Interim Imperial ?

[3C's & a D?]

I spotted this today a the junkyard, what first caught my eye was the vinyl door trim. Upon closer inspection it is a 1979 Chrysler LeBaron, I can't say I've ever heard of or seen one before. The fender tag had been removed. It was the distinctive "Imperial Eagle" that has me confused.

 

[Dobalovr]

Edmonchuk has all the cool cars in the scrap yard. Cowtown seems to never have any.

 

[LeBaron1973]

I spotted this today a the junkyard, what first caught my eye was the vinyl door trim. Upon closer inspection it is a 1979 Chrysler LeBaron, I can't say I've ever heard of or seen one before. The fender tag had been removed. It was the distinctive "Imperial Eagle" that has me confused.View attachment 207622 View attachment 207623 View attachment 207624 View attachment 207625

Would make a good garden decoration and be very cheap to run. Lol.

Graham can tell you about them as he probably sold them new.

When a youngster I mean.

 

[detmatt]

The Lebaron name continued to get misused for years after it should have...

 

[JC68vert300]

There were no Imperials in '79. Chrysler threw the LeBaron name under the bus and used it as their lowest priced entry level model. The LeBaron name did well, especially as a convertible model until 1995 .LeBaron was actually an independent coach builder of luxury bodies. Manufacturers would make the chassis and drive train, and wealthy customers would order a custom body from the coach builder. LeBaron made the beautiful Imperial bodies for Chrysler. Chrysler bought LeBaon in 1953. Even on c-body Imperials, the LeBaron name was only a trim level, not a coach built body.

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

There were no Imperials in '79. Chrysler threw the LeBaron name under the bus and used it as their lowest priced entry level model. The LeBaron name did well, especially as a convertible model until 1995 .LeBaron was actually an independent coach builder of luxury bodies. Manufacturers would make the chassis and drive train, and wealthy customers would order a custom body from the coach builder. LeBaron made the beautiful Imperial bodies for Chrysler. Chrysler bought LeBaon in 1953. Even on c-body Imperials, the LeBaron name was only a trim level, not a coach built body.

Much like at GM with Fisher. Remember when GM cars used to have a tag on the door sill plates that read "Body by Fisher"? Fisher was a coachbuilder which was purchased by GM in the 1920s. Fisher/GM purchased another coachbuilder named Fleetwood, which is where the Cadillac Fleetwood got it's name.

More recently, in 1970 Ford purchased the Italian coachbuilder Ghia. Afterwards, "Ghia" became a trim level on Ford cars. Ford kept Ghia around as a division to manufacture concept cars for them. I'm not sure if it still exists or not though. (UPDATE: I found a press release that Ford shuttered the Ghia studio in 2001 or 2002.)

 

[Carmine]

Actually if the LeBaron (debuting in late 1977) had appeared as I imagine it was probably pitched in the first planning meeting; it might have be a very profitable venture.

It was most definitely a reaction to Cadillac's Seville, itself a reaction to smaller European luxury sedans.

It should have had a unique roofline, even if just coming up with the 5th Ave "cap" 5 years earlier. It needed higher standard content, (power options and door panels), no manual /6 versions. There should have been no Dodge version, or the Dodge version should have looked substantially different.

If executed in this manner, it would have been a smart use of the LeBaron name.

 

[Big_John]

Actually if the LeBaron (debuting in late 1977) had appeared as I imagine it was probably pitched in the first planning meeting; it might have be a very profitable venture.

It was most definitely a reaction to Cadillac's Seville, itself a reaction to smaller European luxury sedans.

It should have had a unique roofline, even if just coming up with the 5th Ave "cap" 5 years earlier. It needed higher standard content, (power options and door panels), no manual /6 versions. There should have been no Dodge version, or the Dodge version should have looked substantially different.

If executed in this manner, it would have been a smart use of the LeBaron name.

It should have been more distinctive as you say... I still like the looks of the two door 77-78 version though... The small quarter window of the 79 didn't do it for me. I've thought a couple times about finding one.

 

[Carmine]

It should have been more distinctive as you say... I still like the looks of the two door 77-78 version though... The small quarter window of the 79 didn't do it for me. I've thought a couple times about finding one.

