The Finest Motorcar: 1954 Chrysler Imperial Limo Revive And Drive

[@vermontguy7692]

That's a beautiful example of a very rare car. It's one of only 85 built in 1954. The Motor Wheel Corp. wire wheels are a great add on and that original interior is priceless.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

One of 85?! Wow! Unfortunately since it came from an estate I wasn’t able to talk to the previous owner and get more back story or detail on the car. I wish I had. It really is gorgeous. We horsed around a bit in the video, but I hope the love we have for the car is obvious.

[@vermontguy7692]

@@DeadDodgeGarage It certainly is. 👍

[@wolfy5471]

I love these old car videos. Awesome to see them still alive.

[@wiggyjones]

I love the 331 Hemi. Never owned one, but a motohead friend did and he built it stout. So fun to run around in. Denver, 1977.

[@urielgarcia4567]

The back seat is roomy and beautiful car, very unique. Enjoyed seeing the Chrysler Imperial 😁

[@craigbowley6783]

That thing is absolutely beautiful!

[@petergrey7125]

Perfect roll-out tunes while backing out. 👊

[@petergrey7125]

Nice Imperial. Cool cruiser!

[@russelldaisey]

This is like the 1953 Chrysler Imperial sedan that Humphrey Bogart was chauffeur driven to NYC in the film classic “Sabrina” with Audrey Hepburn & William Holden

[@davidadkison4702]

My 1955 Dodge Ram had a Hemi with 6volt battery and started in 6’ below zero weather no problem!

[@007fredh]

Such a beautiful old Chrysler more please.

[@kenjohnson3641]

What a awesome car

[@jumpinjojo]

*An

[@dantupper1784]

What a beautiful car.

[@tomhergert]

Regal is the first word that comes to mind

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I have a 54 New Yorker station wagon. Rides WAY better than today's cars.

[@stage0garage]

Loving these 40’s and 50’s reviews!

[@anthonytursak51]

Sweet! We share in age. Yup .Like the old stuff videos, Jamie.. Thank you..

[@gilbertwashburn7095]

Wow that thing is cool you can fill a lot of record albums in that car have a great day

[@johndunbar7504]

I've owned one of these for 30 yrs. When I bought it, we did a minor engine tune up and installed new spark plugs. It has run like new ever since. There aren't even any body rattles. Collectively considered, it's a pure quality machine.

[@jamestregler1584]

Makes ya want to make a business trip to Cleveland 🤣 ! Thanks !

[@stevenfromer3816]

I want this car! Gorgeous

[@michaelnault5905]

Very nice!

[@Aqua_Fish_Playz]

i aquired my uncles 53 imperial a few months back, doesn't run, interior does probably need to be almost fully redone, but there's minimal rust, got most of, if not all the original inside door pannels, chrome trim, I'm not even sure what other original parts there are, but the body I think had one small dent on the roof, driver widow is cracked. but other than small things, its in great shape, got to love the classics for what they were

[@williamanthony5021]

H E M I. Got to have nice THANSK BILL 🎉❤

[@keninhb2196]

Jenkins, your driving is most displeasing... An instant classic Jamie.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That line has been a staple of every limousine / luxury car test drive I’ve been involved in. This just happens to be the first one that made it to video. Haha.

[@russelldaisey]

Get that car fixed up & booked to use in Movies 🎞 🎥

[@rexkean]

Such a beautiful car!

[@staceyrenner5418]

That ol' girl is classy.

[@rick0e295]

Just realized how similar 54 Imperial tail lights are to 55 DeSoto. Guess DeSoto got hand me downs😮. Learned to drive on a55 Black DeSoto Firedome. Loved it and all DeSotos through final 61s. Dead Duck would be a great place for a Dead DeSoto post! 😉

[@kfl611]

That sure is a pretty car, it looks big and heavy !

[@mossi408]

What a car... 😍

[@kennethflusche7900]

Saw a 55 Packard driving down the road last week in Va. Bch. verry similar, with a I LIKE IKE bumper sticker,

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That’s amazing! There was a ‘55 or ‘56 Packard at my shop for a while. Such neat cars.

[@jerrycaughron7378]

The Walter Brennan dessign( elderly man look, with teeth ).😅😅😅😅😅 I love the car.

[@1575murray]

I think it was the next year (1955) when Chrysler made Imperial its own brand. It took a big 6 volt battery to start that 331 Hemi. In 1956 Chrysler went to 12 volt electrical systems across the board.

