In 1964, I was a precocious 9 year old falling in love with all things related to vehicles of all type, especially born into a family that owned a Trucking Company. Also at that time my wonderful Dad was just 39 years old, also with a love of big cars he inherited from his Dad. I remember going to the local Lincoln dealer with my Dad the day he picked up a beautiful gold/tan 4 dr Lincoln Continental, unfortunately I was also with him in the three different times in two months the car needed to be towed back to the dealer. Well that was allDad was gonna put up with so now I also remember going with him when he traded the Lemolcn as we called it in on guess what? A 1964 Imperial Crown Coupe! That was an amazing car! I remember trying to hear it going 70 mph down the road! Dad had his beloved Imperial till the day Mon informed us she was “expecting” my third sibling! Dad knowing that we all could not fit comfortably in the big Coupe, he went back to his friends Chrysler dealer, to special order a 9 passenger wagon, not just any wagon was gonna replace that magnificent Imperial! So Dad special ordered a 68, Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon! Loaded with just about every option! Full power, split bench seats with arm rest in front and back in beautiful maroon leather, in metallic maroon with wood sides, huge chrome roof rack with big chrome handles on both sides of the rear window. Powered by. 440/4 brl Commando engine! Along with the factory tow package with Trac-loc 3:08 gears!
My dad - who always prided himself in buying the best and taught us to do the same - came home with a 1964 Imperial Crown Coupe one day. As all his co-workers were buying Lincoln Continentals he didn't want to be like everyone else and bought the Imperial. It was the BEST car ever made and we, to this day, benchmark that car with others. We drove the Imperial on family vacations throughout the continental US and it rode so smoothly like a warm knife through butter. Miss that car! In 1973 he bought a Cadillac and the Imperial still beat the Cadillac in quiet and comfort..
@@pavelbudilo1028 wow awesome story! We unfortunately never traveled outside of Rhode Island and nearby MA, but when we did we were in style and comfort.
@@rockandroll4689 Both cars were originally designed by Elwood Engel, who went from Ford to Chrysler and share some styling touches, like the raised belt-line. As the narrator states, its always a matter of personal choice. The Lincoln styling does nothing for me. I find it heavy and cumbersome looking compared to the Imperial which is lightened up by a little bit of body sculpturing. The interior of the Lincoln, especially the steering column and steering wheel and dashboard looks overly heavy and cumbersome to me as well, compared to Imperial. Also, the lack of a pillarless hardtop on the Lincoln adds to the heavier look.
I agree, the Lincoln is exquisite. Same designer, yes, but Engel's work on Lincoln changed car design for the decade, his work on the Imperial was just another car based on the previous recipe.
Ted, the Imperial was what Elwood Engel wanted the 61 Lincoln to be. He was never happy with how it turned out having the car stretched and the rear doors slapped on as an afterthought. BTW, he styled both the 61 Lincoln and the 64 Imperial.
Clearly Engel did a better job with the Imperial. The iconic Eagle centered rear end was the prettiest rear end of any car in history. The three extra inches of wheelbase and the much more usable trunk put the Imperial ahead.
I think Imperial's main problem was brand perception. The Chrysler Corporation never truly established "Imperial" as its own marque. People almost always thought of it as just the most expensive Chrysler...which competed with Oldsmobile/Buick at the high end of the "medium priced" field. Back then, the Cadillac or Lincoln names provided more prestige for the money...and prestige is a big factor when people spend a lot of money on a car. Interesting that they mention the advantage of the pushbutton transmission over the column shift...Chrysler dropped the pushbuttons across all its divisions the following year.
Dash - I agree. The 1964 Imperial was truly the last year it was its own car. Starting in 1965, it began sharing parts with Chrysler cars and by 1967 was nothing more than a dressy Chrysler. It's funny because in these films, they state how unlike Cadillac, that shares parts with Olds and Buick, Imperial doesn't share yet one year later, that would change though Lincoln would share with Mercury and Ford, and Cadillac always shared with Buick and Olds. Chrysler simply failed to separate "Chrysler" from "Imperial" and when you look at it historically, that goes back far before Imperial was made a separate brand in 1955. It simply never caught on as being the prestige brand of the Chrysler Corp, but was merely perceived to be nothing more than an elevated luxury level.
Both beautiful cars designed by the same man-Elwood Engle. Mr Engle worked at Ford until 1961 when he retired and moved to Chrysler where he became head designer. The similarities between the two cars are very evident.
I love the part of this film regarding design. The same man designed both cars, and they are not addressing the issue. One is simply an improvement over the other. The Imperial is a longer, slightly wider, and more rakish Continental, with a B Pillar and rear doors that hang in the traditional fashion. Also, what they did not address, is when the convertible top is retracted, there is no usable trunk space in the Lincoln. Lincoln is also a unibody where Imperial is body on frame.
They blew one of the best looking features of the Imperial, the open air clean look from not having a center pillar. That's one of the main style differences.
He won the design war, try to have his way with engineering but he lost the engineering war, I was there. He did not speak to a one fo us for over a week. That was the Elwood I remember.
And in the following model year, Imperial also went to a column mounted gear shift lever! Seems folks were not so keen on the push button transmission after all
A huge piece your all forgetting is that the continental was introduced in 1948, and took on many evolutions, 61-64 looking the best (and they continued making the continental in 65-69 with the suicide doors, those years just arent as well known or appreciated as the 61-64 models) and still lives on almost 70 years later, while the imperial was discontinued in the 70s, why you may ask? Because Chrysler was the red headed step child of the US car industry, when the mustang came out in 64 the camaro wasnt far behind being made in 67, a year prior the first generation charger was debuted, but not as a muscle car, so when Chrysler saw the obvious conflict between ford and Chevrolet, Chrysler wanted to be part of it and they were in 68-71 with the second and third evolution of the charger and first challenger, but thats all muscle, back to luxury cars, the imperial just wasnt up to par in terms of style, so people were buying up the mark series Lincoln and continental models, because they were still superior in terms of style, then in 1970, the continental dropped, and started making 4 conventional opening doors... truth is the continental is a classic thats sought after and is a staple in cars of the 60s, which wasnt the case for imperial
Personally, I think that the Continental crosses the fine line between restrained and boring. For this and other reasons, I would have to go for Imperial.
All of you; just remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. And remember, we have chocolate ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Personally, I believe that the 1964 Chrysler Imperial is the most beautiful car ever built in this country..
@@rockandroll4689 Nope. I also quite like the Imperial's styling more than the Lincoln's. To me, the Connie's styling is downright boring. Not enough definition. Not enough characterful lines. Not enough chrome.
I would've gone for the Imperial, I was never big on the early/mid 60's Lincoln Continental's although I've loved the 1966 restyle of the suicidal door Lincoln's.
A lot of luxury car buyers of that time saw Imperial as a Cadillac wannabe. What they didn't realize is Imperial was ahead of it's time and a leader in luxury car technology. By 1975 the last year for Imperial the car had 4 wheel disk brakes as standard. The only other car to offer 4 wheel disk breaks in 1975 was the Corvette. Cadillac nor Lincoln offered it.
They neglected to mention Imperial offered rear air conditioning on coupes and sedans. That was not available on Cadillacs or Lincolns, unless it was a limo. Imperial had the more exciting looking back end of the trio, as well. Come on, why be like everyone else at the country club???
Living in the south there was nothing better than getting in a hot car turning the a/c on and have it hit you from the front and back at the same time. I think a few of the SUVs have that today, can't remember the last car that did.
The Continental is a classic for one reason. The back doors, that were an afterthought directed by Robert McNamara. The original car as designed by Engel was a two-door Thunderbird.
7:55 - Silence. In 1983 I went to see a `65 Imperial that was listed for sale in the "Want Ad Press". The guy took me for a ride in it, and I thought to myself that it was the quietest car I had ever ridden in. It was amazing. (I didn't buy it though.) When I was a kid my parents had a `67, but I have no memory of how quiet it was. But I do have a thing for Imperials and other Chrysler products.
Elwood Engel designed the 61 Lincoln Continental, the generation of which this 64 is a member. After the new design was launched to the public, Engel left FoMoCo for Mopar, and designed their unit body Imperial, I guess the 64 is the debut? The Lincoln is better looking. It just fits the Mad Men era perfectly! Despite its drawbacks.