View attachment 207673

Agree. In fact, I just spoke to someone about those cars who claims to know the stylist who did the rear... he says the front end was to be more "sporting" on the coupes. What he described was something that sound more like the '77 Turbine car or the '81 Imperial.

But at the last minute, influential dealers objected, saying it wasn't "Chrysler" enough, so the front was reworked. I'd also bet that same group demanded a price-leader version they could advertise below some $$$$, which cheapened the whole thing.

Dealers ruin a lot of stuff.

 

[Dobalovr]

Dealers ruin a lot of stuff.

Dealers also come up with some pretty nice in house designs that the factory never considered. a la Mr. Norm's or Earnhardts. We often take the boring run of the mill products and try and Jazz them up to create more appeal. That said Dealers do ***** and moan that the factory never builds the right cars the right way..

 

[Carmine]

Dealers also come up with some pretty nice in house designs that the factory never considered. a la Mr. Norm's or Earnhardts. We often take the boring run of the mill products and try and Jazz them up to create more appeal. That said Dealers do ***** and moan that the factory never builds the right cars the right way..

I should have said, "dealers often tend to be even more focused on the next quarter then the companies themselves". They know what's trending NOW, but cars require at least a 2 year lead time, so you need to where the market is going.

 

[commando1]

We often take the boring run of the mill products and try and Jazz them up to create more appeal.

You're talking about the Limited Edition Presidential Premium Gold series with the Landau Roof, Special Pinstriping, and Gold anodized exclusive badging for an additional $3,750.00 ?

 

[300rag]

You're talking about the Florida Limited Edition God's Waiting Room Premium Gold series with the Landau Roof, Special Pinstriping, and Gold anodized exclusive badging for an additional $3,750.00 ?

View attachment 207678

 

[commando1]

No, no, no, no, no.

You're confusing that with my car.

 

[300rag]

No, no, no, no, no.

You're confusing that with my car.

View attachment 207694

I don't have a program, so I can't keep up..

 

[commando1]

Seriously, it freaks me out that people still buy that crap. Seen the "Landau" treatment on new cars so many times down here. And I've talked with the owners. They actually believe it makes their car super special and will be a Classic sone day.

 

[jct]

take your pick

 

[3C's & a D?]

Edmonchuk has all the cool cars in the scrap yard. Cowtown seems to never have any.

I'm not sure this car qualifies as "cool", definitely interesting though. Sadly, about half of the oldies that show up are basically petri dishes showcasing different mould varieties often with pine needle inclusions. I'm willing to bet they were saplings that grew up beside the car, because, who would park a car under a tree, let alone a pine tree? Then again who in their right mind lets cars get to such a state. It was a fairly hot day and I could smell some of these junkers from twenty feet away and I swear I must have taken in some spores because I could smell the same sickly sweet mould scent three hours after leaving. What I really don't get about this model is the use of the "Eagle" symbol, which I had always assumed was reserved for Imperials only? Which clearly this is not. Perhaps the marketing guys just said "why not"?

 

[3C's & a D?]

It should have been more distinctive as you say... I still like the looks of the two door 77-78 version though... The small quarter window of the 79 didn't do it for me. I've thought a couple times about finding one.

View attachment 207673

Sorry I didn't post or take a photo of the front end which is completely different from the two door models along with pretty much everything else. I'm very familiar with the coupes, never seen one of these four doors. Thanks for posting that.

 

[3C's & a D?]

You're talking about the Limited Edition Presidential Premium Gold series with the Landau Roof, Special Pinstriping, and Gold anodized exclusive badging for an additional $3,750.00 ?

View attachment 207678

3750 dollars well spent.

Seriously, it freaks me out that people still buy that crap. Seen the "Landau" treatment on new cars so many times down here. And I've talked with the owners. They actually believe it makes their car super special and will be a Classic sone day.

Do you think they came up with this rationale on their own? Or had some jagoff Landau installer sell them on it? And it's not just a Florida thing, the old guys here in Edmonton do it too, there's a 2000ish Deville on the street by my garage that hasn't moved in six months with a terrible Landau treatment. However the lowered front end and spray painted front end leads me to believe it's not owned by an older fellow, anymore.