1974-75 Imperials;the Disco years

[RandalPark@xxxxxxx]

I remember at the time, I was trying to deal on a used '64 Imperial at a big 
local Chrysler dealer in Seattle, called S.L. Savidge. I had been looking at 
the car for days and it was mint with very low miles. The price tag was a 
"steep" $1,500. Sadly, that was too much, so I had to pass on it. 

During our negotiations, the salesman took a call from a woman who had ordered 
a new Imperial. It was mid-September 1975, and it had just been announced that 
there would be NO 1976 Imperial. She was mad, and the man had to do some very 
fast talking to explain to her that she was going to get a NYB instead of the 
Imperial, and that it was the SAME car. I remember him trying to convince her 
that he did not know about this before he took her money on deposit for the new 
car.

When I left, she was on her way back to the dealer ship. He was probably going 
to lose the sale, but as a result, I knew a lot more about how the NYB was 
going to replace the Imperial before many of my pals. 

Given the number of cars sold, the contemporary oil embargo, and the "Lean 
Burn" engines, I have always thought of those cars as being from the "Lean 
Years". I can understand that there could be some negative connotations to the 
word "lean" but it actually fits quite well.

Paul

 In a message dated 9/2/2004 8:26:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Dirk Bekker 
<dirkbekker@xxxxxxxxx> writes:

>Hello,
> 
>So much is being said and done about the sixties Imperials. But as the 21st 
>century continues, the seventies Imperials are getting older..and rarer.
> 
>So what about the 74-75 years?? In my opinion they are the ''disco years of 
>the Imperials" (and the later NYB of course)
> 
>The Imperial marque began to see a climbing trend of the use of fake wood, 
>padded door panels and velour cushions in American luxury cars...In 1974 the 
>Imperial LeBaron was the ONLY top class American luxury car to offer the loose 
>cushion look standard!
> 
>I also see the 1974 Imperial as a result of a more aware becoming public 
>towards the energycrisis. I think the 1974 Imperial is one of the first cars 
>to use easier/lower cost production methods that need not have to be ugly.
> 
>The clip on front for instance is quite inexpensive to make and cuts costs, 
>but it looks way better than the cheap looking plastic Cadillac grille!
> 
>Maybe it's time to see these special features and appreciate these true 
>seventies products more...
> 
>As the disco music, the 1974 Imperial (and later New Yorkers) were ment to 
>hopefully save the Imperial marque, and this was done in a marketing / styling 
>mix..just the way they made salable disco songs that would attract many 
>buyers, but the Imperial didn't have that Cadillac or Lincoln image, so people 
>somehow didn't trust or believed in the marque.
> 
>But I cannot understand why people did not choose a 1974 Imperial LeBaron over 
>a Cadillac Fleetwood or Lincoln Continental (they are so boring)
> 
>any comment?
> 
>Thanks, Dirk
> 
>
>
>Ken & Tracie <ktjosephson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>From: "Rob McCall" :
>
>> As fodder for the Haze Green Era controversy, couldn't the '67-68's be
>> referenced as the first generation unibody Imperial?
>
>Over the years, I heard nicknames such as "slab siders" and "box cars"
>applied to the '67-'68s. Don't know if either of those labels would be
>appropriate for an Imperial.... :-)
>
>K.
>
>
>
>
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