In July 1930, Chrysler introduced the Series CG Imperial. Larger than its predecessor, its appearance had been completely transformed. The radiator shell had become a grille, boldly set out and canted back at a rakish angle. A long hood gave extra prominence to the nose. The fenders were given flowing curves, the visual cue replicated in the Duesenberg-like bumpers, and the headlights became sleeker. In place of the old six was an all-new straight eight. The Imperial line had been expanded to include four catalogued custom styles, a roadster, coupe, convertible coupe, and dual-cowl phaeton, all furnished by LeBaron.

LeBaron Carrossiers, Inc., was formed in New York City in 1920 by former Brewster designers Raymond Dietrich and Thomas Hibbard, who chose the name for its French connotations. The pair took in Ralph Roberts, a recent Dartmouth graduate, as a partner. Soon LeBaron was supplying bodies for chassis from New York dealers for Rolls-Royce, Cadillac, and Pierce-Arrow, among others.

Pleased with an order of Lincoln bodies, Edsel Ford convinced Dietrich to move to Detroit. Hibbard had left for Europe, but Roberts stayed in the east until 1927, when Walter Briggs of Briggs Body Company in Detroit made a buyout offer. Roberts accepted and moved to Detroit, where he and LeBaron became an in-house design studio for Briggs. Briggs was a major body supplier to Chrysler Corporation, making LeBaron designs for the Imperial series a natural.

This Chrysler CG LeBaron dual-cowl phaeton was previously owned by John Wheatley in Oklahoma, for whom it garnered a CCCA Primary First at a Texas Grand Classic in 1975, earning medallion 721. It was later purchased by retired Chrysler vice president Darrell Davis. Davis had specialist Curt Austin perform a three-year, 8,000-hour restoration, completed in 2000. Since then, the car has gone on to win Best of Show at the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance, as well as Junior, Senior, Grand National, and Grand National Senior honors at AACA, and the President’s Cup for the outstanding restoration of the year in its division. In CCCA competition it scored 100 points at the Florida Grand Classics in 2001 and now holds Primary, Senior, and Premier accolades. It was also awarded Best in Class at Pebble Beach, medallion 1224. Painted in subtle shades of grey, it has matching leather in the interior, a rear-mounted trunk, and dual side-mounts with metal covers.

One of just 85 Dual-Cowl Phaetons built in 1931, of which 11 are known to survive, it is a powerful and prestigious CCCA Full Classic and represents uncommon value in a collector automobile.