Imperial Impressions - 1965 Chrysler Crown Imperial

Imperial was the top of the Chrysler Corporation lineup. While some may refer to the Imperial as a Chrysler Imperial, the regal brand was its own, requiring no first name to command the utmost in luxury. The 1966 Imperial was the last of the body-on-frame automobiles produced by the company, ending a bygone era of automotive construction in high style. Even the king eventually shifted to a unit body, but not before ruling the road with a level of refinement worthy of the Imperial Crown name.

The Imperial Crown was made famous by two TV notables: the Green Hornet and sidekick Kato, and in stock form by hapless banker Milburn Drysdale as he tried in vain to control the financial habits of the Beverly Hillbillies. While television is fine for fantasy, the reality of change was coming for Imperial in the 1964 model year. The 1964-'66 Imperial was unique in that it marked the transition away from the successful yet controversial designs of Virgil Exner, and towards the incoming, if more conventional, designs of Elwood Engel.

The push was to get younger, style-conscious drivers behind the wheel of the luxury flagship. Ad copy claimed that out of over 52 pounds of carefully harvested Claro walnut, only a mere eight ounces were fit for the Imperial. Even the leather itself was a multinational effort in exquisite and lasting quality, boasted the advertising. "Argentine quebracho wood, bark from the South African waffle tree, the leaf of the Sicilian Sumac--these are a few of the ingredients used to give Imperial leathers a softness, strength, and patina finer than that of the most costly imported cars."

Am-FM radio with power antenna was optional.

In 1965, the entire Chrysler lineup reflected the new designs of Engel, but since the Imperial had gotten a complete redesign in 1964, the major change was up front. The 1965 grille featured glass-enclosed dual headlamps, and it is this grille that is one of Don Raiche's favorite parts of the Imperial.

Don, who resides in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, became the second owner of this original 1965 Imperial Crown when his lifelong desire for luxury became a reality in 2006. As one of the youngsters Imperial was reaching out to with talk of waffle trees and Claro walnut, Don still sees the Imperial as a marked success. Cadillacs and Lincolns never appealed to Don, but Imperials certainly did. Growing up in a Chrysler family had a lot to do with Don's Imperial decision.

All-original 413-cu.in. V-8

"I always wanted a Crown, and decided I wasn't getting any younger. I wanted either a 1965 or a '66 four-door hardtop, because that was the style I really loved. I was probably the only kid in high school who wanted an Imperial Crown."

The well-preserved luxury offering spent time in the San Francisco Bay Area before relocating to the East Coast. The original condition of the car is quite remarkable to casual observers, who often inquire when its restoration was completed; the answer of "never" produces bemusement. "People ask me when I restored the car, and I say I never did," Don told us. "They just kind of look at me."

Even Don was skeptical when the dealer told him the Imperial was a one-owner car. We've all heard the "little old lady that only drove on Sunday" story so many times that this sort of skepticism is entirely expected. "I said 'yeah, right, I'm in sales, too,' " Don recalled. "He said he could prove it, and faxed me the original title from Detroit in June of 1965, and the lady's current registration, and it matched up perfectly. One lady owned it the whole time. It really was an 85-year-old woman who turned it in because she couldn't drive it anymore. It only had 92,000 miles on it."

Jet-age rearview mirrors

The paint is the only part of the car that is not original. California sun had done its work on the large surface areas of the long car, bleaching enough of the gold out of the paint that Don thought he might as well have the body repainted to match the original color as long as the Imperial was in to have a few fender scratches refinished. Other than that, everything else is original.

Don took his Imperial Crown to the local Chrysler dealership for service after its trip home from the shipping terminal, and the dealer mechanic confirmed that the Imperial was still running with its original engine and transmission, and that the previous owner had serviced the car properly. The powertrain still had plenty of life by the mechanic's estimate. "He said, 'You're probably only halfway there, the way these things were built.'"

While driving an Imperial has been a luxury proposition since the beginning, Don is aware of an area of automotive technology where modern cars have improved with time. Slowing the long car down requires a different, if not more relaxed, driving style. "I have to leave myself plenty of stopping distance," Don said. "It has drum brakes. It weighs two and a half tons. It doesn't stop on a dime. That's something I just have to factor in. I can't just go on the brakes and have it stop."

Despite the oft-repeated horror stories about drum brakes on larger cars, the system is adequate to scrub velocity off any inertia created by feathering or flooring the long accelerator pedal. Expecting a 5,000-plus pound car from 1965 to slow as fast as a disc-brake-equipped modern machine is simply unrealistic.

Even with its high-end pedigree, the Imperial was not without flaw. As with any car of the same vintage bristling with what was once cutting-edge automotive technology, some of the analog electrical systems on Don's car required attention. Most of the problems sprang from the systems not being used. "Some of the electro-mechanical things didn't work right. Like the power windows and the power seats," Don recalled.

Notice that he is referring to not one but two seats. The aircraft-type front seating is another of Don's favorite aspects of his Imperial, and what's not to like? Dual power adjustable leather seats offer a level of comfort that would cause the relaxation division at La-Z-Boy to stay extra hours on shift to attain an equal level of coddling.

That a four-door Imperial Crown has these aircraft-type buckets at all is evidently a rare case: Most were equipped with bench seating. The original owner optioned the Imperial with A/C, rear window defogger, AM-FM radio with power antenna, automatic headlamp beam changer with dash-mounted sensor, headrests, and a tilt steering wheel. While the mere mention of aircraft seating today produces thoughts of discomfort, the aircraft-type seats in the Imperial were strictly first class. Lush, deluxe, Braniff-level luxury from the mid-Sixties sky, right here on the ground. Even the interior door pulls are reminiscent of jet controls. Pull back on the thrust, and the Imperial doors open on hinges strong enough to hold up the vault door at Fort Knox.

Don is fanatical about proper car care and cleaning, in order to maintain the condition of his all-original Imperial Crown. Product is not as important as persistence, but Don says he uses Armor All leather wipes on the interior leather and does a frequent wash and wax on the exterior at home. Meguiar's detailing spray comes out of the trunk for touch-up cleaning once the trip to the car show is complete.

The Imperial gets an oil change every three months, except in winter, when it's not used. Minor problems--like those electro-mechanical systems going haywire--were the only mechanical maladies Don has experienced in 17,000 miles logged since buying the car. He and his wife Dotty regularly attend car shows, and drive their Imperial Crown every time. It glides down the highway at cruising speeds and defies its nearly 20-foot length in around-town maneuvers.

Don says filling up the 23-gallon tank is a small price to pay for an Imperial-level driving experience, and uses his collector car every chance he gets, saying, "Getting to and from a car show or cruise-in is as much fun as the event.

"I like the fact that this Crown was very well taken care of. You look into some cars, even from the '70s, and you see the leather all cracked, and the headliner or dash with worn spots. I really lucked out. We go to car shows all over New England and New York. I drive it all the time because I bought it to drive, not just to show."