Up until a couple of years ago, I had a black 1964 Imperial Crown convertible, a red 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible, and a white 1964 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Hands down, the Imperial was the best of the three followed by the Lincoln. I put all three cars up on side by side hoists. What Chrysler did with that frame, and the number of cross bars welded into it, made it indestructible unlike the uni-body Cadillac and Lincoln. You ride in a Cadillac, you glide in a Lincoln, but you float in an Imperial. Oh, and those organizations that have members whose names end in vowels? The Imperial's trunk was far larger and could hold more bodies.
Yes, the Lincoln is a uni-body, but the Cadillac is not; it is a body-on-frame car. The Imperial used the same chassis from 1957 thru 1966. Another tip-off to the Imperial's heritage is the wrap-around windshield, trendy in 1957, but dated by mid-sixties styling trends. Those Imperials really are distinctive and handsome cars though, and were "built like battleships".
Imperial is impressive, but one look at the windshield and cowl show that it is just a major restyle of the previous year's model with the features I cite essentially unchanged from 1957. It's a great job, don't get me wrong, but not all-new.
I've had every Lincoln or Continental model from 1949 Cosmopolitans, through every year of the fifties with 1956-57 Premier's being the best, I still loved the looks of the 58-60 and the stunning 1961 and then '62-69's but all the way from'61 -69 I had many electrical problems, A/C problems, and try to go around a corner fast in the 61-69, it plows straight ahead unless modified. I also had every year Imperial from 1956 through 1975, the Imperials handle incredibly well and were always faster than the Lincolns and Cadillacs (Had every year from 1949- 1976) The Imperials seats were orthopedic ally designed, several times I drove my '64, '65, or'66 1100 to 1300 miles in a day and still felt great at the end of the trip. And I have a bad back. Look at the Chrysler roll over tests for 64-66 Imperials, the high speed test had an Imperial sedan flip side over side five time, and reach an altitude of 12-15 feet while doing it. All doors, hood, trunk still worked, but the main thing is it still looked like an Imperial . I hit a deer that sprang in front of the 56 sedan at 70+mph on a curve with ZERO damage to the car, not even a scratch. In this town, if you live here long enough you will be rear ended, have idiots run stop signs and lights to close to avoid nailing them, and even be hit broadside. My '64-65 and 66 Imperials all have been hit, the '66 rear ended 5 times, nailed two Ford Taurus's running stop signs and had a BMW run into the side of the rear fender with the only damage a 1/2 inch crack in the right side grille and a few scuff marks that buffed off. The leather interiors on Imperials hold up incredibly well also, all of mine are original and look and feel good. I still own a '56 4 door, '64 Crown convertible and Crown Coupe, a '65 Crown 4 door, and a '66 Crown 4 door. I've always loved the styling and just about everything else on those years. By the way, my '65 and'66 have dual A/C units and if you're crazy enough you can get the temp down in the 30's and have ice forming in the interior. I read an interview article on Elwood Engle and always remembered one quote. "Chrysler let me style and create the Imperial the way I wanted to do the '61 Lincoln." After having owned the Cadillacs, Lincolns, a Bentley, Mercedes and other luxury makes the only other car's I kept along with my Imperials are 1963-64 Buick Electra's, I have two '63, and a '64 all convertibles. The Buicks are better cars than any of the Cadillacs or Lincolns from 1961-1969.
@@BIGLOVE4TRUTH In my youth I did a lot of long distance, high speed driving, most often well over 100 mph, my best time solo cross country was in the 32-33 hour mark in my '63 Electra (pumped engine, everything heavy duty and high speed tires), in those days I had no problem staying awake and alert. Recently a Cannonballer set the cross country at 25-26 hours, with open roads and few stops, it's not that difficult. In all the years I drove that fast, no accidents, 1 breakdown, few tickets. In recent years driving at uber speeds and police was not a good idea, but with the virus people are going crazy.
@@BIGLOVE4TRUTH BTW Had 1 1962 Continental convert I put HD suspension on, loved that cars road holding, but sold because of electrical and constant a/c problems.
Lincoln all the way. The Imperial is a fine car, but it lacks character. The Lincoln is an iconic car. It's design shook the luxury segment when it was revealed in 1961, and they didn't need to change the design for years. That's how timeless and modern it was. Also, the Lincoln was the presidential car in the early 60's, a fact that is cemented in the collective memory because of the JFK assasination.
The Continental is a classic for one reason and one reason only. The back doors, that were an afterthought as directed by Robert McNamara. The original car as designed by Engel more resembled the two-door Thunderbird.
I always liked the looks of this series of Engel-designed Imperials. But, there was no disguising its old 1957 basic body, with that very high windshield and hood. Park them side-by-side and one can see how old the Imperial underpinnings are. And why didn't Engel put in rear fender liners? From just about any photo angle you can see the rear leaf springs because they cheapened out and didn't line the rear fenders. Cheapie. Car and Driver tested all the luxury cars incl. R-R and M-B in 1965 and thought the Imperial's furnishings looked and felt cheap. I can remember Mr. Drysdale driving one of these on 'The Beverly Hillbillies'!
Most people, including myself, thought that the torsion-air ride was too firm for a luxury car. The front torsion bars were okay but, the rear leaf springs were not. The only luxury car I ever rode in with rear leaf springs which were soft enough was the 1976 Cadillac Seville. That's because Cadillac added Teflon between each leaf. Chrysler also used switches on their dashboards which were too loose and failed to offer a solid feel when used. In 1964, Cadillac offered a much better all around handling vs ride comfort alternative. Lincoln was way too soft for any kind of enthusiastic driving and Imperial was too firm for any kind of laid back highway travel. Cadillac hit the nail on the head.
Don't you love marketing? At 4:00 the film is complaining that Lincoln is primitive for having a shifter on the steering wheel, not in pushbutton format. Yet in the 1965 dealer promo they are saying the '65 Imperial models are BETTER because they have the shift lever on the steering wheel. Hilarious! I can imagine a bunch of drunk salesmen (no women, of course) laughing through these films.
I saw that too. Push button was eliminated in 65 because that was the first year that the Imperial started sharing parts with Chrysler division cars and it was too expensive to run two different transmissions. As 1965 would be the last year for the 413 V8, Chrysler used that year to mate the new transmission before connecting it to the new 440 V8 in 1966. In this manner, they were not risking a new transmission and a new engine simultaneously, particularly on Imperial which by 1966, was in the final stages of morphing into a Chrysler. What you have to understand, is that Virgil Exner hired Elwood Engel away from Ford to replace him as Chief Stylist at Chrysler. Engel had been passed over by Eugene Bordinat as FoMoCo's Chief Stylist. Engel, who had designed both the interior and exterior of the 61 Lincoln (the last stylist to design the entire car) was never happy with the Lincoln and had requested an extra year to resolve numerous issues associated with "stretching" what had been designed as a two door Thunderbird into the four door Lincoln. Robert McNamara, then president of Ford, denied his request. (Another dumb decision by the man who would go on as Secretary of Defense to JFK and LBJ, to bring us the Vietnam War. As such, Engel had one major condition with Chrysler, which had been planning to share parts between Imperial and Chrysler cars starting in 1964, and that was he wanted to design the 64 Imperial to reflect what he had wanted the 61 Lincoln to be. Engel wanted to show Ford how they screwed up by not allowing him to restyle the car to McNamara's new specs. Once that was done, and the 64 Imperial made its statement with huge success, in 1965 Chrysler began morphing the Imperial into a luxury level Chrysler.
"Lincoln is notoriously shorter for a car of this class." LOL. "And notice the rear door faces into the wind!" The design of Imperials couldn't hold a candle to Lincolns made from 1961 to 1969. Sorry. Chrysler quality was definitely not as good as Lincoln Continental.
I'd actually argue that the Imperial's build quality was better in the 1960s. Imperials during this time period had a frame that was so thick with so many crossmembers added to it that the car was actually banned from use in most demolitions derbies. Also, all Imperials during this time period were built in a climate-controlled facility. Nothing new now, but big news back then.
Most people only ever saw an Imperial as Mr. Drysdale's car on "The Beverly Hillbillies". They weren't common. Too bad, because they were one of the best built cars on the planet at that time.
Nah.The 1964 Imperial was exactly what Elwood Engel wanted when he designed the '61 Lincoln. That's why he went to work for Chrysler in the first place, because he was that dissatisfied with how the Continental turned out. In his mind, it was TOO restrained.
IMPERIAL is quieter, faster accelerating, and better handling than Lincoln. It also had better fuel economy, greater interior room, and more available body styles...and had more unique features that Lincoln didn't have . It also had the finest automatic transmission in the industry...the mighty TORQUEFLITE, better build quality, and the 5 year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty that Lincoln COULDN'T MATCH !!
