After emerging from 25 years of slumber, this Oklahoma City, Oklahoma classic seeks a new owner with a No Reserve auction here on eBay. Though not an exact twin, this car certainly calls to mind the 1965 Chrysler 300 from the B52’s 1989 video for Love Shack, and I would certainly invite young women wearing halter tops to accompany me as I drove it around.
Few people recall that Chrysler offered a rare $7 Table Tennis Net (option code PPN) for the trunk lid, should the need to settle an impromptu Ping Pong challenge erupt. The single circular medallion echoes the dual ports on the rear of Chrysler’s Turbine car of the same era.
Leather upholstery came standard on the ’67 Imperial convertible, along with power seats and windows. Chrysler’s sales brochures here on lov2xlr8.no show tuxedo and evening gown-clad owners striking regal poses. Other pages show the fun side of Imperial ownership with scenes of sport hunting and horse ownership. A “glove box in each door” means your gloves need never be sullied by the gloves of others.
The new-for-1967 440 cid engine made 350 HP and 480 lb-ft of torque. As expected on a vehicle suiting an Emperor, this Chrysler has air conditioning, power steering and brakes, and what looks like cruise control. After resting for 25 years, the mechanical components may need some preparation before the new ruler’s call to service. This car will sell to the top bidder. What’s your best offer?
Got me a Chrysler as big as a whale and we’re gettin ready to set sail!!!
That’s not how it goes
Great find! The definition of “they don’t make like that anymore. Fuel mileage will be measured in Yards Per Gallon.
Program EVERY gas station into your GPS and plan your route accordingly !
replacement door is in the trunk….that’s a big trunk.
Wow what a boat. It would be nice to see this restored but it would be a labour of love as I doubt that there will ever be real value here. What’s cool about this is the sheer size of this car, and the fact that there will never be a time when a car like this will ever built again. The problem with restoring this car is the size of building your going to need to do the work. This will narrow the margin of people willing to take this on. To bad it will probably never get restored.
These cars were terrific in their time. I have always been an enthusiast of mid sixties Chryslers, I have had several, and they are all wonderful. Just looking at Barn Find’s pictures one is North of $40,000.00 and will have an absolutely stunning car. Another good thing is that my Imperials went like hell, stopped right now, and in general were very straightforward cars. I wish I had the room. I’d jump on it.
You must be a young inexperienced (Canadian?) These Car’s will be the best investment. Inexpensive today for a premiere vehicle that will never be duplicated only allows for extreme appreciation. In the 40’s many similar cars from an earlier time like Dusenburgs, large Mercedes, fine Packards were piled on scrap metal piles only to become the most valueable collector cars of all today. So, a guy buys an orignal 427 Cobera SC for 2,000,000. Enjoys it for 5 or 6 years and resells it for 2.7 mil……….he has done well………..maby 3 times the inflation rate. The guy that buys this car for a couple of grand, puts another 5 or 10 into it in 6 years it will be worth 60,000 just by making it attractive and functional. Who made the most money? These are special cars that have a breathtaking presence and will soon be discovered. Park it next to any car made in the last 20 years, it makes them look silly and cheep.
I always thought having AC in a vert was silly until the wifey and I drove our 380SL across Death Valley. Then it became crystal clear.
I had one of these back in the late 70’s. What a great ride. Smooth., fast and lots of style. Some of the most beautiful taillights to ever grace a car. Mine even had brushed copper trim in the interior. They usually only made about 500 of these each year. The grille’s were cast metal and weighed a ton. No wonder it only got 8mpg.
Tough call.You can get one of these beautiful beasts in good shape for 20-25k
This one looks like at least 30k worth of work.It’s worth it…to someone.
I’d drop a Viper V-10 in it…for starters.Why not?
Cummins Diesel!
I owned one of these for a number of years. Bought it from the San Diego Auto Museum as overstock and needing some restoration work. I brought it up to show standard and enjoyed it for quite a while, only selling it at auction out of necessity when we downsized and moved up to Oregon.
It’s a pretty rare car; they made 577 convertibles in ’67. It was actually kind of a fun project, something a little different. One of the hardest things to get right was the replacement of the thin wood veneers on the dash and doors. We started from veneer stock, cut and steam bent to fit exactly, and then stained by mixing different colors to achieve just the right original look. It was also a challenge to get the suede inserts in the leather seats just right.
