Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaeton
Encyclopedia
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
as ceremonial vehicles. They were styled by Virgil Exner
Virgil Exner
Virgil Max "Ex" Exner, Sr. was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. He is known for his "Forward Look" design on the 1955-1963 Chrysler products and his fondness of fins on cars for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons.-Early life:Born in Ann...
and were in many ways a preview of the new "Forward Look" styling that would debut in 1955 on the newly separate Imperial
Imperial (automobile)
Imperial was the Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand between 1955 and 1975, with a brief reappearance in 1981 to 1983.The Imperial name had been used since 1926, but was never a separate make, just the top-of-the-line Chrysler. In 1955, the company decided to spin it off as its own make...
marque and on other full-size Chryslers.
Details
The cars were based on stretched (to 147.5 in) 1952 Crown Imperial LimousineChrysler Imperial
The Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company tried to position the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...
chassis and carried completely custom bodywork with the exception of the 1951 Imperial grille, bumpers and front and rear trim. Almost uniquely for a postwar car, they were dual-cowl phaeton
Phaeton body
A Phaeton is a style of open car or carriage without proper weather protection for passengers. Use of this name for automobiles was limited to North America or its products....
s, with separate front and rear passenger compartments, each with its own windshield
Windshield
The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...
. There were no side windows, and the flimsy lightweight Dacron convertible top covered only the rear compartment. It retracted fully beneath the rear-hinged deck lid when not in use. The rear doors were suicide door
Suicide door
A suicide door is a car door hinged on the trailing edge, the edge closer to the rear of the vehicle. Such doors are rarely used on vehicles in modern times because of their disadvantages....
s and had no exterior handles.
Under the custom bodywork, the mechanicals were standard top-of-the-line Chrysler for the period, with a 331 cubic inch (5.42 L) FirePower V8 engine, torque converter
Torque converter
In modern usage, a torque converter is generally a type of hydrodynamic fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine or electric motor, to a rotating driven load...
transmission, and power steering
Power steering
Power steering helps drivers steer vehicles by augmenting steering effort of the steering wheel.Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver needs to provide only modest effort regardless of conditions. Power steering helps considerably when a...
.
Three cars were built. One was for New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the second for Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, and the third was intended to be a gift to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, but the gift was refused as against the then rules for receiving gifts. Instead, the third car was nominally based in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
and was used around the country. The cars continued to be owned and serviced by the Chrysler Corporation.
After three years of service, the cars were brought back to the factory in 1955 to be updated to 1956 Imperial appearance, in which form they continue to exist to the present day. The front and rear, including grilles, bumpers and trim, were replaced. Internally, the engines were updated with 4-barrel carburetor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
s, and fully automatic Powerflite
PowerFlite
PowerFlite is a two-speed automatic transmission produced by the Chrysler Corporation and used in their passenger cars from 1954 to 1961. Production began in late 1953; despite the launch of Chrysler's three-speed TorqueFlite automatic in 1956, the simple and durable PowerFlite remained available...
transmissions were installed. The cars were all repainted. After the rebuild, the cars were donated to the respective cities.
New York car
The New York car was originally painted in black with a grey interior. In the 1955 rebuild, it was repainted off-white with a red interior. The car remains in the possession of the City of New York, and was rebuilt in the early 1980s. At this time, it was repainted in black again, but retained the red interior.The Phaeton is still occasionally used for official functions, parades and ceremonies. It has carried many dignitaries, celebrities and notables over the years, including (in the picture at top) the Apollo 11 astronauts.
Los Angeles car
The Los Angeles car was painted cream with a rose interior, and was first used in the 1953 Tournament of Roses Parade. It was subsequently used up and down the West Coast. In its 1955 rebuild, it was repainted metallic silver-blue with an off-white interior. It can be seen in that form in the 1959 film of the Broadway musical "Li'l Abner," transporting the "General Bullmoose" character. It has since been restored and repainted white, retaining its off-white interior, and is still in the possession of the City of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It still takes part in official parades and celebrations.
Detroit car
The Detroit car was originally painted in a metallic green with a natural pigskin interior, and was used in events around the country. It was repainted in desert sand with a red interior in its 1955 rebuild. This Phaeton was sold and ended up in private hands, becoming part of Paul Stern's collection for some time before being sold to the Imperial Palace collection in Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
where it was displayed for many years. In 2001, with the mass of the Imperial Palace collection being broken up, it was sold to Robert Petersen and is now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum
Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum is located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest automotive museums, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a non profit organization specializing in the education and history of the...
in Los Angeles. The car is currently in white with a red interior.
External links
- City of New York's page on their Parade Phaeton
- ImperialClub.com on the cars
- Pictures of the New York car as it is today
- Pictures of the Los Angeles car as it is today
