For Sale: 1956 Chrysler Imperial Crown 8 Passenger - "1 of 51 produced" - Satin Gray - New Canaan, CT - Not Mine - 11/28 Relisted - New Photos & History

[6T-FinSeeker]

For sale on Craigslist: 1956 Chrysler Imperial Crown 4-door in New Canaan, CT  -  $23,000  -  No phone # provided again. Reply to Seller through Craigslist's email to:  710c340b203c322fbf3446ceaa6e8eb1@sale.craigslist.org

 

Link to 11/28 relist: https://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/d/new-canaan-1956-chrysler-imperial-crown/7413816997.html

 

Seller's Description:

1956 Chrysler Imperial Crown 4-door

• condition: good
• VIN: C561145
• cylinders: 8 cylinders
• transmission: automatic
• odometer: 99,393
• paint color: silver
• title status: clean

Offered for sale is this original 1956 Crown Imperial Series C70 8 passenger Southampton sedan. This is 1 of 51 produced that year. In 1955, the Chrysler Corporation spun off Imperial into its own make and division to better compete with its North American rivals, Cadillac and Lincoln.

• The 1956 models included the Hemi V8 enlarged from 331 ci in to 354 cu in with 280 brake horsepower. Power is transferred to the rear via the Imperial dash push-button "PowerFlite" transmission introduced for the 1956 models. This car is factory equipped with, power windows, seat, steering and brakes along with optional factory air conditioning and transistor radio.
• The interior on this Imperial was restored with original fabrics and the wiring was replaced about five years ago. The car runs but will need mechanical attention to ensure all systems are operating to factory new standards.

Asking $23,000 or best offer.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by 6T-FinSeeker
update info (see edit history)

[John_S_in_Penna]

Wow, this one is quite a find!

Thank you for continuing to share your

search results, Fin Seeker.

[B Jake Moran]

Now that’s in my wheelhouse.  I love LWB cars.  

[alsancle]

Pretty cool.

[Ed Luddy]

That looks great in silver grey. An overused colour on today's cars but rarely seen in the 50's

[58L-Y8]

These 1955-'56 Crown Imperial 8 passenger sedans and limousine are the last of the factory-built, series-custom-bodied cars Chrysler ever built.  The LWB Custom and Crown Imperials through the 1954 model year all shared bodies with Dodge/DeSoto/Chrysler taxi/livery service models.  This series of which 342 were built either as 8 passenger sedans or limousines shared bodies with no other Chrysler make or model.   The follow-up 1957-'64 Crown Imperial limousines were built by Ghia in Italy in miniscule numbers annually.

[SparkEE]

Great looking car!  It reminds me of one that used to make an occasional appearance when I was a young.  I hope the rear bumper isn’t to difficult to resolve.

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 10/26, Seller added additional photographs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

 

 

 

 

 

[B Jake Moran]

Always fascinated by the LWB cars because so many of us, justifiably so, go for the 2 door models.  The great period of limousines which I loosely ascribe to about 1936 to 1976, and that may be too broad a brush, meant a car which was likely owned by a celebrity, business mogul or corporation.   I always thought to ride in the back would allow us car folks a special unique experience.  

 

This one's a great color. What is with the exhaust tips in the bumper?  Is that a 56 Imperial feature?  

[John_S_in_Penna]

32 minutes ago, B Jake Moran said:

LWB cars...likely owned by a celebrity, business mogul or corporation.   

 

Or a hotel, city livery service, airport shuttle company, funeral home...

From what I've read, sometimes large families owned them too,

without a divider window.  Didn't even Plymouth have a long-wheelbase

sedan in the 1940's and early 1950's?

 

History can be interesting.  Many limousines and such are

under-appreciated and very affordable today.

[JACK M]

I don't think I have ever seen a 56 Imperial that didn't have a horn ring and I don't see where this one has been broken.

Being familiar with these, the rear shots just look odd. The fuel fill is usually a door on the right, Like that whole section under the tail light opens.

Bumper is totally different as is the way the tail lights are mounted.

None of this means that I don't like it though.

 

By the way, I don't think there is such a thing as a South Hampton sedan as the South Hamptons are all hard tops. Correct me if I am wrong.

[bryankazmer]

The rear and side trim, bumper, taillight bases all look different from "normal" Southamptons - anybody know if this was usual on the LWB?

