What do you think of the ’59 Imperial ? I like it. Isn’t that toothy grille striking? Excessive, it’s true, but without the bad taste and caricature we see in that same year’s Cadillac. Unfortunately, automotive history likes to recall the extravagant ’59 Caddy, not the Imperial.

After a disappointing 1958, Imperial felt the need to refresh its appearance, yet not to spend millions in doing so. GM changed its chassis and body, while Chrysler applied only some thrifty retouching: The front of the car’s body is redesigned, and some chrome and stainless steel is added, as suits the times. That’s about it. Oh yes, the engine – production cost of the "Hemi" has grown burdensome so the company has developed, and introduced in 1958 Chrysler and DeSoto models, the "big-block Wedge." So for Imperial, the 392 Hemi now goes out and the 413 cu.in. Wedge (meaning an angled or wedge-shaped combustion chamber, rather than the convex Hemi) comes in. This motor, with "Max Wedge" refinements, was destined to power Chrysler "muscle cars" in the horsepower-race years of 1961-’64, and it propelled the Imperial until 1965. In any event, Imperial customers were more drawn by what they found in the passenger compartment than under the hood! The big "dinner-plate" instrument clusters are supplanted by a substantial panel combining a linear speedometer, gauges and various controls. On the left is the pushbutton gearshift, on the right the heat and air conditioning controls, also pushbuttons. The rear-view mirror placement remains rather awkward. There is an imposing list of options, including "swivel seats" that rotate in a limited arc toward the door, for easier getting in and out. "Mirror-Matic" adjusts the rear-view mirror automatically to day or night conditions, and another automatic feature dims headlights as a courtesy to approaching cars.

Roofs of the hardtops have three optional decorative schemes. Silvercrest presents the front of the roof in stainless steel; Landau coats the rear part in black paint textured to simulate leather; Silvercrest Landau combines the two. The rear bumper and taillights are redesigned in a more "Cadillesque" manner. The strip between the rear bumper and wheel-well is protected against corrosion and decorated with stainless steel. An option this year are huge 11-by-14 tires (std: 9.50 x 14) running on only 22 lbs. pressure, the idea being to give a softer ride, but these were soon dropped because of their poor tracking. They were replaced on the option list with 8.20-by-15s, the larger rim allowing a larger, better-cooled brake drum, hence better braking. Comfort concerns also brought forth air suspension as an Imperial option, following GM’s example. Chrysler’s version was better thought out, with the experience of the ’58 Buick and Cadillac in mind: Keep the springs and add "inflatable cushions," but only in the rear suspension! Even so, reliability was not good and the device was dropped the following year.

The Ghia-built Crown Imperial was the only 1959 Chrysler car to retain the 392 Hemi engine, and that was because of the slowness of production in Italy. Seven were built that year, one of them for the Queen of England to use on a visit to Canada. We don’t know who paid the bill for that limousine - $16,000!