The '73 was the last of the "Fuselage Styling" jobs of '69 through '73 (lots
of tumblehome and tuckunder), although by '71, Chrysler had toned it down a
bit for all the lines. Examples: Center defined grilles, added side trim (to
divert the eye from that rounded look). In an interesting way, Chrysler had
a similar customer acceptance problem with the Airflow, and quickly
comtemporized the design in the year following its introduction, in '35.
The '69- 73 Imperials were excellent driver's cars relative to the (US)
competition, but build quality was falling in this period. I'm thinking
mainly of body integrity and electrical problems here. The difference
between, say, a Plymouth Fury 1 and an Imperial simply was not as wide as it
should have been. After all, they all shared the "C" body, but with
increasing wheelbases as you moved from Plymouth-Dodge-Chrysler-Imperial. In
fact, the full size Dodge had two wheelbase for at least some of the years
in this period.
The styling, although innovative in '69, became a little derivative by '73,
although this was more true of the lower priced Chrysler Corp models than
Imperial. For exampe, look at a '66 Chevy Impala, and compare to a '73
Plymouth Fury Gran Sedan.
Still, I like that sorta rare '69-'73 Imperial Coupe, for the sheer
extravagance of it all (enormous trunk, volume-wise, that you maybe could
not stack grocery bags in, limited rear legroom in a 19 foot + design, etc).
Lush, plush interiors, too, some with that "loose cushion" look. Not to
mention the "Cologne Leather" tuck and roll Split Bench interior option in
the '73.
Does anyone know it the Coupes of this period were shorter than the sedans?
Once again, it was 235.3 for the sedan in '73.
Currell
>From: Gregory Gryczan & Sandra Hudson Gryczan
><gregandsandra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: IML: Length of '73 Imperial
>Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 08:18:30 -0400
>
>Hello Kerry and List,
>
> Was is just the bumper guards? Don't '73's have a gray filler between
>the
>bumpers and the body/trim?
>
>Greg Gryczan
>West Palm Beach, FL
>U.S.A.
>
>At 07:41 PM 8/30/2002 -0700, you wrote:
> >Should be about 6 inches shorter, the difference in
> >the length of the bumper guards.
>
>
>
>
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network