 

Very interesting car

[The 55er]

I think only the hardtop models were called Southamptons too. The ad says the interior was restored with original fabrics but I thought all 1956 Imperials had an exclusive eagle pattern in the fabric but I don't know if that applied to the limos. I can remember that back in the early days of the Carlisle swap meet someone used a black 1955 or 1956 Imperial limo as a parts hauler and it was always completely filled up with stuff inside from floor to ceiling. The sight of that Imperial limo speeding by us eastbound in the passing lane of the PA Turnpike Saturday nights on the way home from Carlisle still sticks in my mind. The stuff you remember.....

[bryankazmer]

I

 

It looks like the tail lamp bases are right, and so is the bumper.  The trim around and above the bumper, and the guards, is the issue

[The 55er]

About that "missing" horn ring on this particular limo......close inspection of the steering wheel picture shows that it was cut off at the hub, filed smooth and the V areas on the hub sides were filled in. These 1955-1956 Chrysler & Imp horn rings were a weak design and many were broken off at the outer rim during the life of the car. A friend of mine drove a 1955 New Yorker back in the 70s and the outer horn ring circle was missing.  We scoured all the area junkyards back then trying to find one that was intact but we never located any before his car found a new owner. I still keep an eye out 45 years later when I'm digging through parts piles but unbroken ones are very difficult to find today. 

[m-mman]

8 hours ago, bryankazmer said:

The rear and side trim, bumper, taillight bases all look different from "normal" Southamptons - anybody know if this was usual on the LWB?

Yes. Considering the few they expected to sell Chrysler kept the "55" styling on the LWB cars. BUT the 1956s had fins, so something had to be done and the fins were bolted on to the LWB cars.  It makes the 56 LWB cars unique, but inconsistent with the other Imperials. 

 

In a LWB car the rear seat clock is typically place behind front seat. (where the rear passengers can see it. Imperial placed it over the rear view mirror near the headliner(!)  A lot of good it is going to do there. But hey, it aint going to work for long anyway. 

On 10/28/2021 at 3:17 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:

Many limousines and such are under-appreciated and very affordable today.

Number one problem with a LWB car is IT DOESNT FIT IN ANY GARAGE!!  

I have a 1971 Cadillac ambulance (156" wheelbase) and a 58 Imperial Ghia (149" wheelbase) They are a pain to park, you can only make a U turn at an intersection and they dont always make the turn around the building in the drive thru lane at the fast food place. (the ambulance is too tall for most of these places and it cant fit in any parking garage) 

 

Fortunately I have a barn and carport situation, but even still there are just few spots where I can park them to be under cover. 

 

LWB cars are neat, but there is a reason collectors want typically sized cars. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

4 hours ago, m-mman said:

...Number one problem with a LWB car is IT DOESNT FIT IN ANY GARAGE!!  

I have a 1971 Cadillac ambulance (156" wheelbase) and a 58 Imperial Ghia (149" wheelbase)....

 

Your professional cars sound interesting, M-m Man.

Can you post a picture of your '58?  A friend has a '60.

But for others who might similarly aspire, they might indeed

fit in your garage!  So don't give up hope.  Take it from

someone in the building industry.

 

A funeral home owner needed a garage, and I was happy to help.

He told me that his Cadillac limousine was 29 feet long.

I had seen it and knew it was a factory model from the early 1980's.

I also knew that his dimensions were wrong.

 

It was barely over 20 feet.  Even the largest Cadillac factory

limousines, from the mid 1970's, were only 21'-1" long.

They will fit in many garages, though not the smallest garages.

Huge non-factory limousines, however, can be much longer.

But the funeral home owner saved thousands of dollars, and

a big design mistake, from this automotive knowledge.

 

The 1956 Imperial is not longer than those, so any prospective

purchaser can check his garage and maybe keep his aspirations!

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[m-mman]

As they say, size DOES matter. . . . 

This is what I am talking about.  My 58 Ghia is woefully unrestored. Currently it sits in the backyard under a carport situation. 

In these pictures you can see that ti sticks out "just" 2-3 feet, BUT that translates into a significant issue. 

The cars on each side are a 41 Continental and a 1964 Mercury Parklane. They are both easily out of the drip line, but the Imperial gets wet in every storm.  Luckily I am in California so rain isn't that much of a problem.  Currently LACK of water is our problem!

