Forward Look Frankenstein: 1961 Imperial LeBaron Review

The 1961 Imperial LeBaron was the cream of Chrysler's crop, but suffers from a bipolar disorder. After having a lot of succes with the Forward Look design theme, car designer Virgil Exner went in overdrive and created a frankenstein car that looked futuristic and retro at the same time. Or is it a genius design that is too far ahead of its time? We'll find out in this review and design analysis!
Remember to like, subscribe and share if you want more of this!
You can follow me on Instagram: / edsautoreviews
Check out the Louwman Museum, the largest classic car museum in The Netherlands: www.louwmanmuseum.nl/en/
Check out Louwman's Toyota World, an event venue / museum: www.louwmanstoyotaworld.nl/
Can I review your car? Email me at:
[e-mail]
Enjoy!

[@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. 🤘🤘

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@beyond_the_pale]

My dream car!

[@LuciFeric137]

That commercial intro is lol funny...

[@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.

[@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!

[@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.

[@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!

[@tylaranderson8559]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@user-jf8rf1dz9v]

if you like shoeboxes, he should have stayed at lincoln,

[@jamesstuart3346]

@@5610winston I always liked those A-pillars

[@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.

[@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 !

[@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. 👍

[@1966425]

This was fantastic! Thanks so much.

[@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.

[@Pitviper2024]

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

[@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.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

😍Beautiful Imperial!!!!! 👍

[@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.

[@Camka427]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@Gopherhuckyourself]

That's a great feature.

[@user-jf8rf1dz9v]

only if ordered, was mostly in the 59 model year

[@fredericducomet.boquier7920]

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

[@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..

[@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.

[@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, 🤘

[@PatreonPreviewsofVictorTanzig]

Yay! New EAR video!

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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).

[@stephenhiggs4553]

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

[@spurmarks]

The one foot button is to turn on your brights, not to dim the headlights. Most cars of this era had those.

[@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.

[@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

[@christophersmith1155]

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

[@formula73]

I love every single inch of that car.

[@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.

[@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...

[@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.....

[@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. 😊

[@drakbar5957]

Frankenstein created but one monster. Virgil Exner created both beauty and several beasts. At times I believe he was in direct competition with himself, taking design to far excess. But taste is subjective and the ‘61 Imperial has its own fanatics.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@sterlinsilver]

One of my favorite cars, the closest you'll get to a batmobile...

[@tonylindsey8912]

The very first time that I ever drove my black '61 convertible on the street: I was driving down El Cajon Boulevard, where all of the hookers plied their wares. The hookers were yelling "Yo Batman! Gimme a ride in your Batmobile!" After I made a turn and stopped at a light, I saw a man walking toward my car, and inspecting it closely. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the yellow Batman logo on the chest. I said "Let me guess... 'Batmobile', right?" He said "Nope - '61 Imperial Crown Convertible, right?"

[@tomdelisle8955]

I love the free standing headlights on these Imperials

[@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.

[@mcsg_pelecan]

Thank you Ed! Great showcase as always!

[@BubbaSmurft]

I love the Duesie II; thanks for the glimpse.

[@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?

[@Tryin2Believe]

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

[@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.

[@tommygtr3571]

This is my favorite Forward look. I Love them.

[@giggiddy]

Love the Sopranos shout out!!!😊

[@0tiochico]

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

[@IllinoisMan]

Absolutely love this car!

[@Wild-Dad]

They were odd looking then but today are appreciated for the work that went into designing and ultimately building them.

[@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.

[@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.

[@milehighkit4725]

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

[@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

[@davidmiller3263]

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

[@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. 👍🏻

[@keiththompson9575]

I have a minichamps model of the Chrysler Ghia. I marvel at the ability of Detroit and Ghia to design a car that was beautiful and made sense--as were so many concept a/k/a dream cars and especially GM/Harley Earl. How did American cars become the subject of scoff among European manufacturers/designs? We could have been driving far better cars decades ago. Somewhere along the road Detroit lost its way. And it's refreshing to hear about American designed cars from an impartial third party as it were. His touch of veiled sarcasm, facetiousness and dry humor always bring a smile to every episode!

[@MrKruger88]

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

[@mfranzusan3014]

Great review, Ed. Keep them coming!

[@LerockJohn]

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

[@kevinfrances1694]

Ed thank you i love your sarcastic reviews

[@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.

[@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?

[@peterterry398]

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

[@jewishman2687]

My father's 1956 Oldsmobile "Holiday" had the radio seek button. By 61 it was a "golden oldie"

[@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.

[@mrtdejulio]

Very good format!..Thank you

[@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.

[@chadakoin1]

Grew up outside Buffalo, NY in the 60's. One major problem a car like this would have had in that area was ice/slush and road salt collecting around all those free standing lights. We had a 57 Plymouth and I do remember it rusted out quickly.

[@stevecritchley2506]

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

[@jamesfox2579]

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

[@SDRIFTERAbdlmounaim]

that b&w intro was cool

[@jcollins2826]

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

[@Anthony-qj7qe]

These automobiles are opulent works of art and the last of the Exner cars....simply beautiful.

[@halepauhana153]

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

[@edwardaustin740]

Another awesome video Edward...

[@florianwagner7279]

Thank you for this great review - 👍

[@ifga16]

I wonder about Mr. Exner and early experimentation with hallucinogenic substances as espoused by Timothy Leary.

[@Drew791]

Love your reviews. I feel like you know more about classic American cars than most modern Americans.

[@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.

[@xxyvng6831]

That switch from black and white needs to be talked about more that was top teir editing

[@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…

[@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.