Definitely one of the most beautiful classically designed and elegant cars of all time. So sad that Chrysler didn't keep their push button transmission -
I'll still take the Lincoln. In 1961 Lincoln was clearly superior, but then Elwood Engle moved from Ford to Chrysler, which finally modernized the dated, Imperial design. Sad to state, the 64-66 Imperials were the last chance for the Imperial name to survive, but sales gradually fell and the big, stand alone Imperial died after 1973 while Lincoln lived on.
Funny thing is.... Lincoln introduced the slab body design in 1961. All the other car companies, including Cadillac and Chrysler, copied the design. (Clearly seen in the Imperial body style, even down to the front bumper placement)
Actually, Cadillac never copied the '61 Lincoln slab sided look. In '65 & '66 they went with a beveled slab look that incorporated the headlights and taillights, then returned to a pseudo-finned look in '67. In '66 Lincoln went with a similar beveled slab look which they used for many years.
bcimb1 front bumper placement? Yea it’s in the front! The only style feature that you could say is the same on both cars, is the trim pieces that run along the top of the front fenders through to the rear quarter! Of which Lincoln used for many years. Other than that no other styling features are similar!
I hate the automatic door locks that lock you in as soon as the car starts to move, but with suicide doors, they, or some secondary locking system, would almost be a necessity. Imagine the panic of one of those flying open on the highway.
@@pcno2832 As a kid, we had a '61 Continental ... and we never had any trouble with the doors opening unexpectedly. I loved that car as a kid. (PS: My dad's a mechanic and we got it used with a blown engine; otherwise we'd NEVER have had such a car)
9:30...Notice the 4 line disclaimer at the end that is readily noticeable and legible, easy to understand, and reasonable. It does not even appear to contradict the claims of this dealer promo.
Sorry. No comparison here. The Continental and its elegance cannot be surpassed. Even if Engle did design both cars, the Continental is the most elegant luxury car of its time.
I'd say that the 1961 Continental was unsurpassed elegance, but the expanded 64-65 variant was not a dramatically present car. Some of the Imperials exceeded the second iteration.
George Widener my dad owned both new. He gave up on the Lincoln cause it was a lemon, he trad d it for an Imperial Crown Coupe! The Imperial was a much better driving car he always said.
@@WAQWBrentwood That's like comparing a Chevy to a Fleetwood Cadillac.NO,Lincoln had its own division from Ford Motor Company and had their own engineers.
The curved windshield and wing vent style, rear bumper gas fill, and push button shifting actually dated the Imperial, none of which survived into the future. Elwood Engle designed the Lincoln (starting with the incomparable 1961) and then he came to Chrysler to design this 64 Imperial, which was a vast improvement over the 63 Imperial. Engle was brought in to help save Imperial as it was slipping away as a marquee. It helped some but not for long. In the 60's styling changes were rapid and the basic look of a car only lasted 2-3 years. Cadillac was changing every two years. Thunderbird every 3 years. This Imperial was in a 3 year cycle, then later changed to 2. The Lincoln was a 5 year cycle, later reduced to 4 years. Lincoln's styling tended to be a bit more advanced, so it lasted longer, though by the last year of the run, it was getting a bit long in the tooth--for the 65 and 69 models. Bottom line, the Lincoln was a better car, even though the 64-66 Imperials were improvements.
Seems though you're saying the Lincoln (a fine car) was only better in styling...to you. Seeing a '64 Imperial in person is quite a sight, but Lincolns do look fine and maybe photograph better. All a matter of taste of course, but it's hard to deny ChryCos. long history of engineering advances, and many would say superiority. Plus many subsequent FoMoCos. had vent windows and a rear filler neck. Great topic.
The 61 Lincoln was honored by the Industrial design Institute. a body style that lasted through 1965, which was almost unheard of in the 60's (in the US). In fact the body style retained many aspects until as late as 1969, the 61 Licoln was that advanced. The 64 Imperial design lasted 3 years, still a good run for the 60"s as Cadillac changed every two years. However, as with all styling, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I do feel the 64 was a vast improvement over the garish 63 Imperial, in part due to Elwood Engle, who was involved in both the clean 61+ Lincolns and much improved 64-66 Imperials. My favorite Imperial is the 1966 model, though it doesn't top the Lincoln of the same year, but close.
Yes, I've read about it getting honored, and for good reason. Ahead of it's time. Loved the '61 grill and the short whl. base was interesting. I had a '66 for a short time. Amazing supple red leather interior with beautiful fit and finish to the whole int. I do tend to gravitate towards the more flowing lines of the '66-'69s. '66 is a good choice for the Imperial because of the mighty 440 Wedge, but the 413 is equally lovable...as was Fords 460 & C-6!
@@dougfinlay7528 The 1961 Lincoln may be the one that was honored by the IDI as well as the general public, but this Imperial is what the designer actually wanted. In a biography I read, he actually considered the resulting Continental as being TOO restrained. I tend to agree, but I'm not going to say that the Lincoln is crap. It's just a different taste, that's all.
The 61 Lincoln was certainly restrained compared to the big fin cars that carried over from the late 50's. However, the Lincoln was forward thinking . . . a car that offered clean elegance. It was also the first US car that offered a longer warranty that later became standard.
It's amusing that both cars were designed by the same person.i had no idea they made changes to the 1964 Lincoln. The Imperial did have a majesty to the design the Lincoln lacked.
The IMPERIAL is just as it's advertising said: IMCOMPARABLE. This comparison proves it. It was superior to Lincoln in EVERY WAY. It had MORE interior room, GREATER trunk room, BETTER handling , FASTER acceleration, BETTER braking, a more POWERFUL engine, FAR STRONGER build quality with it's full perimeter frame VS Lincoln's unit construction, (which was actually known to BEND (whew !!) ...plus it was the QUIETEST car in the WORLD at that time. The only reason why LINCOLN sold more was because it was backed by Ford's larger advertising dollars...NOT because it was a better car. IMPERIAL was superior to Cadillac , too..and the IMPORTS didn't even come CLOSE.Plus, IMPERIAL was the ONLY one of the three with a 5 year/ 50,000 mile warranty !! LINCOLN put their money into advertising. IMPERIAL put their money where it COUNTS...into the CAR. Truly a no-excuses car...It's early 50's ads told the TRUTH: "The FINEST CAR America has yet produced !!"
@@rockandroll4689 That 430 engine overheated and hard to start when they had a few miles on them,the multidrive transmission in lincoln not NEAR as reliable as Torqueflite!. Imperial a much better car!.
@@packingten they overheated only when their head gaskets were reversed (a pretty common mistake to make on Ford V8s) plus the Chrysler & Lincoln used the same Carter 4 barrel Carburetor that was easy to tune and reliable. The Lincoln's transmission was GM's Hydramatic until 1966 in which they started pairing the new 462 c.i.d engine with Ford's new C6 automatic which is phenomenally stronger than the Torqueflite and on par (if not better) with GM's TH400.
Lincoln windshield wipers were driven by the power steering pump - Imperial wipers were electric - I have seen more than one Lincoln flame due to a burst wiper hose spraying power steering fluid on the exhaust manifold. BTW I owned a 64 Lincoln it was a very nice car but handled poorly compared to my 67 Imperial - I wish I still had both cars.
0:48 THE REAR QUARTER ANGLE VIEW NOD GOES TO LINCOLN OVERALL 1:33 THE REAR END NOD GOES TO IMPERIAL (THE LINCOLN IS 'TOO' SIMPLE & PLAIN) 1:40 THE FRONT END NOD GOES TO IMPERIAL (IT HAS JUST A TOUCH MORE THOUGHT IN DESIGN) 2:03 THE SIDE VIEW NOD GOES TO LINCOLN (ITS JUST CLEANER AND LESS GARISH) 2:55 NOD GOES TO LINCOLN (SUICIDE DOORS ARE JUST DIFFERENT AND VISUALLY MORE APPEALING) 3:41 THE FRONT QUARTER ANGLE VIEW, DESPITE MY NOD TO IMPERIAL, OVERALL LINCOLN HAS IT 3:51 LINCOLN, 4:01 IMPERIAL, 4:58 LINCOLN ANYBODY ELSE HAV OPINION?