[@edwardrodgers9383]

I used to drive a 1954 Chrysler.🇦🇺🦘🥲

[@michaelbenardo5695]

I still do.

[@JobyJoby-iw2wr]

A good example - appears to be complete?

[@daniel.gilliss6030]

I recently picked a 53 Chrysler New Yorker. Pretty similar but not as nice as the imperial.

[@glenbo2464]

Chrysler Limperial at the moment ! lol

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Buh-duh ching!

[@garytraynor2921]

They did make a Town Limousine that was just like this car ; however it had a powered glass partition so it would have been chauffeur driven most likely. This isn’t that.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Thank you.

[@gasser66]

OK, not an official burnout, but I'll be damned if I did not detect some tire slip in the gravel.

[@jacquespoirier9071]

these cars were definitely not tire burners but it had character and they are so finely detailed.

[@2DangerousDan]

Back when I was in High School in the early '70s my dad owned a '56 Imperial and it would do a burnout on pavement, I did it a few times. It had a factory Record Player in the back seat. I loved driving that car. I ended up getting a '54 Dodge Royal Coronet with the 241 Red Ram Hemi before my sophomore year and owned it for 20 years until I sold it to my son who drove it to the same High School too.

[@donsmith8614]

driving Miss Daisy 2, very nice chrysler

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Why does this 54 have a 53 2 barrel setup? The 54 came with a 4 barrel carb.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I have no idea. I knew ‘55 was four barrel but I don’t know the earlier years as well.

[@johnmaxwell8655]

I used to live in Olympia! I now call home in Palm Springs, Ca. Inherited a 1960 (British built) Rover P4 100 ("Poor Man's Rolls") The Brits still use my classic as a daily-driver. If I drive my Rover P4 up there to visit my folks, and needed oil change or other minor work, on a vehicle like that???

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That is… not in our wheelhouse. I’ve never even seen a Rover 😅

[@bill90405]

That’s a standard Imperial sedan. No extended anything

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yeah, I know.

[@rick0e295]

While a beautiful Imperial, I don't believe it is really a Limo. At that time Chrysler Limos had extended length and wheelbase and 8 passenger capacity. Still, it is an Incomparable Imperial! 👍

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

It’s not a limo. I have since become enlightened. It’s just a large sedan. Haha. Agreed!

[@davidfluck1470]

In this year as well as 1953, the Imperial also could be purchased as a Town Limo. It was the regular "small" four-door sedan on the 131.5 inch wheelbase but had the glass divider window and leather front seat as installed in the real long wheelbased Crown Imperial limousines. Only 85 Town Limos were sold according to figures I can find, and a few years back there was an ad for the sale of one. When I saw this video listed on KZbin, I thought that this was one of the 85 real Town Limos. It is not. It is a regular production sedan. Beautiful car that doesn't get the glory it deserves.

[@SuperCommando60]

so substantial...stodgy, slightly intimidating, but well built with quality materials. I've ridden in them. So different from the following year when Mopar traded quality and conservativism for flashy style and performance...not necessarily a bad trade as both have their place.

[@ThisValiantAdventure]

Oh that Jenkins. What a scamp.

[@jerrycallender9352]

This is the Town Sedan, not the limousine

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I became enlightened quite some time ago.

[@LSSindustries]

imagine manuevering both zip codes of that car through traffic

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

🤣

[@joebrock9784]

😢 Jamie does that make you miss Daisy and the guy driving you mortgage and Freeman but white LOL smile

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Something like that

[@Laszlo-b8k]

That’s not a limo it’s a 4 door Chrysler 😊

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

No, not really a limo. Just a long wheelbase car with a spacious back seat. They did make extended bodied limousines out of these, incidentally.

[@alexgrazioso2506]

Yeaaaaaaa buddy

[@Ross046]

Serene.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

Sal Tessio's last ride in Godfather Part I, 1974. He was taken away in this car and not long after whacked.

[@dalewunderlich]

Driving Miss. Jamie

[@davidadkison4702]

Be sure to check engine oil at all times, the fluid drive shares the same oil.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I know some did, but there were so many different versions of fluid drive that I don’t know what’s what. Luckily, this car went to a collector who knows that era very well.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Only a handful of 54s had Fluid Drive. The 54 normally had Powerflite.

