This is the second 81-83 Imperial I have owned and my favorite car ever built. I had my first one back in 1988 when I was 18 years old, it was Nightwatch Blue. The car had been seriously neglected and wrecked, being too young to have the money needed to get it back in shape, I had to sell it. I always wanted another one someday. I just bought this Imperial in March 2005. I found it in Kansas City and drove it back to Seattle.
For those who don't know much about these cars, they were quite unique in many ways. They were mostly hand-built, all body panels made of thicker gauge steel, two complete paint processes, and you had to have 25 years assembly experience with Chrysler to qualify to build the car. There were 16 different quality control teams that would qualify the cars at various stages, as a result each car came with a leather bound owner's manual with 16 different signatures certifying the car. Each Imperial was driven on a 5.5 test track to make sure the cars performed properly.
They were completely equipped with no extra cost items except a power moon-roof.
They also had a 2 year warranty that included oil changes and tire rotations, no other of the day had all the Imperial had to offer.
This car gets a lot of attention where ever we go, many people don't know what it is, or never seen one before. People of all ages and types notice and compliment the car, from young guys in tricked out Acuras, to more mature Porsche owners' or older Town Car drivers, they all notice and are curious.