The 1964 Imperial grill is the 1961 Lincoln grill at an angle with a center wedge. Designed by same man, Elwood P. Engel. It was called "The floating Continental grill" and was only used on the 64 model.
they both were beautiful, and fine cars. nothing could beat the power of an imperial. CADILLAC, and imperial were neck and neck on that point. all depends on what you like..
1:27 That license plate, over on the left and at a slight angle, would irritate me every time I walked by it. They should have found a way to mount it in the center, with the light in that round protrusion. Also, I find that angular tooth that separates the two sides of the grill ugly. But as he says, taste is subjective. These last unique Imperials were impressive cars, but it must have been hard to keep them competitive with such a low production volume.
What this film fails to address, and few people know, is that the 61 Lincoln was designed as a two-door Thunderbird. As it was, it was stretched to hold rear doors, but the car could only be made so long because of its inherent design as a two door. It was a foot shorter than both Imperial and Cadillac. It was also under powered with a 430 Cubic Inch Engine putting out 320 hp, where Imperial had a 413 CIE putting out 340 hp, and Cadillac the 429 CIE with 340 hp. The 430 320 hp engine Lincoln had was fine for the Thunderbird, but not the heavier Lincoln. Finally in 1966 it was fitted with the 462 CIE with 340 hp. Lincoln also tended to waddle side to side compared to the other two, and like the Cadillac, leaned like a boat in a turn unlike Imperial which had a stiffer suspension.
Couldnt be made longer because of its "inherent design as a two-door"? Oh please. Tell that to Hess & Eisenhardt and Lehman-Peterson. It could be just as long as one would care to make it. Lincoln set the parameters to a certain wheelbase because it was doing something daring and completely unheard of at the time... going smaller instead of bigger and bigger.
First the Imperial does not have a design that everyone loved, yet the Lincoln still looks fresh. Second the Imperial will turn into a pile of rust faster than any other car. Agreat engine and transmission in a car that is laying on the ground because the suspension failed.
For my money, I'd rather have the Imperial. Also, all Imperials during this time period were built in a climate-controlled facility. Nothing new now, but big news back then.
I'd take the IMPERIAL. It had the strongest frame in the industry ! LINCOLN didn't even HAVE a frame !! Frameless Unit instruction means a greater tendency towards torsional bending and rust ! What's the point of being elegant and timeless if the car rusts out ? IMPERIAL'S TorqueFlite was, by far, the best automatic transmission in the industry, foreign OR domestic . IMPERIAL has more power, faster acceleration, rear AC, that Caddy and Lincoln didn't have, better gas economy, more interior room, better brakes, and superior handling. It also has more body style choices , better road isolation, better warranty, and was the WORLD'S QUIETEST CAR !! It's IMPERIAL for the WIN !!
williamg2552 oh I agree! Plus time has proven that rust/rot was a major factor in the shorter life of the Lincoln! There are many examples sitting around in back yards and behind garages, of Lincoln’s rotting away! Still might look good, but underneath it all crusty. Imperial was sold in more limited numbers, so much so to see one today? To me is a treat! Especially growing up with a great dad that owned both in 1964! But if you do see an Imperial today, like I’ve seen recently a couple, sitting forlorn and discarded years ago to the back of the garage of field, but are still solid cars! That need a lot of TKC along with. mechanical repair! But have solid bodies and chassis! I remember my dad taking his into his friends service garage, just after he bought it to see it up on a lift! Even the guys at the garage could not believe how robust the chassis was built! But also how robust the cars Brodie was built, I remember hearing on man who knew a lot about cars saying how it looked like a unibody Car built on a chassis!
williamg2552 -You have great points, but perhaps you're forgeting that all other CryCo. cars were unibody and were way ahead of their time in doing so. Bodys were DIPPED into a vat contianing rust preventing coatings. Other cars were bare metal in some interior metal areas. Imperials were sold in far fewer numbers that Cads & Lincoln so Imperial eventually lost some of it's exclusivity, but still was the better of the 3 luxo-barges. I have a '71 Imperial, but it shares it's main body shell w/the Chrysler right down to the outer skin on some panels.
The Lincoln’s design is timeless. The Imp, not so much. The imp was out of time in its own time, still sporting an awkward-looking 50’s wraparound windshield - jarring compared to the rest of the design. Still, much respect for the Imperial.
Notice how Chrysler corporation seemingly had to always Prove it's products against GM and Ford. Even more so with Imperial against Cadillac and Lincoln. Competition improves the breed no doubt. It a very competitive market and competitors were often pitched at it each other to win over buyers despite the market being somewhat brand loyal focused at that time.
"Completely new for 1964"? The 1964 Imperial was using a chassis dating back to 1957---and didn't come up with a completely new body until 1967 (an adaptation of the Chrysler New Yorker body)
In 1964, I was a precocious 9 year old falling in love with all things related to vehicles of all type, especially born into a family that owned a Trucking Company. Also at that time my wonderful Dad was just 39 years old, also with a love of big cars he inherited from his Dad. I remember going to the local Lincoln dealer with my Dad the day he picked up a beautiful gold/tan 4 dr Lincoln Continental, unfortunately I was also with him in the three different times in two months the car needed to be towed back to the dealer. Well that was allDad was gonna put up with so now I also remember going with him when he traded the Lemolcn as we called it in on guess what? A 1964 Imperial Crown Coupe! That was an amazing car! I remember trying to hear it going 70 mph down the road! Dad had his beloved Imperial till the day Mon informed us she was “expecting” my third sibling! Dad knowing that we all could not fit comfortably in the big Coupe, he went back to his friends Chrysler dealer, to special order a 9 passenger wagon, not just any wagon was gonna replace that magnificent Imperial! So Dad special ordered a 68, Chrysler Town&Country Beach Wagon! Loaded with just about every option! Full power, split bench seats with arm rest in front and back in beautiful maroon leather, in metallic maroon with wood sides, huge chrome roof rack with big chrome handles on both sides of the rear window. Powered by. 440/4 brl Commando engine! Along with the factory tow package with Trac-loc 3:08 gears!
My dad - who always prided himself in buying the best and taught us to do the same - came home with a 1964 Imperial Crown Coupe one day. As all his co-workers were buying Lincoln Continentals he didn't want to be like everyone else and bought the Imperial. It was the BEST car ever made and we, to this day, benchmark that car with others. We drove the Imperial on family vacations throughout the continental US and it rode so smoothly like a warm knife through butter. Miss that car! In 1973 he bought a Cadillac and the Imperial still beat the Cadillac in quiet and comfort..
@@pavelbudilo1028 wow awesome story! We unfortunately never traveled outside of Rhode Island and nearby MA, but when we did we were in style and comfort.
I turn 61 in 2020. My Grandfather bought a new Imperial every 2 years and my father then bought the two year olds
For my Mom. We loved them.
This Lincoln is a timeless iconic beauty. This car looks as good today as the day it was first introduced. Very few cars can say that.
Boring styling
@@ijsmale WRONG!!! are you blind?
@@rockandroll4689 Both cars were originally designed by Elwood Engel, who went from Ford to Chrysler and share some styling touches, like the raised belt-line. As the narrator states, its always a matter of personal choice. The Lincoln styling does nothing for me. I find it heavy and cumbersome looking compared to the Imperial which is lightened up by a little bit of body sculpturing. The interior of the Lincoln, especially the steering column and steering wheel and dashboard looks overly heavy and cumbersome to me as well, compared to Imperial. Also, the lack of a pillarless hardtop on the Lincoln adds to the heavier look.
I agree, the Lincoln is exquisite. Same designer, yes, but Engel's work on Lincoln changed car design for the decade, his work on the Imperial was just another car based on the previous recipe.
I like the suicide doors on Lincoln. Something that set it apart from any other car.
The luxury cars of the 60's are true classics, that made potholes disappear. They just don't ride like that anymore
I agree
Overall I would say the Lincoln had the most iconic look that defined the sixties.
Ted, the Imperial was what Elwood Engel wanted the 61 Lincoln to be. He was never happy with how it turned out having the car stretched and the rear doors slapped on as an afterthought. BTW, he styled both the 61 Lincoln and the 64 Imperial.
I think so also. Lincoln is beautiful
I agree - it was so much better looking too than any of the comptition.
Clearly Engel did a better job with the Imperial. The iconic Eagle centered rear end was the prettiest rear end of any car in history. The three extra inches of wheelbase and the much more usable trunk put the Imperial ahead.
