After 28 years of storage, this 1966 Imperial is finally seeing the light again! It looks like it’s been well taken care of for its 88,366 miles, and is ready for some more. The giant coupe is located in Chula Vista, California and is listed for sale here on eBay with bidding currently at $5,000.
image courtesy of imperialclub.org
You can see from this ad that Chrysler was confident enough in the 1966 Imperial that if they got someone into the car, they were confident they would get a sale. To give you an idea of how well this almost 5,000 pound car was equipped, the headlight covers were changed this year to have a 24 karat gold surround! If you are interested in minute details of the 1966 Imperials, this website has many pages to look through, and I’d recommend joining the club if you purchase this car.
This car does seem to be in really nice survivor-type condition, and the Crown Coupe two-door hardtop was considered the sportiest of the Imperials for 1966. The fact that the car is currently registered for the road and driven is a great sign. The car seems to be sitting square and looks complete as well.
1966 was the first year the Imperial lost it’s vestigial “continental kit” tire shape in the trunk. This was also the last year for the separate body-on-frame construction (the basic frame dated from 1957). The one thing that stands out and dates the design (although I like it!) is the wrap around windshield.
The dash shows some age, and that 100-year old walnut trim (!) is mostly in good shape. However, the seats do look the part and reflect the relatively low mileage on the car. I’d have to ditch the steering wheel cover before I drove it 10 feet, though.
Naturally, the rear passengers were kept in luxurious surroundings as well!
For 1966, the Imperial received the mighty 440 cubic inch V8, along with 350 horsepower and literally oodles of torque! This one looks quite nice, if not a little dusty, and looks in pretty decent shape! So do you want to be the Blue Hornet and drive this great big coupe? Who would be your Kato?
This exterior color isn’t appealing to me. For some reason, it just doesn’t look “Imperial” enough!! :-)
Looks like the seller deals in estate sales. This car is really nice, and they also have this Continental Mark II for sale:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lincoln-Continental-Mark-II-/112050383617?forcerrptr=true&hash=item1a16b92b01:g:OsEAAOSwgY9XfqnV&item=112050383617
Bring Van Williams although he is 82 and moves a bit slower. Bruce Lee can’t make it.
Thanks Jerry Long I was wondering who Kato had as his passenger ” boss” back in the 60’s show.
Great highway cruisers.
What a Beauty!!!
The designers lost their touch with dashboards.
I thought the same thing. I liked the space-ship dashes.
As seen in the advertising photo, these cars look incredible in black and other dark colors.
Agree about the windshield….50’s wrap around like my dodge custom royal
Yes yes yes – hang on, it’s missing one of its lighters – what a find – great work!
It’s a honey.
Early 1980-1982 license plate. If original Cali car it would have had back and yellow plates ( yes we are a mite nutty out here about our plates :) ).wonder where it came from……..I’d say the two doors are harder to find than the four doors. I used to build these as models all the time. Had a thing for Elwood Engel (I think) designs as a kid.
I have two ’64 Crowns, coupe and convertible, and 65 and 66 in 4 doors, The ’66 was a daily driver since purchased at 4 years old, and 30,000 miles. At 200,000+ miles in 1986 I did a full mechanical and exterior restoration, the interior was still perfect, the car was silver blue when purchased, I changed if to metallic black lacquer since I had a restoration shop. The engine power was raised considerably when rebuilt and 0-60 is 5.7 to 6 seconds and shift points are 70 out of 1st and 125 out of second, chirping the tires as it does, top is over 165 mph. I’m redoing the exterior at present. Most people don’t understand People who bought and buy Imperials do so for completely different reasons for a Cadillac or Lincoln (unless buying one of the great Lincoln road race chassis cars of 1952-1957) Imperials are fast, good handling cars, drivers cars. Tom McCahill the great car tester of years back started driving and owning Imperials in 1956, getting new ones often, about his 1964 LeBaron he said in all the thousands of cars he drove he never found any that were so quick, precise handling and totally competent as his Imperial. I fall in love again each drive.