Re: IML: Imperial design? Imperial pipe-dream.

[Kenyon Wills <imperialist1960@xxxxxxxxx>]

I love my fuselage cars.

BUT:

They are a design gutter-ball as far as the collector
car market goes (hence the feeble resale value), and
were a bit of a flop in the marketplace as far as
sales figures go, gas crisis not withstanding. 
Imperial in full-size was cancelled only one design
cycle after the second generation fuselage cars.

DCX isn't designing cars for the market of 30 years
ago, nor for collectors that might possibly be stuck
there design and taste-wise, and we here in this club
have a double luxury:

1.  We can choose any Imperial year/body style that we
want.
2.  We get it for a fraction of what a new car cost
(especially when adjusted for inflation).


The modern market unfortunately, does not want giant
luxury cars.  If it did, Cadillac and Lincoln would
not be downsizing their lines and struggling for
marketshare against more nimbe competitors that never
bothered with giant barges to begin with.

I got a chuckle out of that picture, and the
wheelcovers are a nice touch, but that's a virtual
car, not a real one.  Nobody had to risk tens of
millions to produce it and sell it.

Based on the griping that's gone on everywhere about
the show-car concept, I'd be surprised to see the 2009
production car retain everything from the show car,
but c'mon guys!  The world has moved forward and any
luxury car in the current market will face the
pressures that the entire full-size segment has, and
will be shaped by that reality.

Mustangs and Bugs (that sold in the millions) are one
thing for retro cars.  
Imperials (that few remember) are another.


Keep the pictures coming, though.  
They sure are entertaining.

Kenyon Wills
 
 






















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