[@jamesadams4304]

Can you say ... HEMI

[@rick0e295]

I believe that the was a 53 or 54 one off Imperial based CORONATION (in white over Royal Purple) with special trim and interior built for QUEEN ELIZABETH II s visit to the US? Don't where it may be now. Probably a museum.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

😮

[@Roosters_Restos]

More old iron lol dam good shape too. It had a easy life. Oh the 331 has small port heads and didn't make much power but would make that boat do 80. The next engine was the 354 and owned a few of them. Had dreams of having a small block hemi car. Small block bell bolts up but that pesky long crank is a issue that tabled my fun at age 18. Oh if I only had money back then. I bought my running 354 for a 100 bucks lol I think I got 150 out of it. Guy wanted it for a street rod. Wonder if it ever happened.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

I was recently telling Trev at Rocket what the 3rd gen Hemi has in common with the original… the bellhousing pattern! The crank thing is a problem but we have the technology these days. I would very much like to put a 50s Hemi in something it doesn’t belong in. That just sounds like good fun.

[@Roosters_Restos]

@Dead Dodge Garage they made a adaptor that was about 3/4 inches thick back in my day. Also made a adaptor to use a power glide Trans behind it. Guys used the 354 for racing in the late fifties in rail dragster. I couldn't afford the adaptor it was 300 bucks. The old guys called the 354 the small block hemi and the 392 the big block hemi.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The 54 had big port heads. It was the 53 that had small port heads.

[@opera93]

Well, oddly interesting drive… Chrysler , a definite Quality, Classic, & thanks.. I might prefer more looking at fluids, Shocks, Maintenance, upkeep: a classic. (* my first Car was a *1954 *, also big , poor Handling, mediocre brakes: *FORD V8 2 DR/HT, WITH 1957 ENGINE,289/4 BBL, DUAL EX., & good Custom stuff!)..

[@brianandglendaharkin9457]

👍🏻💯🇦🇺⛽️

[@tybo1966]

Wow, it's like you're sitting in the back of a bus. Are you getting agoraphobia ?

[@johnmaki3046]

GREAT BEGINNING! A REAL QUALITY BODY, (separate) CHASSIS, AND POWERTRAIN! This WILL BE AWESOME!

[@nicholas790]

Amazing machine! What a pity the current owners don't get. Too bad somebody with more "taste" doesn't own it. I'm sure they'll put a chrome air cleaner, cherry bomb exhaust and hideous non stock wheels on. Well we can enjoy it unmolested for the length of this video at least. Here comes the dice! ugggg!

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Wait really? Haha. It was bought by a collector and will absolutely not be ruined. I am so confused right now.

[@williamanthony5021]

Big Guy I am big car big handgun yup

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Everything’s bigger in Texas

[@jamesbosworth4191]

Limousine? This is a sedan.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Yeah, I know. This was settled in the comments long ago.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

Beautiful car but at the time considered stodgy and only appealing to the 60+ buyer.

[@tonyb3864]

Opulent. But if you want to see a real 50s powerhouse engine look up a Ford 430 marauder engine.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

That’s the word I was missing! Opulent! The Marauder engine is sweet - and the 400 HP number of the Super Marauder is damn impressive for the time. So modern looking with that air cleaner / cover setup too. I can’t believe I’ve never heard of that one.

[@alessandracarlotti4136]

This is NOT a Limousine!!! You boys claim to be in the car business? You should know the difference.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Dude, I know. So you’re telling me that anyone that accidentally mis-classifies a 70 year old luxury car shouldn’t be allowed to work on cars? Got it.

[@michaelstrafello7346]

What a puff

[@TheDejael]

These Briggs bodied Chryslers of the late 1940s to 1954 were nowhere near as beautiful or stylish as the Exner Forward Look cars of 1955-1962. He made these early 1950s Chryslers look very old fashioned, which they were.

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

He sure did. I love the ‘55 Chrysler most of all cars from that time.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

The 53 and 54 were not the same as the 49 - 52 cars, except for the long wheelbase 8 passenger sedans and limousines. They were well received in 53, but GM restyled for 54 with wrap-around windshields, and that made the 54 ChryCo cars look old fashioned.

[@Mauscmkwk]

Needs 440

[@DeadDodgeGarage]

Naaaaahh. Needs a tune up and a carburetor that works. Hemi should be plenty for a car like that.

[@JamesLocke-v5z]

Now thats a nice cream puff