Re: IML: Article I found

["Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>]

Re: IML: Article I found
"Imperial" referred to the fact it had a partition behind the driver.   In
other words, it was what we now call a limousine.   Other manufacturers
called their long wheelbase sedans with partition "Imperial" as well back in
fhe 1920's and early 1930's.   A true limousine had no side windows for the
driver's area - the doors were similar to a touring car - but the roof
extended over the driver's compartment to the top of the windshield.  The
"Imperial" limousine was also referred to as an "Enclosed-Drive Limousine".
Packard even offered a limousine without the side door area for the front
driver's area as a "Limousine without Cab Sides", a reference to the body
style common for taxis before the late 1920's.

Chrysler first used "Imperial" in 1924 to denote a fancy 4-door sedan in the
model B, series 70, priced at $1,895   Its interior was a little fancier
than the base 4-door sedan at $1,625.  Taking the Imperial sedan and adding
oval windows in the "C" pillar with that area and rear portion of the roof
covered in leather or fabric resulted in the $2,195 "Crown Imperial"  sedan.
(And you thought opara windows and vinyl roofs were a 1970's fad.)  In 1926
Chrysler introduced a series 80, model E using a 288-cid 6-cylinder engine.
This series was called the Imperial.  The new 1926 series 70, ,model G,
replaced the former Imperial sedan with the Royal sedan and the Crown
Imperial sedan became the Crown sedan.

But as Cadillac had used the Imperial name for its enclosed drive models
before the series 80 Imperial appeared (at least back to 1918), they could,
and did, continue to use the Imperial name for the limousine right through
to the end of 1957 model year.  The runaway success of Chrysler's 1957
Imperial may have had a part in Cadillac dropping the name.

Fleetwood, by the way, was similar to LeBaron - it was once an independent
custom body firm..  In 1926, for example,. Fleetwood offered a 7-pasanger
Cabriolet on the Imperial's 127" wheelbase chassis.    Fleetwood was founded
in Fleetwood, Pennsylvania, in 1912.  It was purchased by FIsher Body in
1925 and became the Fleetwood Division of General Motors with the move to
Detroit in 1929.   Starting in 1933 Fleetwood built bodies only for
Cadillac.  And starting with the 1950 models, all "Fleetwood" bodies were
actually Fisher bodies with a "Fleetwood" nameplate.  Just as the LeBaron
was a name on the most luxurious Imperial, so,.too, was the Fleetwood on the
Cadillac.  The Fleetwood name died at the end of the 1996 model year when GM
dropped the RWD drive platform.

Bill
Vancouver, BC


----- Original Message ----- 
From: anthony romano
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 10:07 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Article I found


Hey Guys, Do you know that Cadillac had a car called "Imperial Feetwood"??
What's up with this???




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