Imperial Turns 100: Chrysler's Flagship Marque Celebrates Its Centennial in Chattanooga

The Tennessee Valley Region Chrysler Club marked a rare milestone this fall, hosting the 2026 National Imperial Centennial Celebration in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Owners of the luxury marque travelled from across the country to toast 100 years of Imperial, a nameplate that once stood at the very top of Chrysler’s hierarchy. The gathering brought together examples spanning nearly every era of production, from the finned showboats of the late 1950s to the final rear-wheel-drive models built under Lee Iacocca’s watch.

Among the highlights was a 1955 Imperial limousine that towered over the 1980s cars parked alongside it, a reminder of just how large these flagship sedans could be. A 1960 Imperial Crown convertible represented the closing years of the dramatic fin era, while a 1963 example showed off the floating headlights and a one-piece front clip that merged the fenders with the leading edge of the hood. The 1960s cars carried the Imperial crest and received subtle annual styling tweaks that owners take pleasure in identifying. Moving into the following decade, the fuselage-bodied Imperials were present in both early-1970s and later guises, including a powder blue sedan that had passed through many hands over the years.

A notable cluster of four running 1981 to 1983 Imperials represented the last rear-wheel-drive generation. These cars were marketed as technological showcases, drawing on engineering talent associated with NASA, but the early electronic fuel injection proved troublesome and many were converted to carburettors by dealers as a workaround. One owner drove his carb-converted 1983 example roughly 1,300 miles each way from Albuquerque, New Mexico, reporting that its two-barrel 318 cubic-inch V8 returned better than 20 mpg without an overdrive gear. Another drove an unconverted 1981 model from Wisconsin, a trip that required only a coil replacement and some attention to wiring along the way. Two of the cars present were Frank Sinatra special editions in Glacier blue, their centre consoles originally supplied with cassettes of the singer’s recordings.

The event also drew a stray guest: a 1970 Plymouth sedan with crank windows that stood out among the luxury cars, restored and sounding far healthier than its modest specification might suggest. The occasion was organised and hosted by Robert and Laquita Soule, and for at least one attendee it marked a first-ever appearance at a car show after decades of circuit events. With Imperial production long since concluded, the centennial served as a reminder of a marque that chased Cadillac and Lincoln with bold engineering and unmistakable styling.