 

Back to the problem:

How big is a "garage"?  How much space should there be between the front bumper and the wall and the back bumper and the door? Will there be any shelves on the front wall? How many inches is needed to close and lock the garage door? Will any outdoor equipment be kept in the garage? What if the car was pulled in at a slight angle? In these situations a few inches makes a huge difference.

 

A LWB car in a typical garage is a repeat of the problems encountered in the late 1950s when new car owners brought home their new finned beauties and tried to fit them into the 1930s - 1940s garage where their 47 Plymouth previously fit with room to spare. 

 

A family member in Rockford Illinois bought a house built in 1930. The garage had a strange "addition" at the doorway that was just 2-3 feet long. He couldn't understand why somebody would go through the effort to add just a few feet to the garage. . . . He didnt know why, but I did. 

FYI his 1980s minivan fit in the garage with room to spare for the lawn equipment. 

[6T-FinSeeker]

On 11/28, Seller relisted at same price, $23.000  -  No phone # provided again.  Reply to Seller through Craigslist's email to: 710c340b203c322fbf3446ceaa6e8eb1@sale.craigslist.org

 

Link to 11/28 relist: https://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/d/new-canaan-1956-chrysler-imperial-crown/7413816997.html

 

Seller's Description:

1956 Chrysler Imperial Crown 4-door

• VIN: C561145
• condition: good
• cylinders: 8 cylinders
• transmission: automatic
• odometer: 99,393
• paint color: silver
• title status: clean

History added .. Offered for sale is this original 1956 Chrysler Imperial Crown Series C70 8 passenger sedan. This is the rare Satin Gray color (most were Black) and 1 of only 51 produced that year. In 1955, the Chrysler Corporation spun off Imperial into its own make and division to better compete with its North American rivals, Cadillac and Lincoln. 1956 was the last year the long wheelbase (LWB) models were manufactured by Chrysler/Imperial “in-house”, as the 1957 and forward were outsourced to Ghia. The 1956 models featured the Hemi V8 enlarged from 331 ci in to 354 cu in with 280 brake horsepower. Power is transferred to the rear via the Imperial dash push-button "PowerFlite" transmission. This car is factory equipped with, power windows, seat, steering and brakes along with optional factory air conditioning and transistor radio. Note that the prominent rear forward leaning fender “hash trim” was in fact functional air intact scoops for the factory air conditioning!

 

Condition

• The Imperial runs and drives but will need mechanical full attention to ensure that all systems are operating correctly to factory new standards. The chassis and body appear to be solid with no material rust issues other than surface rust. The paint appears to be original but will need to be repainted to show standards. The interior was restored with original Imperial fabrics and the wiring was replaced about five years ago.

Ownership History

• First Owner Mrs. Claire D. Reingold
• Purchased new by Atlas Reingold, Inc for Mrs. Reingold of Punta Gorda, Florida and Pittsburg, Pa. She owned the Imperial for 26 years, selling it in 1982 to the 2nd owner Fred Babcock with 99,025 miles on the odometer!
• Second Owner Fred Babcock
• Mr. Babcock, Punta Gorda, Florida – Mr. Fred Babock owned this Imperial in his automobile collection for approximately 15 years until his death in 1997. His father Mr. Edward Vose Babcock, was founder of the Pittsburgh-based Babcock Lumber Co. He came to Southwest Florida in 1911 and started buying land in Lee and Charlotte counties. By 1919, he'd extended his lumber empire to Southwest Florida. His son, Fred Babcock (2nd owner), raised cattle, planted timber and diversified the ranch's enterprises. Under his direction, he managed vegetable and tree farming, logging, cattle and bison ranching, limestone mining, swamp buggy tours and hunting leases. Fred Babcock kept more than two-thirds of his 91,600-acre ranch in its native state with integrated allowing wildlife and cattle to move through in green corridors. Fred Babcock managed the ranch until his death in 1997 at age of 83.
• Third Owner
• Mr. Babcock’s granddaughter purchased the Imperial from her grandfather’s estate and is the current owner. She has owned the Imperial for 22 years and the odometer shows 99,395 miles. Total miles driven since 1982 … 370 miles! The Imperial still has the Florida license plate from Charlotte county.

