Imperial Crown

For those who don’t know, Imperial was Chrysler Corporation’s luxury car brand from 1955 to 1975. Although the Imperial name had been used since 1926, it only became a separate marque in 1955. Chrysler deemed this necessary to compete with its long-time rivals — Cadillac and Lincoln.

The 1964 Imperial models were entirely designed by former Ford designer Elwood Engel, which gives them a strong resemblance to the Lincoln Continental. The cars were available in only two body styles — the luxurious Crown or the even more luxurious LeBaron hardtop — and a single model in the convertible line: the Imperial Crown. Features included every conceivable comfort option, and the production quality and quality control standards were exceptionally high. The cars were powered by a 7.2-liter V8 engine rated at 350 hp. With 23,295 units produced, 1964 was the Imperial’s best production year in its entire history.

It must be admitted — it’s hard to find a longer car among two-door models. Standing next to a 1965 Buick Electra 225, which is already a very long car, the Imperial is noticeably longer. And heavy — very heavy.

This car had been eagerly awaited in our workshop and arrived partially disassembled, with almost completed bodywork, which we further refined. The work proceeded along a strict path — once the body was fully cleaned, the entire car and all its details, inside and out, were primed with Standoxi Washprimer 1:1 two-component acid primer and Standox Non-Stop Füllprimer isolating filler primer. Only then could the subsequent filler, sanding, and priming work begin after the base primers had dried.

Cars from this era are dominated by strict straight lines and smooth surfaces, so even the slightest flaw or dent immediately catches the eye. Therefore, the painter must be extremely attentive and precise.

This was also one of the first cars where we used Standox’s next-generation STANDOBLUE waterborne basecoat. We must admit — on a perfectly dried and smooth surface, it even surpasses the “old faithful” solvent-based Standox basecoat. We are convinced that in the future, both we and our Classic Color partners will use this technology for classic car painting. Double clear-coating ensures the smoothest possible finish with a glass-like gloss, giving the final coat its ultimate finesse.

The car is now fully finished by us and has been delivered to the client.