Re: IML: 58 prices and options.

[RandalPark@xxxxxxx]

Crown Southamptons were leather and cloth, or all leather. Crown Sedans were either a combination of Wool Broadcloth and the Crown Upholstery, or all Wool Broadcloth. In LeBarons, the Southampton was either leather and Wool Broadcloth or all leather. Sedans were all Wool Broadcloth. This was true from 1957 through 1960. From this it would appear that Wool Broadcloth and Leather were equally regarded as to the degree of opulance since, as pointed out here, the Sedan and the Southampton were the same price.


Paul W.

In an email dated 13/8/2005 12:46:30 pm GMT Daylight time, "Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx> writes:

>Thanks, Bill. ?What a treasure trove of information. ?The idea of non power 
>leather seats seems like a novelty but I dare say someone asked for that out 
>of 17,000 plus sold. ?I almost don't dare ask for more . . . but . . . if I 
>may, how much was rear air conditioning as an option?
>
>It is interesting to note the price of the four door hardtop and the sedan 
>are the same. ?I remain keen to know what interior extras a person acquired 
>when he plonked down the additional $337.00 for the LeBaron soubriquet.
>
>If I am correct, leather was determining factor in the Crown package, plus 
>one or two other upgrades as per your message. ?Oh, and the two tone paint. 
>All my 58 base model "lacks" are the instant heater and the automatic door 
>locks.
>
>Hugh
>
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Bill Watson" <wwatson5@xxxxxxxxx>
>To: "Imperial Owners Club" <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 3:54 AM
>Subject: Re: IML: what is a "stripper" and what is a LeBaron?
>
>
>>
>> The term "stripper" bascically means a car devoid of all options. ? If you
>> looked at the window sticker it would have the base price, transportation,
>> preparation and taxes. ?Nothing more. ? Its data tag would have the basic
>> information on engine, transmission, tires, paint, interior, etc. but 
>> would
>> have a big blank space where the option codes would be.
>>
>> Thus you could have a "stripper" Crown and a "stripper" LeBaron. ? The
>> "stripper" 1958 Imperial base series would have power steering, power
>> brakes, and Torqueflite, but no radio, heater, exterior mirrors,. 
>> whitewall
>> tires, power seats, or power windows. ? The "stripper" Crown and LeBaron
>> would also have power steering, power brakes, and Torqueflite, plus power
>> seats, power windows and driver's exterior mirror.
>>
>> And the term "stripper" is also relative. ?The "stripper" base series of
>> Imperial was a luxury barge compared to a base Plymouth Savoy "stripper"
>> model. ? (Actually, even the top-of-the-line Belvedere "stripper" sedan 
>> was
>> bare bones compared to the lowest priced Imperial). ? Back in the 1930's 
>> and
>> 1940's the lowest-priced models usually had one sun visor, one windshield
>> wiper and one taillight - all on driver's side, along with no arm rests, 
>> no
>> cigar lighter and virtually no chrome trim. ? A true 'stripped' vehicle if
>> there ever was one.
>>
>> By the way, I believe the name "Custom" was adopted for 1959 so the
>> lowest-priced Imperial series had a name. ?Such was the fad back then,
>> everything had to have a name, be it Hydra-Guide power steering, power
>> brakes, Torqueflite transmission, Sure-Grip differential, Auto-Pilot speed
>> control, Southampton hardtop, etc. It was just easier to identify the base
>> series..
>>
>> The base prices for the 1958 Imperials -
>> base series -
>> 4-door sedan : $ 4,945
>> 2-door Southampton hardtop : $ 4,839
>> 4-door Southampton hardtop : $ 4,945
>>
>> Crown series -
>> 4-door sedan : $ 5,632
>> 2-door Southampton hardtop : $ 5,388
>> 4-door Southampton hardtop : $ 5,632
>> 2-door convertible : $ 5,759
>>
>> LeBaron series -
>> 4-door sedan : $ 5,969
>> 4-door Southampton hardtop : $ 5,969
>>
>> Options included :
>> Custom Conditionaire Heater : $ 140
>> Air Conditioning with Heater : $ 590
>> Instant (Gas) Heater : $ 177
>> Rear window defogger : $ 21
>> Six-way Power Seat (optional base series) : $ 118
