Rare 1955 Imperial C-70 Crown Limousine from India
A rare black 1955 Imperial C-70 Crown Limousine arriving at and leaving the 2025 San Marino Motor Classic at Lacy Park, where it won Second in Class (American Luxury Closed 1947-1975) and the Chairman's Award. After having used the Imperial name for its flagship luxury models, Chrysler registered and introduced Imperial as a separate marque for the 1955 model year. The new models featured styling by Virgil Exner with a split "egg-crate" grille and "gunsight" taillights. This car, chassis no. C551108, is one of 172 C-70 Crown Limousines built, 45 of which were equipped as 8-passenger sedans without a divider window. After two decades of storage in California, the car now resides in India, where it underwent a complete restoration according to its factory specification with custom-made American interior upholstery. It was displayed at the 2025 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where it won Second in Class (Virgil Exner Early).
From the lens of an exotic car spotter here in America, most '50s cars from major American manufacturers aren't particularly special, simply because, despite being incredibly classy and cool, they are generally very common sights. But every once in a while, I run across one that truly stands out. First of all, any car that wins an award at Pebble - or really any car that even gets invited to be showcased there at all - is worthy of recognition. And if that's not convincing enough, just take one look at this thing. From its elaborate front end styling to its massive length, I might have thought it was some kind of aftermarket stretch limo conversion had I not known about it ahead of time.
Turning a model into a standalone brand can be a risky business decision, and Chrysler wanted to make sure people knew not only that Imperial was now its own brand, but also that it was a pretty darn special one. From the looks of this car, that plan definitely worked. And this particular car is extra special in that it somehow found its way across the globe to India and had returned to the States to grace some concours lawns and claim some awards while still proudly wearing its Indian plates. There's nothing like letting car culture bring together people from around the world!
Do you think Chrysler made the right move in turning Imperial into a standalone luxury brand? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!