motorauthority posted a report that Chrysler, despite its current shaky status within DaimlerChrysler, has given the go-ahead to produce the Chrysler Imperial sedan.
If you’ve never heard of the Imperial, it’s not surprising. Though introduced in 1926, the marque was discontinued in 1993, replaced by the LHS. Sold without the Chrysler preface for much of its history, the Imperial was Chrysler flagship. Last year, a concept debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. (Image by Motor Trend.)
According to the post, Chrysler had approached auto workers at the company’s Brampton plant in Canada the chance to produce ‘Product X’ if they’d take a pay cut. Sources later confirmed that this secret vehicle was the production version of the Imperial concept.
Chrysler has yet to officially announce the Imperial’s production. Our take? We’ve seen the Imperial up close and agree with many of the critics that it may be too ostentatious for the public. We felt, though, the same about the 300 when we first laid our eyes on it as well. This time, though, we feel justified that the Imperial’s target segment—older, more conservative crowd—will give the full-sized sedan a backwards glance as they enter their more contemporary BMWs and Mercedes-Benzs. The younger crowd that may appreciate the Imperial’s retro flair won’t be able to afford it.
