In the mid-1950s, a sea change in marketing took place at Chrysler Corporation. What had long been the most expensive Chrysler model became, for model year 1955, simply “Imperial,” offering three body styles in two series. This separate badging was a direct challenge to Lincoln and Cadillac. For the next two years, Imperial was basically a long-wheelbase Chrysler with a bolder grille, the latter appropriated for Chrysler’s performance model, the 300. In 1957, however, Imperial was given a completely new personality, its gun-sight taillamps incorporated into growing tailfins and curved side glass foretelling an industry trend. This year also marked the appearance of a faux spare tire embellishment on the decklid, a device first seen on the Virgil Exner-designed and Ghia-built concept cars of 1952-53.

Acquired by the Pond Collection in 1996, this car was repainted to the current color in 1998. It has tan leather seating in very good condition and matching brown carpet. Equipment includes an AM radio, heater-defroster, whitewall tires, factory wheelcovers; power steering, brakes, windows, seat and tan convertible top. It is one of the last Chrysler Corporation models to use the first-generation Hemi engine, in this case 392-cid and 325-hp. The transmission is Chrysler’s excellent pushbutton TorqueFlite automatic.

Just 675 Imperial convertibles were built for 1958, all in the upscale Crown series, making this car a rare find among the rare.