>> Power windows (optional base series) : $ 125
>> Power door locks (2-door) : $ 40
>> Power door locks (4-door) : $ 66
>> Auto-Pilot : $ 89
>> Solex glass : $ 50
>> Whitewall tires : $ 55
>> Outside rear mirror (optional base series) : $ 7
>>
>> As for exterior differences between (base), Crown and LeBaron :
>>
>> Side trim along front fender :
>> - all - from headlamp to point just above rear of front wheel
>>
>> Front fender above headlamps :
>> - (base) - no crown
>> - Crown and LeBaron - small crown just above trim strip
>>
>> Front fender, above lower trim strip :
>> - (base) - "Imperial" nameplate
>> - Crown - "Imperial" nameplate with small crown above it
>> - LeBaron - "LeBaron" medallion
>>
>> Rear deck lid :
>> - (base) - "Imperial" nameplate
>> - Crown & LeBaron - "Imperial" nameplate with small crown above it
>>
>> Each series had their own wheel cover design
>>
>> Cannot locate my 1958 Imperial brochure for interior details, but the 
>> Crown
>> and LeBaron had an ash tray in each rear arm rest while the base series 
>> had
>> a single ashtray on the back of the front seat. ?And the base series 
>> ashtray
>> was the same as used on the Chrysler New Yorker and DeSoto Fireflite.
>>
>> Up front each arm rest had an ashtray plus one in the instrument panel.
>> And in addition to the cigar lighter in the instrument panel, there was 
>> one
>> cigar lighter in the rear on the base series and two in the rear for Crown
>> and Lebaron models.
>>
>> Bill
>> Vancouver, BC
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>
>> To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>> Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2005 7:38 AM
>> Subject: IML: what is a "stripper" and what is a LeBaron?
>>
>>
>>> Bill, I had a feeling you would come up with those amazing statistics.
>>> Thanks. ?Do you, by any chance, have the price break on the various trim
>>> levels, minus added accessories?
>>>
>>> If I may, with respect, quibble, there seems to be a contradiction in 
>>> your
>>> definition of the non Crown or LeBaron as being a ?"Stripper" car. ?You
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> > "For an Imperial, the basic, no-option, Custom was a stripper model.
>> Yes,
>>> > you could load it up with all the options available on a LeBaron, but
>> the
>>> > base Custom car, with no options, had less equipment than either a 
>>> > Crown
>>> > or
>>> > a LeBaron."
>>>
>>> The logic seems to imply you could indeed get a stripper base model but
>> you
>>> could also get a stripper Crown and even a stripper LeBaron. ?If the base
>>> model could be loaded up with all the options, and so could the other 
>>> trim
>>> levels, does the car's position on the trim ladder denote that the car
>> must
>>> be, a priori, a stripper? ?We have heard of LeBarons, in later years, 
>>> with
>>> wind up windows, for example. ?In 1958, because all "extras" were
>> available
>>> at every trim level, it is not correct to say the non-named Imperial was 
>>> a
>>> stripper by definition. ?Possibly, the introduction of the name, "Custom"
>> in
>>> later years was an attempt to stratify positions but, in this era, it was
>>> important not to do so. ?You might buy the non named Imperial to avoid 
>>> tow
>>> tone paint or leather, but you could still get everything else.
>>>
>>> This gets me back to a point I have never had clearly defined to my own
>>> satisfaction, and it happens to be the question that sparked off this
>>> particular thread: "What was the difference, in 1958, between a Crown and
>> a
>>> LeBaron? ?Crowns had a crown embossed into its leather seats. ?What did
>> the
>>> LeBaron have? ?The LeBaron had a different trim on the sides that read
>>> LeBaron instead of Imperial but what else was different? ?Did they also
>> have
>>> little crowns above the headlights? ?I know they had their own wheel
>> covers.
>>> Were there any other interior appointments that were exclusive to the
>>> LeBaron? ?What were people paying for, over and above the Crown, apart
>> from
>>> snob value?
>>>
>>> Hugh
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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