1960 Imperial LeBaron Series Hardtop

After 1955, Imperial was much more than a nameplate within the Chrysler product range. It became a separate brand that was elevated far above its corporate siblings. With distinctive styling, a variety of luxury features and advanced engineering, it was designed to allow the cars to compete against the competition from cross-town rivals Lincoln and Cadillac.

With the advertising tagline, 'IMPERIAL - America's Most Carefully Built Car,' these flamboyant and distinctively American cars were often seen as a stylish alternative to the conservatively styled Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, Bentley S-Series, and the highly restrained Mercedes-Benz 300.

There are many luxury features standard on the Imperial, including cruise control, a rear window defogger, air conditioning, and power seats. These features were well ahead of their time and have become part of what we expect from today's luxury cars.

This car, finished in elegant Powdered Bronze Metallic, is one of just 999 Imperial LeBaron four-door Southampton models built for the 1960 model year. It had a sticker price of $6,300, a princely sum at that time.