Indeed, Imperial production for 1958 - a bit more than 16,000 units - was close to the average of what the brand would tally from 1955-74, when it was discontinued. The Imperial came across as understated in comparison ( Old Car Brochures). However, its awkward styling served to make it look bigger and heavier than it actually was. The 1958 Lincoln sported an all-new design with unitized construction. Output reached almost 38,000 units, which was far above what the Imperial would ever again achieve. In the 1958 Imperial’s defense, one could argue that its sales dropped so spectacularly because the brand’s all-new design in 1957 was such a hit. The 1958 Coupe de Ville shown above was taller, shorter and narrower than an Imperial or Lincoln ( Old Car Brochures). The 1957-58 Cadillacs had the least excessive styling of Big Three luxury cars, but they were also the most old fashioned. So even though General Motors’ luxury brand fielded the least modern design of the Big Three automakers, its market share jumped eight points to almost 73 percent. In contrast, Cadillac’s output only fell 17 percent in this recessionary year. Production dropped a whopping 57 percent from the previous year - more than twice the decline of the luxury car field. Perhaps the 1958 Imperial is ignored partly because it sold so poorly. And while the main difference between the 19 models was a new front grille and bumper, this would prove to be the most aesthetically pleasing Imperial produced during Virgil Exner’s reign as head stylist. Never again would Chrysler’s luxury car offer so many field-leading product innovations. The 1958 Imperial has received little attention by automotive historians even though it arguably represented the brand at its peak.
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