 1981 Imperial coupe. See more pictures of Imperial cars. |
The 1981-1983 Imperial was marked by chiseled, "formal" lines, a stand-up grille, hidden headlamps, a razor-edge roofline, and "bustle" trunk. The last looked to be a copy of Cadillac's similar treatment on the new 1980 second-generation Seville four-door, but was purely accidental and, arguably, nice-looking.
Drivetrain was comprised of the veteran 318 V-8 (injected) and TorqueFlite. The orthodox rear-drive chassis (save the odd transverse front torsion bars) was inherited from lesser M-body models and old-fashioned rear leaf springs.
Frank Sinatra sang "It's time for Imperial" in TV commercials, and a (give-us-a-break) 1982-1983 "Sinatra Edition" Imperial included tapes of his songs. Neither this nor fully equipped "one price" marketing stimulated much interest in a difficult market then doubtful of Chrysler's ability to survive.
Imperial was revived yet again for 1990, this time as a four-door that was even less special than this coupe.
Pluses of the 1981-1983 Imperial:
- Interesting, low-volume modern Chrysler
- Luxurious leather-lined cabin
- Power everything
- Smooth and quiet, except for those Sinatra tapes
- Used-car cheap
- Roly-poly handling
- Numb steering
- Overassisted brakes
- Quality not as originally advertised
- Not very interesting even to MoPar mavens
7,225
Production of the 1982 Imperial:
2,329
Production of the 1983 Imperial:
1,427
Specifications of the 1981-1983 Imperial:
Length, inches: 213.3
Wheelbase, inches: 112.7
Weight, pounds: 3,945-4,020
Price (new): $18,311-$20,988 (U.S.)
Engines for the 1981-1983 Imperial:
| Type | Size | Horsepower | Years |
| ohv V-8 | 318 cid | 140 | 1981-1983 |
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