PERFORMANCE-CAR NEWS 12.14.2005
Chrysler to bring back imperial nameplate for concept at detroit

Chrysler will revive its storied Imperial luxury brand for a concept car to be shown at this January's North American International Auto Show in Detroit. According to Edmund's Inside Line, the Imperial concept will be based on a stretched Chrysler 300C, and could form the basis for a luxury brand to slot above Chrysler in the corporation's lineup.

Although photos or renderings of the Imperial concept are so far unavailable, it's safe to expect the car to evoke the flavor of fondly-remembered 1950s Imperials such as the 1955 Crown Imperial shown above.

Hemi power is a given -- probably the 425-hp 6.1-liter version found in the current Chrysler 300C SRT8.

Chrysler isn't saying how serious it is about putting the Imperial into production, much less whether it would become a stand-alone division or simply a model within the Chrysler line. Either has precedent, the Imperial name having been used both ways since the brand was launched in the 1920s.

If Chrysler does go ahead with a production Imperial, it could be in showrooms as early as the 2008 model year.