Five Virgil Exner-designed vehicles, 1957-1961 Chrysler Imperial Crown convertibles, to be offered as a single lot

Posted by Kurt Ernst @ Hemmings Daily

 

1957-1961 Chrysler Imperial Crown convertibles, to be offered as a single lot. Photos courtesy Mike Flynn Jr., Hollywood Wheels.

 

If cars were playing cards, plenty of collectors could boast of various hands – three of a kind, full house – but the assemblage of five Virgil Exner-designed Imperial Crown convertibles from 1957-1961 that will cross the auction block next month – a veritable straight flush – should come out on top at any poker run.

The late 1950s were often seen as the benchmark of automotive design for Chrysler, and no Chrysler product emphasized style quite as much as the range-topping Imperial line. Though Exner contributed to the styling of the 1962 and 1963 Imperials, these later cars lack much of the dramatic flair of his earlier tailfin-embracing design, making the pre-1962 cars (arguably) more desirable.

 The set of five cars to be sold in Florida comes from a single collection, and most are equipped with factory air conditioning, an option that added more than 10 percent to the sticker price of an Imperial Crown convertible in 1957. All have been restored, although the age of the restorations (and hence, the overall condition of the individual cars) varies.

The 1957 Imperial Crown convertible is said to sport a new restoration, and in addition to factory air conditioning comes equipped with the optional power windows, power seat, Electro-Touch radio with power antenna and Solex glass. The 1958 model, which is just finishing a restoration, is equipped with a similar option list, and is said to be one of just 18 cars (and 15 survivors) built with factory air conditioning.

 Of the remaining three cars, it appears as if only the 1960 Imperial Crown convertible was constructed without air conditioning, and the 1961 example (finished in Dubonnet Maroon) is said to be a multiple show winner, capturing AACA senior and junior awards along with a best in class award at the Orlando, Florida, Festival of Speed.

 

Through 1958, the Imperial Crowns came equipped with a 392.7-cu.in. Hemi V-8, rated at 325 horsepower in 1957 and 345 horsepower in 1958. For the 1959 Imperial models, displacement grew to 413.2-cu.in. with the introduction of the Wedge V-8, and output was now rated at 350 horsepower, numbers that would remain fixed through the 1961 model year. Befitting a luxury model line, Chrysler’s three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission, which debuted on the 1956 Imperial line, was the only transmission offered.

In 1962, Exner’s design for the Imperial Crown convertible did away with tailfins, but his pronounced-headlamp styling remained. The same was true for the 1963 model year, the final year that Exner would be associated with the Imperial, and in 1964, designer Elwood Engel’s interpretation of the Imperial series debuted. Still elegant, the cars nevertheless sported a more conservative styling that seemed to lack some of the same presence shown during Exner’s time at the design helm.

Though each of these cars is marketable enough on its own, a five-car bundle is guaranteed to catch the attention of collectors. While Hollywood Wheels typically doesn’t give pre-auction estimates, spokesman Mike Flynn Jr. conceded that the expected selling price for the five-car lot ranges from $850,000 to $1,000,000.

The Hollywood Wheels Amelia Island Select Auction will run from March 7-8 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation. For additional information, visit HollywoodCarAuctions.com.