The Doldrums

There was confusion in the luxury car market in the late Thirties. Pierce-Arrow, another of America's big cars, built a mere 167 cars in 1937. One year later, Pierce would be out of business. Stutz was also gone, along with Franklin. Soon, Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg would be little more than fond memories.

Imperial itself lacked direction. With the exception of a handful of Custom Imperial Airflow limousines, the 1937 Imperials adopted the appearance and manners of the six cylinder Chrysler Royal. By 1939, Imperial's place in the Chrysler hierarchy was blurred. Saratogas and New Yorkers took over as Chrysler's prestige leaders while the standard Imperial became Chrysler's bottom rung eight cylinder car. Meanwhile, Chrysler was still selling Custom Imperials to the moneyed few.

Chrysler remedied the situation in 1940 when it dropped both the Imperial and Custom Imperial, replacing them with the super-formal Crown Imperial line. These Crown Imperials were great but distant cars, and they performed important, distant activities. A one-off, institutional looking, 1940 Crown Imperial parade phaeton with body by Derham served as New York City's official parade car from 1940 to 1952.

Imperial's mentors were surely nostalgic for the better days. The marque did seem to take one romantic glimpse over its shoulder before halting car production for the duration of World War II. In 1941 Chrysler built a handful of glamorous dual cowl phaetons it called Newports. They were built on Imperial chassis draped in billowy coach work fashioned by designer Ralph Roberts and tailored by LeBaron. Some called the integrated lines of the body futuristic due to its slippery shape and hidden headlights. Yet, it was clearly a car of the Classic tradition. Its long commanding hood, sweeping fender line, and shear size all spoke more of the past than they did of the future. So did the Newport's configuration: two collapsible windshields, cut down doors with no side glass, and no top.

Six Newports were built, along with six New Yorker based Thunderbolt companions, and they played a publicity role that would later become associated with dream cars of the Fifties. They toured the country visiting Chrysler showrooms to the delight of crowds.

A Newport played another role to which Imperial was more accustomed, pacing the Indianapolis 500. A yellow Newport with "CHRYSLER" written in huge letters along the sides performed the task. It would be the last Imperial ever to do so.

Imperial History Continued