Imperial Imperial (United States of America, 1957-1983)

When, in 1955, Chrysler Corporation decided to launch their own luxury marque to compete with Cadillac and Lincoln, they did so by breaking out their top-line Imperial into its own brand. The new division’s cars started out as twins to their Chrysler cousins, but, by model year 1957, they moved onto their own unique platform and received a radical restyling, courtesy of Virgil Exner.

Exner fixed his new Forward Look aesthetic to the Imperials, with large, forward-slanted tailfins and heavily lidded headlamps, and he also drafted plans for the line’s first-ever convertible. This years-ahead style, combined with the Imperial’s superb performance and handling, made the car a sales success for Chrysler.