1955 Imperial Crown

The 'Imperial' moniker has been part of the Chrysler nomenclature since 1926, representing the company's rarest and most luxuries products within its arsenal. For the model year 1955, Chrysler's most exclusive model became simply 'Imperial' and was offered in three body styles in two series. For the next two years, the Imperial was basically a long-wheelbase Chrysler with unique styling.

A booming economy, strong sales, and an attractive model penned by Virgil Exner had Chrysler shedding its stodgy image and embracing new and modern designs in the mid-1950s. Exner was instrumental in realigning Chrysler at the leading edge of American style, introducing a new design language that embraced European influences along with Detroit trends and the space age. The flagship of Exner's clean-sheet design was the 1955 Imperial and the beginning of the revolutionary 'Forward Look' Chryslers, inspiring American automotive trends for years to come.

The new Imperial was designed to align the flagship model with its chief rival and industry leader, Cadillac. Positioned as a separate marque, Imperial was able to distance itself from the belief that it was just a badged-engineered version of the Chrysler with a higher level of accouterments. Resting as the pinnacle of the company's line, it received unique styling, trim, and equipment. Power was delivered by V8 engines paired with automatic transmission, and the technology introduced to the Imperial would later make its way to other Chrysler models.

The 1955 Imperial model lineup was comprised of the Series C69 and the Crown Imperial (Series C70). The C69 was offered as a two-door Newport hardtop and a four-door sedan with prices of $4,720 (hardtop) and $4,480 (sedan). The Crown Imperial included an eight-passenger sedan $7,600) and a Limousine ($7,740).

The Newport name was applied to the hardtop in 1955; the following year, it was renamed Southampton.

The C69 rested on a 130-inch wheelbase and the Crown Imperial on a 149.5-inch platform. The 331.1 cubic-inch V8 FirePower engine had a cast iron block, overhead valves, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, 8.50:1 compression, and produced 250 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. (The FirePower V8 was Chrysler's first-generation Hemi). The transmission was a two-speed PowerFlite automatic that was replaced by a three-speed TorqueFlite A488 the following year. Standard amenities included power steering and power brakes. Air conditioning was optional for $535. Power windows and a signal-seeking radio were also optional.

Both the C69 and the Crown Imperial shared a similar styling known as the '100 Million Look' by Virgil Exner. Design cues included bumper-integrated signal lights, free-standing rear fender-mounted taillights, an Imperial eagle crest, fender-to-fender mid-body molding, full-length lower body trim, and a two-piece split grille.

Unique styling features of the Crown Imperial included a different roof and a smaller rectangular rear window. Crown Imperials came standard with a four-way power seat.

The 11,430 Imperials produced in 1955 were nearly double the 1954 figure. The most popular was the C69 sedan with 7,840 units built, followed by 3,418 of the (C69) hardtop. A total of 127 examples were the Crown Imperial Limousine, and 45 were the eight-passenger Crown Imperial Sedan.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2025

Sold for $71,500 at 2024 RM Sothebys : Hershey.
This 1955 Imperial Crown Limousine wears a silver-flaked blue paint scheme over a tan cloth interior. It resides on a 149.5-inch wheelbase platform and is powered by a 331 cubic-inch Hemi V8 engine mated to a 2-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission. Production was exclusive, with just 127 limousines built. After 1956, Imperial Limousine production shifted overseas to Italian coachbuilder Ghia, thus the 1955 Crown were the last of the traditional full-size, factory-built Chrysler limousines.

This Imperial Limousine is fitted with optional factory air conditioning and power windows, along with the Imperial's standard four-way power seats, power steering, power brakes, and push-button PowerFlite automatic transmission.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2025