It didn’t require any outsize building to work on it. Check the actual specs and compare them to current model full-size SUVs. (or just post tiresome B-52s lyrics for the 10,000th time, your choice). It also didn’t get 8mpg. We belonged to the Imperial Club at the time, and would routinely take it on long trips to state meets. It would get 17 mpg on the road at a steady 60 or so, and averaged 11-12 mpg around town and on local club outings. (I still have one of our collection of Imperials, a 440 also, though sadly not the ’67 convertible, and it too gets around 12mpg putzing artound town)
For anyone who’s inclined, this would be a great project that isn’t the same old, same old. The rare parts are there, and the mechanical parts are mostly just common Chrysler stuff and easily available
You go from 12mpg to 8mpg pretty easy with wider tires, a tired carb and your foot stuffed in it most of the time.
At first I was thinking you could do the usual fuel system cleanout, refresh interior, buff and drive. Then I saw the rusty rear quarters.
The car will still drive with rusty quarters.
Most of these comments can be copy and pasted in the next 40 years when people are looking back on the big wasteful 4 door, V8 pick ups we are using as one person commuter vehicles today.
P.S. Happy Canada 🇨🇦 Day to my fellow Canadians.
Most of these comments can be copy and pasted in the next 40 years when people are looking back on the big wasteful 4 door, V8 pick ups we are using as one person commuter vehicles today.
P.S. Happy Canada 🇨🇦 Day to my fellow Canadians.
Even the name, “IMPERIAL”, just screams – “Yes, I really AM better than you”.
I do like the gunsight hood ornament for the twin 50 calibers concealed in the grill.
I had completely forgotten about the 1967 Imperial ( same color paint and black leather interior) 4 door hard top that I had for about a year after my 340 Dart was stolen. Most of my driving was Tri-State Tollway. In Illinois. Mileage was 8 to 13. I used to by gas at a place that gave you a free glass with every 10 gallons you purchased. They owner of the station just gave me a case of glasses once a month! It had oh my god torque. With a 2.92 twin grip ( is that the Chrysler name?) it would fry the tires of a block! And yes living in the Chicago area at the time it had a 4 body trunk! When I sold the car to a friends dad in 1973 ( who last time I heard still had the car) I included 8 cases of glasses.
The 440 was new for ’66, not ’67.
Technically, these are just Imperials, not Chrysler Imperials. It was a standalone brand from the ’55 until the ’71 (1924-54 they were part of the Chrysler line).
Technically, they were Imperials from ’55 thru ’75, although it is true that some of the later ones did say “Imperial by Chrysler” on a badge here and there.
Starting with the ’71s, they were “Imperial by Chrysler” for a couple of years. Kind of like “Riviera by Buick.” in that the Riv was never a separate brand. The public always called them “Chrysler Imperials” anyway so the separate brand idea never really caught on despite Chrysler’s best efforts. Great cars.
Yes I know how the throttle and the fuel tank are directly connected! I have not slowed down much since then. (45 years now) Part of that is now living in the boonies in Northern Nevada. But I do at least roll into the throttle more gently since I drive an 8.1 with an Allison transmission on a regular basis. Fuel economy is about the same. (Gee, I wonder if it has anything to do with the 3.73 gear ratio and the approx. 6,500 pounds of travel trailer hooked to the back? lol)
This is a good start on a rare car….
Bought mine out of long term storage – put away in 1973 with just over 20,000 on the meter. Ran it almost 60,000 pretty trouble free until another run against my 5.0 Mustang girlfriend blew a head gasket on that 440 out on Interstate 635. Pulled the motor – which sits under my bench – and put a 383 in it for another 10,000 miles.
Sadly that Crown Coupe was involved in a hit and run sandwiched between some other cars. Sold it to a lawyer friend…..
Texas?
The car shown on the E-Bay link is a 1983 Imperial…NOT this 1967 example.
Fooled me too for a minute, but the item is no longer available. The 83 is eBay’s poor attempt to find something similar. Someone local probably made a deal.
From the brochure: “Significantly, its body is shared with no lesser automobile.” Um, okay, maybe that’s technically true, but its similarity to contemporary Chryslers is plainly obvious.
$10,000
The B-52s were not that young when the Love Shack Video was made. They were in their 40s.
30,000mi w/those seats?
no wonder the add is pulled >$2K no bids.