1931 CHRYSLER Imperial 8 6.3

Vehicle Overview

With no time to spare, Walter Chrysler stormed the market with a luxurious model in 1931 when it introduced the Imperial lineup, and the result was overwhelming.

While it was one of the youngest companies on the market, Chrysler believed that the customers would soon found its offer, and he was right. But first, he had to prepare a worthy vehicle, and that was the Imperial. To add more drama, the carmaker introduced it as a roadster as well.

Chrysler had a feeling that the car will turn heads on the street with its size and proud, pined-out silver grille. Its big headlights and dual, electric horns available as an option were among the features that made the long roadster stood out from the crowd. Its long front wheel-arches were extended to the back and emerged into the side steps that eased the car’s ingress and egress. The greenhouse started with a vertical windshield. On its sides, the Imperial featured front-hinged front doors and rear-hinged rear ones, so the driver could jump out and easily open the doors for the car’s owner, who usually sat in the back.

Walter Chrysler tried to provide a unique experience for its customers and let them choose the colors. He thought that he couldn’t go wrong with leather, wood, and brass as for the materials used. The result was a highly luxurious cabin, fit for the big and important businessmen.

Under the hood, Chrysler installed its new, inline-eight engine that provided 125 hp. It offered a 25% increase in power when compared to its 1926 predecessor. The engine was paired to a four-speed manual transmission that sent the power to the rear wheel via a driveshaft.