Chrysler Corporation revolutionized car design with its 1957 models. New, sleek proportions and soaring tailfins, collectively christened as the Forward Look, distinguished every model from the accessible Plymouth, to the exclusive Imperial. The latter was described by Imperial publicists as "the finest expression of the Forward Look."

Hand-fashioned from kits supplied by Chrysler to Ghia Coachbuilders of Turin, Italy, each fabulous '57 Crown Imperial provided a custom look and feel not known since the end of the Classic Era.

The base price for all this personal luxury was a mere $12,000.