Chrysler – CARS-YDSE.com

1956 Chrystler Newport

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I have written several pssts on Chrysler Corporation’s gamble in the 1957 model year. I had not realized that this (the 1957 line) was the second dramatic design change in two years. When I did some research on this 1956 Chrysler, I found that the 1955 and 1956 were the “Forward Look” era. This was followed in 1957 by the “Swept Wing” look which again dramatically changes the entire line.

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I remember my grandfather trading in his 1950 Dodge for a 1955 4 door Chrysler Windsor, the low end of the product line.

Few automobile companies have ever fielded products that were as dramatically different as the entire 1955 Chrysler Corporation’s line. From the lowliest Plymouth to the most majestic Chrysler Custom Imperial, these cars were downright breathtaking. No longer could the Chrysler’s vehicles be thought of as conservative or dowdy in styling. Touted as “The Forward Look” ……

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The “Skip Year +1” 1958 Dodge

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I remember the 1957 Chrysler products. I was thirteen years old but “loved” cars. The Chrysler cars, namely the Plymouth and Dodge were completely re-engineered in 1957, they skipped a year and delivered the 1958 cars in 1957. That’s what I remember and I looked on the Web and found some substantiation for this.

Apparently, Virgil Exner, who was driven far beyond just a take charge individual, used the corporate chaos to swiftly move into his own designs. He had completely scrapped three years of design work that had been spent on the entire line of the planned 1957 models, instead going right to designs that were said to be planned for the 1960 model year. The dealers were told to be ready for the most powerful set of car model designs that Detroit had ever seen.

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This was a great sales year for the Chrysler corporation.

The ads trumpeted: “Suddenly – It’s 1960!” and “1960 — Now, Plymouth is three full years ahead.”
“In one flaming moment,” read another, “Plymouth leaps three full years ahead—the only car that dares to break the time barrier! The car you might have expected in 1960 is at your dealers today!”

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But the gamble only lasted a year, the quality problems nearly brought the company down.

Chrysler had spent $300 million to bring the 1957 models to light, but in the long run they paid a terrible price for their victory. The cars, without a doubt, were some of the best designs turned out by Virgil Exner and his stylists. If they had truly been intended as 1960 models, they hit the showrooms without a full complement of testing. This, combined with breakneck schedules to meet demands, saw

Here is a graph of sales for that period of time.

by Jim Benjaminson. Copyrighted by Jim Benjaminson. Originally published as a printed book by Motorbooks International.

The One That Almost Got Away

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Back in 2002 when this shot was taken, it took a while for my camera to start up. I saw this classic 1962 Chrysler Imperial coming down the street and reached for my camera. I was able to pull of these two shots. This car certainly represents the American car of the 60s. It would not fair well in Europe where the streets are often narrower. Also, gas was about 40 cents a gallon back then so this driver/collector must spend a few dollars every time he starts the car. The collectors call the faux spare tire on the rear deck the “toilet seat”. Here is a link to an interesting website about the Chrysler Imperial cars of that era.

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