I think Imperial's main problem was brand perception. The Chrysler Corporation never truly established "Imperial" as its own marque. People almost always thought of it as just the most expensive Chrysler...which competed with Oldsmobile/Buick at the high end of the "medium priced" field. Back then, the Cadillac or Lincoln names provided more prestige for the money...and prestige is a big factor when people spend a lot of money on a car. Interesting that they mention the advantage of the pushbutton transmission over the column shift...Chrysler dropped the pushbuttons across all its divisions the following year.
and now the column shift is gone and push buttons are back!
Interesting analysis, Dash :-)
Dash - I agree. The 1964 Imperial was truly the last year it was its own car. Starting in 1965, it began sharing parts with Chrysler cars and by 1967 was nothing more than a dressy Chrysler. It's funny because in these films, they state how unlike Cadillac, that shares parts with Olds and Buick, Imperial doesn't share yet one year later, that would change though Lincoln would share with Mercury and Ford, and Cadillac always shared with Buick and Olds. Chrysler simply failed to separate "Chrysler" from "Imperial" and when you look at it historically, that goes back far before Imperial was made a separate brand in 1955. It simply never caught on as being the prestige brand of the Chrysler Corp, but was merely perceived to be nothing more than an elevated luxury level.
Maybe so, but , of the three, the IMPERIAL had the BEST AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION of the BUNCH !! The mighty *TORQUEFLITE!!!*
Both beautiful cars designed by the same man-Elwood Engle. Mr Engle worked at Ford until 1961 when he retired and moved to Chrysler where he became head designer. The similarities between the two cars are very evident.
Elwood must have been a very smart man. The Harley Earl of his day.
Interesting.
you are absolutely correct !!!
The rear roof line gives it away.
I agree. Look at Plymouth Fury, Plymouth Valiant, Dodge etc 1963-66. Very very Ford like.
I hadn't seen a "film" that required a "Ding" reminder to advance a frame since junior high :D lol
I love the part of this film regarding design. The same man designed both cars, and they are not addressing the issue. One is simply an improvement over the other. The Imperial is a longer, slightly wider, and more rakish Continental, with a B Pillar and rear doors that hang in the traditional fashion. Also, what they did not address, is when the convertible top is retracted, there is no usable trunk space in the Lincoln. Lincoln is also a unibody where Imperial is body on frame.
They blew one of the best looking features of the Imperial, the open air clean look from not having a center pillar. That's one of the main style differences.
60 years later, the '64 Imperial is still one of the best looking American cars ever made.
I personally love both of them equally. They're both very classy.
I agree
The Imperial was built like a tank! Thumbs Up!
jim jam I know! I had one!
Most demolition derbys banned them they just couldn't be stopped,But what a waste of a beautiful car!!.
These two cars are both Elwood Engle masterpieces.
He won the design war, try to have his way with engineering but he lost the engineering war, I was there. He did not speak to a one fo us for over a week. That was the Elwood I remember.
Yes I read that he was specifically hired by Imperial to design a car to compete with his Continental design while at that mfr.
And in the following model year, Imperial also went to a column mounted gear shift lever! Seems folks were not so keen on the push button transmission after all
I want this generation Lincoln, a fedora, and a cigar! 😄😄
1964 sales figures as follows: Cadillac 165,909. Lincoln 36,297. Imperial 23,295. That's what the buyers decided.
Their loss.
A huge piece your all forgetting is that the continental was introduced in 1948, and took on many evolutions, 61-64 looking the best (and they continued making the continental in 65-69 with the suicide doors, those years just arent as well known or appreciated as the 61-64 models) and still lives on almost 70 years later, while the imperial was discontinued in the 70s, why you may ask? Because Chrysler was the red headed step child of the US car industry, when the mustang came out in 64 the camaro wasnt far behind being made in 67, a year prior the first generation charger was debuted, but not as a muscle car, so when Chrysler saw the obvious conflict between ford and Chevrolet, Chrysler wanted to be part of it and they were in 68-71 with the second and third evolution of the charger and first challenger, but thats all muscle, back to luxury cars, the imperial just wasnt up to par in terms of style, so people were buying up the mark series Lincoln and continental models, because they were still superior in terms of style, then in 1970, the continental dropped, and started making 4 conventional opening doors... truth is the continental is a classic thats sought after and is a staple in cars of the 60s, which wasnt the case for imperial
In my humble opinion the Lincoln is one of the most elegant vehicles to come out of the 1960s
Personally, I think that the Continental crosses the fine line between restrained and boring. For this and other reasons, I would have to go for Imperial.
Talk up that push button TorqueFlite, Imperial. It will be back on the steering column next year. 🙂
The 1961 Imperial was the first luxury car in the US market to have an alternator.
All of you; just remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. And remember, we have chocolate ice cream and vanilla ice cream. Personally, I believe that the 1964 Chrysler Imperial is the most beautiful car ever built in this country..
Only IMPERIAL was a separate make/division from Chrysler...and had been since 1955 .
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_(automobile)#First_generation_(1955%E2%80%931956):_A_separate_make
yuck - you're kidding right?
@@rockandroll4689 Nope. I also quite like the Imperial's styling more than the Lincoln's. To me, the Connie's styling is downright boring. Not enough definition. Not enough characterful lines. Not enough chrome.
Jake Kaywell I’m kind of partial to the ‘56-‘57 Continental Mark II myself. Would love to have one of those in my garage.
I would've gone for the Imperial, I was never big on the early/mid 60's Lincoln Continental's although I've loved the 1966 restyle of the suicidal door Lincoln's.
My dad was a Buick Riviera GS loyalist. The 1 thing he told when I 1st got my license was, NEVER RACE A CHRYSLER ACROSS ANY INTERSECTION!!!
The grill of the Lincoln looks like a Ford Falcon.
Perhaps a generic version of the Falcon grille.
That means the Imperial just looks like a Plymouth Barracuda.......
A lot of luxury car buyers of that time saw Imperial as a Cadillac wannabe. What they didn't realize is Imperial was ahead of it's time and a leader in luxury car technology. By 1975 the last year for Imperial the car had 4 wheel disk brakes as standard. The only other car to offer 4 wheel disk breaks in 1975 was the Corvette. Cadillac nor Lincoln offered it.
Would prefer the Lincoln.
I like them both but there's just something about the way the Lincoln looks
I prefer the Imperial both on looks and technical merit.
They neglected to mention Imperial offered rear air conditioning on coupes and sedans. That was not available on Cadillacs or Lincolns, unless it was a limo. Imperial had the more exciting looking back end of the trio, as well. Come on, why be like everyone else at the country club???
Living in the south there was nothing better than getting in a hot car turning the a/c on and have it hit you from the front and back at the same time. I think a few of the SUVs have that today, can't remember the last car that did.
Lincoln absolutely had rear AC
What a find, MyMopar, thank you.
I have a triple black '64 Continental Convertible... 62,000 original miles -- love it!
As an owner of a ‘67 imperial crown coupe I’d say i love those mid sixties to last of the decade models especially the sedan ones ❤️
Imperial is a wonderfull car amazing and very underated
No offense to the Imperial, but the Connie is a total classic.
The Continental is a classic for one reason. The back doors, that were an afterthought directed by Robert McNamara. The original car as designed by Engel was a two-door Thunderbird.
7:55 - Silence. In 1983 I went to see a `65 Imperial that was listed for sale in the "Want Ad Press". The guy took me for a ride in it, and I thought to myself that it was the quietest car I had ever ridden in. It was amazing. (I didn't buy it though.) When I was a kid my parents had a `67, but I have no memory of how quiet it was. But I do have a thing for Imperials and other Chrysler products.
Elwood Engel designed the 61 Lincoln Continental, the generation of which this 64 is a member. After the new design was launched to the public, Engel left FoMoCo for Mopar, and designed their unit body Imperial, I guess the 64 is the debut? The Lincoln is better looking. It just fits the Mad Men era perfectly! Despite its drawbacks.
1964 was the first Imperial that Engel designed from the start. He did a redesign on the Exner designed models in 1962 and 1963
Up until a couple of years ago, I had a black 1964 Imperial Crown convertible, a red 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible, and a white 1964 Cadillac Eldorado convertible. Hands down, the Imperial was the best of the three followed by the Lincoln. I put all three cars up on side by side hoists. What Chrysler did with that frame, and the number of cross bars welded into it, made it indestructible unlike the uni-body Cadillac and Lincoln. You ride in a Cadillac, you glide in a Lincoln, but you float in an Imperial. Oh, and those organizations that have members whose names end in vowels? The Imperial's trunk was far larger and could hold more bodies.
