely musuem as well! I'd love for you to do a vid on the first gen Toyota Celicas, like the yellow one shown at the end of the video when you are showing some of the rest of the collection besides the very cool Chrysler products you featured in this video.

[@jcollins2826]

I love this video. More please. This is outstanding.

[@TalismanPHX]

And the sublime 61 Lincoln Continental put both Imperial and Cadillac on notice. Less often is more.

[@PhillipMurrayChester-sg9uj]

Always enjoy your perspective on American cars. I have one word for this car, F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. Maybe I just appreciate the courage and vision of the designer.

[@brandonhewitt38]

Hey man, been following the Channel for ages . Love vintage cars, your cute so nice to finally see you in living colour coop accent btw Take care 🙋🏻

[@christopherkraft1327]

Whenever I see an Imperial from the sixties I think of Milburn Drysdale!!! 😁

[@leonb2637]

The Beverly Hillbillies show, Drysdale was the banker for the family, Chrysler provided vehicles for the show. His was the next generation Imperial of 1964-66. By 1967, Imperials were just slightly modified and upgraded Chryslers.

[@geoffreysmith3196]

One of the more interesting conundrums of this era is why Chrysler, after seeing Ford's failures at launching new brands in the mid to late 50's, decided in 60 and 61 to launch Valiant and Imperial as separate marques, distinct from other Chrysler divisions. Yet they did this after watching the failures to launch of Ford's Continental and Edsel brands, as well as the demise of Nash & Hudson at the end of 1957, along with Desoto and Packard in 1958. Granted, by 1963, the reworked Valiant/Lancer pair had become the Plymouth Valiant, and the Dodge Dart, and Imperial had again become a Chrysler model by mid-decade, but it's still a bit of a head-scratcher why Chrysler still thought trying to create new marques in that era was a good marketing idea.

[@MarinCipollina]

DeSoto Lasted through 1961

[@geoffreysmith3196]

I stand corrected. @@MarinCipollina

[@emjayay]

Everyone thought of them as Plymouth Valiants anyway. I think that became official the second year, 1961. Like Ford Falcon and Chevy Corvair, compacts that also came out in 1960. I think Imperial was officially a separate brand in 1957 when it became a completely different body/frame from the rest of Chryco cars.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

Oval/square steering wheels, the Allegro had that at launch and it was also not well received at all. It seems to be kind of a cursed element.

[@emjayay]

And now some Teslas have an effing yoke.

[@jon-paulfilkins7820]

@@emjayay Well, if you sit backwards, forward view by a screen, AND yoke steering, you have a Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle from Captain Scarlett! Now that's propper sci-fi stuff. Elon Musk again shows he lacks true vision!

[@RichardinNC1]

I grew up in a Mopar family and loved the 69-75 Imperials as a kid. It always intrigued me how Chrysler styling went from stylish 40s to boring 50s to nice to forward looking to downright odd, to boxy 60s to the very nice fuselage styling of 69-73, to stuck in the 70s with the 74-78 models! PS I got to briefly drive a 62 Imperial while working at a gas station in 1979. Very similar but toned down front and rear. Still a mile from the elegant Lincoln. PPS we had a 69 Chrysler Newport followed by a 75 New Yorker, both with the floor button search tune.