Asking $23,000

 

 

 

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[6T-FinSeeker]

 

[B Jake Moran]

That's pretty awesome.  I don't see the dent I saw in earlier photos, or maybe I am not recalling well.  This would be fun to pair with a 1956 Cadillac 75 series.  1956 Cadillacs had similar roof lines and the proportions of both are very nice for a LWB car.  

[The 55er]

Neat car for sure but now that it's outside the cosmetic satin gray paint flaws are evident. Could anyone suggest a cost estimate to have this professionally repainted to show standards? I read on these forums a while ago that it costs a minimum of 20K for a full professional refinishing and plus this is a very large car and the price of paint has gone way up the last few years. Plus this one will need tires and "full mechanical attention". The new buyer is going to shell out a lot of money here to go down the road in style and comfort. 

[Hudsy Wudsy]

When I grew up in Minneapolis in the fifties most of the twenties and thirties garages had or were getting little bump out extensions on the ends opposite the garage doors. That satisfied the "length" needs, but when it came to widening their garage doors, they simply bought Buicks and Hudsons and let the side moldings gradually scrape at the openings. 

[B Jake Moran]

Yeah I don't know what to think about estimates on restoration costs.  I would never pay $20,000 on new paint unless I made $600,000 a year or so and my shop was top flight.  Even then, I would want to see "why" does it cost that much.  

[Hudsy Wudsy]

1 hour ago, B Jake Moran said:

Yeah I don't know what to think about estimates on restoration costs.  I would never pay $20,000 on new paint unless I made $600,000 a year or so and my shop was top flight.  Even then, I would want to see "why" does it cost that much.  

Yes, but also, wouldn't you forever be in a panic about scratching it? I could see myself getting to the point where I just didn't get the pleasure out of owning it like I thought I might.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Back to this Chrysler for a moment, I'm in awe of how well-proportioned it is. I think that the subtle gray color helps, too, to keep the car from looking somber and ponderous like black can.

[parrts]

Geisen's Funeral Home in the Glen Park section of Gary, Indiana had one brand new, same color, and I recall that it was in use as their "family car" in the business for several years.  Their hearse and ambulance were Cadillac's.  They're still in business in Crown Point, IN.  We lived in Glen Park in the fifties and sixties.

 

Hank Feinberg

[The 55er]

This Imperial limo is pretty cool but personalIy I would prefer owning a more practical 1955-1956 Imperial coupe instead of this long limo. The regular Imperials are plenty big enough for me. Mine would have the full wheelcovers with the crowns in the plastic center like this limo instead of the Chrysler wire wheels that are so popular with restorers today but were probably seldom-seen on similar Mopars back in the day. 

[58L-Y8]

m-mman:

A 1958 Imperial Ghia limousine!!!  Hand-coach-built! One of 31 built that year!

Steve

[m-mman]

14 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said:

One of 31 built that year

Yeah. . . . not exactly "model years" on these things. 

Actually it seems the Ghia contract was for 75 cars and it took 3 years to build and unload unload the first batch. They were shipped to Italy as kits and the model year and serial numbers were applied when they returned to the USA. 

 

At their heart they are all 1957s. Example: The last few were called 1959s and they had 59 styling, but being based on the 1957 chassis, they became "The only 1959 Imperial to have the 392 hemi" 

 

The 'quality' may have been high, but the design was not well polished and there are a lot of compromises in their function. 

 

Example the jump seats came from the 55-6 cars which have a higher roof, so they sit way too high and are even less usable than most jump seats. 

 

But the really big design/construction failure was with the drain hole. 

No rain gutters, water from the roof runs into a trough in the top of the door jamb and is directed to a drain hole that enters a tube in the B pillar and empties out the rocker panel. Sadly this tube (which directs ALL the water from the roof) was not a metal tube, BUT RUBBER!!! 

Yeah it quickly rots and then all the rain water is cascading through the B pillar soaking the interior and rotting out the rockers. 

A suicidal self destructive flaw. 

Mine is parked because I lost interest quickly after buying it and didn't have the bottomless pit of cash to begin fixing it correctly. Maybe some day. . . . ?

 

I think that the 55-6 limo type cars are better vehicles than the Ghias. 

[6T-FinSeeker]

Seller also listed on Hemmings.com for $23,000 Firm

 

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/chrysler/imperial-crown/2540591.html