Yes, the Lincoln is a uni-body, but the Cadillac is not; it is a body-on-frame car. The Imperial used the same chassis from 1957 thru 1966. Another tip-off to the Imperial's heritage is the wrap-around windshield, trendy in 1957, but dated by mid-sixties styling trends. Those Imperials really are distinctive and handsome cars though, and were "built like battleships".
Imperial is impressive, but one look at the windshield and cowl show that it is just a major restyle of the previous year's model with the features I cite essentially unchanged from 1957. It's a great job, don't get me wrong, but not all-new.
I've had every Lincoln or Continental model from 1949 Cosmopolitans, through every year of the fifties with 1956-57 Premier's being the best, I still loved the looks of the 58-60 and the stunning 1961 and then '62-69's but all the way from'61 -69 I had many electrical problems, A/C problems, and try to go around a corner fast in the 61-69, it plows straight ahead unless modified. I also had every year Imperial from 1956 through 1975, the Imperials handle incredibly well and were always faster than the Lincolns and Cadillacs (Had every year from 1949- 1976) The Imperials seats were orthopedic ally designed, several times I drove my '64, '65, or'66 1100 to 1300 miles in a day and still felt great at the end of the trip. And I have a bad back. Look at the Chrysler roll over tests for 64-66 Imperials, the high speed test had an Imperial sedan flip side over side five time, and reach an altitude of 12-15 feet while doing it. All doors, hood, trunk still worked, but the main thing is it still looked like an Imperial . I hit a deer that sprang in front of the 56 sedan at 70+mph on a curve with ZERO damage to the car, not even a scratch. In this town, if you live here long enough you will be rear ended, have idiots run stop signs and lights to close to avoid nailing them, and even be hit broadside. My '64-65 and 66 Imperials all have been hit, the '66 rear ended 5 times, nailed two Ford Taurus's running stop signs and had a BMW run into the side of the rear fender with the only damage a 1/2 inch crack in the right side grille and a few scuff marks that buffed off. The leather interiors on Imperials hold up incredibly well also, all of mine are original and look and feel good. I still own a '56 4 door, '64 Crown convertible and Crown Coupe, a '65 Crown 4 door, and a '66 Crown 4 door. I've always loved the styling and just about everything else on those years. By the way, my '65 and'66 have dual A/C units and if you're crazy enough you can get the temp down in the 30's and have ice forming in the interior. I read an interview article on Elwood Engle and always remembered one quote. "Chrysler let me style and create the Imperial the way I wanted to do the '61 Lincoln."
After having owned the Cadillacs, Lincolns, a Bentley, Mercedes and other luxury makes the only other car's I kept along with my Imperials are 1963-64 Buick Electra's, I have two '63, and a '64 all convertibles. The Buicks are better cars than any of the Cadillacs or Lincolns from 1961-1969.
😂 if you drove 1300 miles in a day, that means you drove nearly 24 hours straight 😆
@@BIGLOVE4TRUTH In my youth I did a lot of long distance, high speed driving, most often well over 100 mph, my best time solo cross country was in the 32-33 hour mark in my '63 Electra (pumped engine, everything heavy duty and high speed tires), in those days I had no problem staying awake and alert. Recently a Cannonballer set the cross country at 25-26 hours, with open roads and few stops, it's not that difficult. In all the years I drove that fast, no accidents, 1 breakdown, few tickets. In recent years driving at uber speeds and police was not a good idea, but with the virus people are going crazy.
@@BIGLOVE4TRUTH BTW Had 1 1962 Continental convert I put HD suspension on, loved that cars road holding, but sold because of electrical and constant a/c problems.
Imperial easy. All around better styling with better engines, build quality, and way more options.
I like them both but For me I’d take the Lincoln
i am emailing this to a couple of folks. wish they cared.
I think I'll head down to my Lincoln Mercury dealership & buy the linc.
Lincoln all the way. The Imperial is a fine car, but it lacks character. The Lincoln is an iconic car. It's design shook the luxury segment when it was revealed in 1961, and they didn't need to change the design for years. That's how timeless and modern it was. Also, the Lincoln was the presidential car in the early 60's, a fact that is cemented in the collective memory because of the JFK assasination.
+DolleHengst That is not necessarily something good to remember Lincoln for.
The Continental is a classic for one reason and one reason only. The back doors, that were an afterthought as directed by Robert McNamara. The original car as designed by Engel more resembled the two-door Thunderbird.
Yeah... But the Continental has suicide doors. Nothing beats that.
Until some idiot pulls up real close beside you and you have to jump into the front seat to get out through the normal opening doors.
How about a 440 cu. V8 built in a specially designed climate-controlled facility as standard?
I always liked the looks of this series of Engel-designed Imperials. But, there was no disguising its old 1957 basic body, with that very high windshield and hood. Park them side-by-side and one can see how old the Imperial underpinnings are. And why didn't Engel put in rear fender liners? From just about any photo angle you can see the rear leaf springs because they cheapened out and didn't line the rear fenders. Cheapie. Car and Driver tested all the luxury cars incl. R-R and M-B in 1965 and thought the Imperial's furnishings looked and felt cheap. I can remember Mr. Drysdale driving one of these on 'The Beverly Hillbillies'!
Most people, including myself, thought that the torsion-air ride was too firm for a luxury car. The front torsion bars were okay but, the rear leaf springs were not. The only luxury car I ever rode in with rear leaf springs which were soft enough was the 1976 Cadillac Seville. That's because Cadillac added Teflon between each leaf. Chrysler also used switches on their dashboards which were too loose and failed to offer a solid feel when used. In 1964, Cadillac offered a much better all around handling vs ride comfort alternative. Lincoln was way too soft for any kind of enthusiastic driving and Imperial was too firm for any kind of laid back highway travel. Cadillac hit the nail on the head.
the video said the Ford had leaf springs too - the Imperial could handle much better, the Ford was hopeless
Don't you love marketing? At 4:00 the film is complaining that Lincoln is primitive for having a shifter on the steering wheel, not in pushbutton format. Yet in the 1965 dealer promo they are saying the '65 Imperial models are BETTER because they have the shift lever on the steering wheel. Hilarious! I can imagine a bunch of drunk salesmen (no women, of course) laughing through these films.
and now the column shift is gone and push buttons are back!
Ah, for the good old days :-)
I saw that too. Push button was eliminated in 65 because that was the first year that the Imperial started sharing parts with Chrysler division cars and it was too expensive to run two different transmissions. As 1965 would be the last year for the 413 V8, Chrysler used that year to mate the new transmission before connecting it to the new 440 V8 in 1966. In this manner, they were not risking a new transmission and a new engine simultaneously, particularly on Imperial which by 1966, was in the final stages of morphing into a Chrysler. What you have to understand, is that Virgil Exner hired Elwood Engel away from Ford to replace him as Chief Stylist at Chrysler. Engel had been passed over by Eugene Bordinat as FoMoCo's Chief Stylist. Engel, who had designed both the interior and exterior of the 61 Lincoln (the last stylist to design the entire car) was never happy with the Lincoln and had requested an extra year to resolve numerous issues associated with "stretching" what had been designed as a two door Thunderbird into the four door Lincoln. Robert McNamara, then president of Ford, denied his request. (Another dumb decision by the man who would go on as Secretary of Defense to JFK and LBJ, to bring us the Vietnam War. As such, Engel had one major condition with Chrysler, which had been planning to share parts between Imperial and Chrysler cars starting in 1964, and that was he wanted to design the 64 Imperial to reflect what he had wanted the 61 Lincoln to be. Engel wanted to show Ford how they screwed up by not allowing him to restyle the car to McNamara's new specs. Once that was done, and the 64 Imperial made its statement with huge success, in 1965 Chrysler began morphing the Imperial into a luxury level Chrysler.
"Lincoln is notoriously shorter for a car of this class." LOL. "And notice the rear door faces into the wind!" The design of Imperials couldn't hold a candle to Lincolns made from 1961 to 1969. Sorry. Chrysler quality was definitely not as good as Lincoln Continental.
I'd actually argue that the Imperial's build quality was better in the 1960s. Imperials during this time period had a frame that was so thick with so many crossmembers added to it that the car was actually banned from use in most demolitions derbies. Also, all Imperials during this time period were built in a climate-controlled facility. Nothing new now, but big news back then.
Le Baron 4-door hardtop? We-e-ll, doggies, that's a fine auto-mo-bile!(Sorry, though, Milburn, I'd, rather, have the Lincoln.)
