 While other Chryslers shifted to unitized construction for 1960, Imperial retained body-on-frame assembly. See more pictures of Imperials. |
1960 was a critical year for the Chrysler Corporation.
Although styling vice president Virgil Exner's high-finned 1957
offerings had shocked the competition, wowed the public, and boosted
Chrysler's market share to nearly 20 percent, the gains were only
temporary.
Build quality was lamentably haphazard, and owner
dissatisfaction with indifferent workmanship, snapping front torsion
bars, and rusting bodies caused the corporation's overall market share
to sag to just 11.3 percent in 1959.
To regain lost momentum and recapture lost customers,
Chrysler's 1960 models were completely restyled and re-engineered at a
tooling cost of $350 million. Even the way the cars were built was
changed; most of Chrysler's new models employed unitized body
construction, abandoning the conventional body-on-frame approach in the
expectation that building more durable products -- billed as "The
Quick, the Strong and the Quiet" -- would reassure customers who were
still driving the rust-plagued '57s.
There
were also major marketing and product-planning changes afoot. As part
of a long-term goal of developing a Plymouth-only dealer network, the
Plymouth franchise was withdrawn from Dodge dealers. They instead
received a new low-priced car named the Dart. The
corporation was also introducing its initial entry in the burgeoning
compact class, the Valiant.
Almost lost amidst the hoopla of the corporation's
1960-model press preview at Miami Beach's Hotel Fontainebleau was the
fact that the company was also bringing to market a restyled Imperial,
the "third wave" in its effort to gain a secure standing in the
American luxury-car market. The true significance of this newest
Imperial was, however, both unnoticed and unappreciated by the
automotive press of the day.
From 1955 through 1959, Chrysler had carefully nurtured
and groomed the Imperial. After testing the market for a
standard-wheelbase Imperial in the early Fifties, Chrysler made its
move. As the 1955 "Forward Look" Imperials were being introduced, the
corporation sent letters to the licensing registrars of the various
states informing them that beginning in 1955, the Imperial was to be registered as a separate make, and no longer as a
Chrysler.
This "inaugural" Imperial was appropriately impressive,
causing assemblies to double over what they had been in 1954. As good
as these cars were, they were still umbilically linked to Chryslers,
sharing the same basic body substructure, roof, windshield, backlight
-- even the same instrument panel. Moreover, the Imperial's distinctive
divided grille had, in mid 1955, been appropriated for use on the
Chrysler 300.
But in 1957, everything changed. Designed by former
Briggs Body stylist Bill Brownlie and Exner's alter ego, Cliff Voss,
the '57 Imperial, had nothing in common with Chrysler
save the drivetrain. Like a butterfly emerged from its cocoon, every
bit of exterior sheetmetal, every piece of interior trim was unique to
Imperial, including roofs that employed curved side glass, a first for
an American car.
With its long, tapering fins rising majestically over
a sloping "Flight Sweep" decklid, the '57 Imperial was a real stunner.
A full line of body types, including a swanky convertible, and a choice
of trim levels was now available.
Bringing this unique Imperial to market was an expensive
and risky undertaking, but Chrysler felt it had to make the move if it
wanted to compete successfully with archrivals Cadillac and Lincoln.
The effort was amply rewarded as Imperial production well more than
tripled to 35,793 for the model year.
Encouraged by this meteoric rise, Chrysler began making
big plans for Imperial's seemingly promising future. The corporation
committed to an Imperial-only assembly plant, a separate facility that
could be dedicated to producing luxury automobiles for demanding and
well-heeled customers. Given that Imperial now had little in common
with Chrysler, a cogent argument could be made for manufacturing the
Imperial in another plant.
The company chose to refit the DeSoto engine and body
plant on West Warren Avenue in Dearborn, Michigan, just outside the
Detroit city limits. Built in 1925 for Jewett assembly by the
Paige-Detroit Motor Car Company, the plant had been acquired by
Chrysler in 1946 from that company's successor, Graham-Paige.
Since
the plant had not assembled complete automobiles since erecting the
final Cord-bodied Graham Hollywoods in September 1940, everything
inside the plant had to be redone. This included the installation of a
modern assembly line, nearly four miles of conveyor systems, an
up-to-date body shop, and six paint ovens.
With an enclosed area of
more than 1 million square feet and a work force of 2,000 employees, the
revamped plant had a capacity of a leisurely 27 cars an hour -- about
52,000 units a year based on a single eight-hour shift. Beginning with
the 1959 model year, Imperials began rolling out of Warren Avenue.
Imperial's prospects looked good; production, however,
was faltering. Just 16,133 units were built in the 1958 model year,
followed by an equally discouraging 17,269 cars in 1959. The weak
showing in '58 was attributed to the economic recession, and production
of '59s was hindered by strikes at steel and glass suppliers. But
sooner or later, Imperial had to make good on its promise.
The
1955-56 Imperials established the nameplate as a separate marque; the
1957-59 Imperials gained more distinction in styling and manufacturing;
the "third wave" for 1960 and beyond would have to build successfully
upon this foundation.
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