Most people only ever saw an Imperial as Mr. Drysdale's car on "The Beverly Hillbillies". They weren't common. Too bad, because they were one of the best built cars on the planet at that time.
In direct comparison, Imperial looks just like a jealous newcomer to the Lincoln today.
Nah.The 1964 Imperial was exactly what Elwood Engel wanted when he designed the '61 Lincoln. That's why he went to work for Chrysler in the first place, because he was that dissatisfied with how the Continental turned out. In his mind, it was TOO restrained.
Those Lincolns have a cult like following.He'll ill bet half of them have been restored & still show up at auctions & low rider meet ups.
Wow that $75 difference would really make me think when spending over $5000.00. !! LOL
IMPERIAL is quieter, faster accelerating, and better handling than Lincoln. It also had better fuel economy, greater interior room, and more available body styles...and had more unique features that Lincoln didn't have . It also had the finest automatic transmission in the industry...the mighty TORQUEFLITE, better build quality, and the 5 year/50,000 mile powertrain warranty that Lincoln COULDN'T MATCH !!
AND the Imperial IS BUTT UGLY!
@@rockandroll4689 In your opinion. I'd take it over a Lincoln by a New York minute.
Definitely one of the most beautiful classically designed and elegant cars of all time. So sad that Chrysler didn't keep their push button transmission -
Boy Chrysler really did some sales training
In 2021 which ones worth more than 64 continental or 64 imperial the continental is worth more than imperial today it’s a classic
I'll still take the Lincoln. In 1961 Lincoln was clearly superior, but then Elwood Engle moved from Ford to Chrysler, which finally modernized the dated, Imperial design. Sad to state, the 64-66 Imperials were the last chance for the Imperial name to survive, but sales gradually fell and the big, stand alone Imperial died after 1973 while Lincoln lived on.
Thats it!!-- I've heard enough!!!-- you sold me!!-- I'll buy the 1964 IMPERIAL!!!
Can't compete with those rear suicide doors, the Lincoln is the much better lookin car.....
I like the looks of the Imperial better. More characterful lines.
Funny thing is.... Lincoln introduced the slab body design in 1961. All the other car companies, including Cadillac and Chrysler, copied the design. (Clearly seen in the Imperial body style, even down to the front bumper placement)
Actually, Cadillac never copied the '61 Lincoln slab sided look. In '65 & '66 they went with a beveled slab look that incorporated the headlights and taillights, then returned to a pseudo-finned look in '67. In '66 Lincoln went with a similar beveled slab look which they used for many years.
bcimb1 front bumper placement? Yea it’s in the front! The only style feature that you could say is the same on both cars, is the trim pieces that run along the top of the front fenders through to the rear quarter! Of which Lincoln used for many years. Other than that no other styling features are similar!
As if they were designed the same guy!
Both cars were designed by Elwood Engle.
America’s most carefully built car was the Imperial.
These days the gas station attendant will have nothing to do with filling your car 'just there to take the money.
Score board shows Lincoln outsold imperial. Cadillac outsold both
Guys I think I'm sold on the imperial!
But the Lincoln has the suicide doors. :)
I can't picture suicide doors on Imperials.
I hate the automatic door locks that lock you in as soon as the car starts to move, but with suicide doors, they, or some secondary locking system, would almost be a necessity. Imagine the panic of one of those flying open on the highway.
@@pcno2832 As a kid, we had a '61 Continental ... and we never had any trouble with the doors opening unexpectedly. I loved that car as a kid. (PS: My dad's a mechanic and we got it used with a blown engine; otherwise we'd NEVER have had such a car)
just another word for mother inlaw doors
Notice the sweet and respectful music...God bless our JFK 💗
9:30...Notice the 4 line disclaimer at the end that is readily noticeable and legible, easy to understand, and reasonable. It does not even appear to contradict the claims of this dealer promo.
Sorry. No comparison here. The Continental and its elegance cannot be surpassed. Even if Engle did design both cars, the Continental is the most elegant luxury car of its time.
The Conti was conceived as a four door Thunderbird.
I'd say that the 1961 Continental was unsurpassed elegance, but the expanded 64-65 variant was not a dramatically present car. Some of the Imperials exceeded the second iteration.
George Widener my dad owned both new. He gave up on the Lincoln cause it was a lemon, he trad d it for an Imperial Crown Coupe! The Imperial was a much better driving car he always said.
To me - Simply BORING styling on the Continental.
@@WAQWBrentwood That's like comparing a Chevy to a Fleetwood Cadillac.NO,Lincoln had its own division from Ford Motor Company and had their own engineers.
Lincoln hands down!
The curved windshield and wing vent style, rear bumper gas fill, and push button shifting actually dated the Imperial, none of which survived into the future. Elwood Engle designed the Lincoln (starting with the incomparable 1961) and then he came to Chrysler to design this 64 Imperial, which was a vast improvement over the 63 Imperial. Engle was brought in to help save Imperial as it was slipping away as a marquee. It helped some but not for long. In the 60's styling changes were rapid and the basic look of a car only lasted 2-3 years. Cadillac was changing every two years. Thunderbird every 3 years. This Imperial was in a 3 year cycle, then later changed to 2. The Lincoln was a 5 year cycle, later reduced to 4 years. Lincoln's styling tended to be a bit more advanced, so it lasted longer, though by the last year of the run, it was getting a bit long in the tooth--for the 65 and 69 models. Bottom line, the Lincoln was a better car, even though the 64-66 Imperials were improvements.
Seems though you're saying the Lincoln (a fine car) was only better in styling...to you. Seeing a '64 Imperial in person is quite a sight, but Lincolns do look fine and maybe photograph better. All a matter of taste of course, but it's hard to deny ChryCos. long history of engineering advances, and many would say superiority. Plus many subsequent FoMoCos. had vent windows and a rear filler neck. Great topic.
The 61 Lincoln was honored by the Industrial design Institute. a body style that lasted through 1965, which was almost unheard of in the 60's (in the US). In fact the body style retained many aspects until as late as 1969, the 61 Licoln was that advanced. The 64 Imperial design lasted 3 years, still a good run for the 60"s as Cadillac changed every two years. However, as with all styling, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I do feel the 64 was a vast improvement over the garish 63 Imperial, in part due to Elwood Engle, who was involved in both the clean 61+ Lincolns and much improved 64-66 Imperials. My favorite Imperial is the 1966 model, though it doesn't top the Lincoln of the same year, but close.
Yes, I've read about it getting honored, and for good reason. Ahead of it's time. Loved the '61 grill and the short whl. base was interesting. I had a '66 for a short time. Amazing supple red leather interior with beautiful fit and finish to the whole int. I do tend to gravitate towards the more flowing lines of the '66-'69s. '66 is a good choice for the Imperial because of the mighty 440 Wedge, but the 413 is equally lovable...as was Fords 460 & C-6!
@@dougfinlay7528 The 1961 Lincoln may be the one that was honored by the IDI as well as the general public, but this Imperial is what the designer actually wanted. In a biography I read, he actually considered the resulting Continental as being TOO restrained. I tend to agree, but I'm not going to say that the Lincoln is crap. It's just a different taste, that's all.
The 61 Lincoln was certainly restrained compared to the big fin cars that carried over from the late 50's. However, the Lincoln was forward thinking . . . a car that offered clean elegance. It was also the first US car that offered a longer warranty that later became standard.
It's amusing that both cars were designed by the same person.i had no idea they made changes to the 1964 Lincoln. The Imperial did have a majesty to the design the Lincoln lacked.
Mi auto preferido el Lincoln 1964 yo tuve uno 1962 gran auto de luxe saldos desde Caracas gracias//
Lincoln 🖤
No comparison. The Connie is timeless and beautiful, the Imperial is a gaudy forgotten boat.
Both of them are boats mate. For my money, I'd rather have the Imperial.
The IMPERIAL is just as it's advertising said: IMCOMPARABLE. This comparison proves it. It was superior to Lincoln in EVERY WAY. It had MORE interior room, GREATER trunk room, BETTER handling , FASTER acceleration, BETTER braking, a more POWERFUL engine, FAR STRONGER build quality with it's full perimeter frame VS Lincoln's unit construction, (which was actually known to BEND (whew !!) ...plus it was the QUIETEST car in the WORLD at that time. The only reason why LINCOLN sold more was because it was backed by Ford's larger advertising dollars...NOT because it was a better car. IMPERIAL was superior to Cadillac , too..and the IMPORTS didn't even come CLOSE.Plus, IMPERIAL was the ONLY one of the three with a 5 year/ 50,000 mile warranty !! LINCOLN put their money into advertising. IMPERIAL put their money where it COUNTS...into the CAR. Truly a no-excuses car...It's early 50's ads told the TRUTH: "The FINEST CAR America has yet produced !!"
Give me a imperial please!!!!!!
you can have mine all day long - the Lincoln looks SO much better and classy IMO. the imperial is quite unattractive...
@@rockandroll4689 That 430 engine overheated and hard to start when they had a few miles on them,the multidrive transmission in lincoln not NEAR as reliable as Torqueflite!. Imperial a much better car!.
@@packingten they overheated only when their head gaskets were reversed (a pretty common mistake to make on Ford V8s) plus the Chrysler & Lincoln used the same Carter 4 barrel Carburetor that was easy to tune and reliable. The Lincoln's transmission was GM's Hydramatic until 1966 in which they started pairing the new 462 c.i.d engine with Ford's new C6 automatic which is phenomenally stronger than the Torqueflite and on par (if not better) with GM's TH400.
Both lovely cars. I would buy the Lincoln.
So let's look at the sales figures for this year....Lincoln rocks!
Strong sales figures makes not a quality car. Any auto executive can tell you this.
Lincoln windshield wipers were driven by the power steering pump - Imperial wipers were electric - I have seen more than one Lincoln flame due to a burst wiper hose spraying power steering fluid on the exhaust manifold. BTW I owned a 64 Lincoln it was a very nice car but handled poorly compared to my 67 Imperial - I wish I still had both cars.
Oh come on, you haven't seen even one do that. Spreading absolute lies.
@@sooverit5529 sorry to disappoint you but yes I have - how many mid sixty Lincolns have you owned?
0:48 THE REAR QUARTER ANGLE VIEW NOD GOES TO LINCOLN OVERALL
1:33 THE REAR END NOD GOES TO IMPERIAL (THE LINCOLN IS 'TOO' SIMPLE & PLAIN)
1:40 THE FRONT END NOD GOES TO IMPERIAL (IT HAS JUST A TOUCH MORE THOUGHT IN DESIGN)
2:03 THE SIDE VIEW NOD GOES TO LINCOLN (ITS JUST CLEANER AND LESS GARISH)
2:55 NOD GOES TO LINCOLN (SUICIDE DOORS ARE JUST DIFFERENT AND VISUALLY MORE APPEALING)
3:41 THE FRONT QUARTER ANGLE VIEW, DESPITE MY NOD TO IMPERIAL, OVERALL LINCOLN HAS IT
3:51 LINCOLN, 4:01 IMPERIAL, 4:58 LINCOLN
ANYBODY ELSE HAV OPINION?
The 1964 Imperial grill is the 1961 Lincoln grill at an angle with a center wedge. Designed by same man, Elwood P. Engel. It was called "The floating Continental grill" and was only used on the 64 model.
Mopar fan or not i think everyone knows which cat is the best and that Lincoln is an absolute beautiful antique
they both were beautiful, and fine cars. nothing could beat the power of an imperial. CADILLAC, and imperial were neck and neck on that point.
all depends on what you like..
1:27 That license plate, over on the left and at a slight angle, would irritate me every time I walked by it. They should have found a way to mount it in the center, with the light in that round protrusion. Also, I find that angular tooth that separates the two sides of the grill ugly. But as he says, taste is subjective. These last unique Imperials were impressive cars, but it must have been hard to keep them competitive with such a low production volume.
What this film fails to address, and few people know, is that the 61 Lincoln was designed as a two-door Thunderbird. As it was, it was stretched to hold rear doors, but the car could only be made so long because of its inherent design as a two door. It was a foot shorter than both Imperial and Cadillac. It was also under powered with a 430 Cubic Inch Engine putting out 320 hp, where Imperial had a 413 CIE putting out 340 hp, and Cadillac the 429 CIE with 340 hp. The 430 320 hp engine Lincoln had was fine for the Thunderbird, but not the heavier Lincoln. Finally in 1966 it was fitted with the 462 CIE with 340 hp. Lincoln also tended to waddle side to side compared to the other two, and like the Cadillac, leaned like a boat in a turn unlike Imperial which had a stiffer suspension.
Couldnt be made longer because of its "inherent design as a two-door"? Oh please. Tell that to Hess & Eisenhardt and Lehman-Peterson. It could be just as long as one would care to make it. Lincoln set the parameters to a certain wheelbase because it was doing something daring and completely unheard of at the time... going smaller instead of bigger and bigger.
The Lincoln is a prettier, more impressive vehicle in my opinion..
First the Imperial does not have a design that everyone loved, yet the Lincoln still looks fresh. Second the Imperial will turn into a pile of rust faster than any other car. Agreat engine and transmission in a car that is laying on the ground because the suspension failed.
For my money, I'd rather have the Imperial. Also, all Imperials during this time period were built in a climate-controlled facility. Nothing new now, but big news back then.
Wow, $76 dollars less!
Go for the Lincoln, at least they are still around.
Imperial was a better car by almost every metric though. Also, $76 dollars in 1964 would be more than $600 today.
I'd take the IMPERIAL. It had the strongest frame in the industry ! LINCOLN didn't even HAVE a frame !! Frameless Unit instruction means a greater tendency towards torsional bending and rust ! What's the point of being elegant and timeless if the car rusts out ? IMPERIAL'S TorqueFlite was, by far, the best automatic transmission in the industry, foreign OR domestic .
IMPERIAL has more power, faster acceleration, rear AC, that Caddy and Lincoln didn't have, better gas economy, more interior room, better brakes, and superior handling. It also has more body style choices , better road isolation, better warranty, and was the WORLD'S QUIETEST CAR !! It's IMPERIAL for the WIN !!
williamg2552 oh I agree! Plus time has proven that rust/rot was a major factor in the shorter life of the Lincoln! There are many examples sitting around in back yards and behind garages, of Lincoln’s rotting away! Still might look good, but underneath it all crusty. Imperial was sold in more limited numbers, so much so to see one today? To me is a treat! Especially growing up with a great dad that owned both in 1964! But if you do see an Imperial today, like I’ve seen recently a couple, sitting forlorn and discarded years ago to the back of the garage of field, but are still solid cars! That need a lot of TKC along with. mechanical repair! But have solid bodies and chassis! I remember my dad taking his into his friends service garage, just after he bought it to see it up on a lift! Even the guys at the garage could not believe how robust the chassis was built! But also how robust the cars Brodie was built, I remember hearing on man who knew a lot about cars saying how it looked like a unibody Car built on a chassis!
williamg2552 -You have great points, but perhaps you're forgeting that all other CryCo. cars were unibody and were way ahead of their time in doing so. Bodys were DIPPED into a vat contianing rust preventing coatings. Other cars were bare metal in some interior metal areas. Imperials were sold in far fewer numbers that Cads & Lincoln so Imperial eventually lost some of it's exclusivity, but still was the better of the 3 luxo-barges. I have a '71 Imperial, but it shares it's main body shell w/the Chrysler right down to the outer skin on some panels.
5:48 The Esquire Theater in Grosse Point Park, Michigan.
The Lincoln’s design is timeless. The Imp, not so much. The imp was out of time in its own time, still sporting an awkward-looking 50’s wraparound windshield - jarring compared to the rest of the design. Still, much respect for the Imperial.
Imperial=YEA!! lincoln=BOO.
love these cars...
Yes...the Lincoln looks better...the person talking
want us to believe simply because the imperial look is new...that fact alone makes it better...
Notice how Chrysler corporation seemingly had to always Prove it's products against GM and Ford. Even more so with Imperial against Cadillac and Lincoln.
Competition improves the breed no doubt. It a very competitive market and competitors were often pitched at it each other to win over buyers despite the market being somewhat brand loyal focused at that time.
Which is worth more today... only experts please. Restored condition... equal in all respects... at auction.
The opulent T-bird of that era.
The Lincoln is still my choice
You forgot about the Caddy!
And they were designed by the same man
"Completely new for 1964"? The 1964 Imperial was using a chassis dating back to 1957---and didn't come up with a completely new body until 1967 (an adaptation of the Chrysler New Yorker body)
I’m sold, once again.
I want to colonize some place.
Drive my 1964 Imperial into the capital.
If no rocks or eggs hit the car, I am optimistic.