Coachbult.com - Virgil M Exner



Virgil M. Exner 1909-1973

Virgil M. Exner:
Design Visionary

Virgil Exner, Chrysler Corporation's first vice-president of styling, once characterized automobile design as "art made practical." Automobile enthusiast and consummate artist, "Exner," recalls a former associate, "had an intuitive sense of body form. He was truly the father of reproportioning the car and the shape of the automobile. He was a visionary."

Born in 1909 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Exner received his art training at Indiana's Notre Dame University. After an impressive beginning in the Pontiac studio at General Motors, Exner joined the Raymond Loewy industrial design firm in 1938. There, for over a decade, he shaped the design of Studebakers, especially the electrifying 1947 Starlight coupe.

In 1949, Exner joined Chrysler as head of advanced styling, where he was soon responsible for a spate of creative "idea cars"--the K-310, the Chrysler d'Elegance, De Soto Adventurer, Dodge Firearrow, and many others, all handcrafted by Ghia coachbuilders in Italy.

Exner was destined to have a major impact on the engineering dominated company. When he arrived at Chrysler the development of new models was supervised by body engineers, not designers. Exner fought for and won control of the clay models by designers, as well as design approval of the die models used to create production tooling.

His first production cars for Chrysler--the 1955 "Forward Look" line--boasted the elegant "microphone taillight" Imperial and the first of the gutsy Chrysler 300s. Two years later, in 1957, Exner shocked the entire industry with a line of low, innovative, wedge-shaped automobiles, dramatized by soaring tailfins designed in part for improved aerodynamics.

"We wanted," he said, "to give our cars an eager, poised-for-action look which we feel is the natural and functional shape of automobiles." Among their many innovations was the first use (on the '57 Imperial) of curved side glass in a production automobile. For his efforts Exner and his staff were awarded the Gold Medal of the Industrial Designers' Institute, one of his six national design awards.

In 1960, Exner again altered the proportions of the car with the Valiant, whose sculptured lines revived the long hood-short-deck apparance of European and classic era automobiles.

After leaving Chrysler in the early 1960s, Mr. Exner headed his own industrial design firm in Birmingham, Michigan, where he worked on a variety of automotive and nonautomotive projects until his death in 1973. Among these was the design for a proposed revival of the classic Duesenberg motorcar in 1966, as well as designs for pleasure boats, another of his loves.

In addition to some of the cars you see here today, Virgil Exner's design legacy can be further appreciated through an impressive portfolio of his drawings and paintings, recently donated by his son Virgil Exner, Jr. to the Edsel Ford Design History Center at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.

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Virgil Exner joined Raymond Loewy's industrial design firm, Raymond Loewy Associates, in 1938, and as with Robert Bourke and others associated with the 1953 Starliner design, and Tom Kellogg and others who worked with Loewy on the Avanti, Exner had a great deal to do with the the design of the early postwar Studebakers, especially the 1947 Starlight coupe. In 1939, Exner was assigned by Loewy to head the Studebaker account in South Bend, with the major role in design of the postwar Studebaker. In 1944, he was fired by Loewy and hired directly by Studebaker, but Loewy's firm continued as the prime contractor in Studebaker design and styling. In 1949, Exner joined Chrysler as head of advanced styling, where he was responsible for many of the beautiful and groundbreaking styling innovations pioneered by Chryler Corp. on the '50s.

In "Raymond Loewy: Pioneer of Industrial Design", Mercedes styling chief Bruno Sacco wrote: "Raymond Loewy generally worked with a large staff of colleagues, though few would question the dominance of his personality and his design philosophy. He recognized, as have so many others, that automotive design is team endeavor." Sacco notes that the 1947 - '49 Studebakers "were the product of a less than happy collaboration between Virgil Exner and Loewy."

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Virgil M. Exner: Design Visionary

In 1960, Exner again altered the proportions of the car with the Valiant, whose sculptured lines revived the long hood-short-deck apparance of European and classic era automobiles.

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Virgil Exner - EX

By: Dave Schultz (aka BK) – January 18, 2002

To the most of us MoparStyle kind of guys, Virgil Exner is most famous for his “Forward Look” years at Chrysler. I like to refer to him as the “Father of Fins”. However, his auto design career started long before his years at Chrysler – and continued after he left Chrysler.

My research finds that the Ex was born September 24, 1909 in Ann Arbor Michigan, and adopted almost immediately by George and Iva Exner. At an early age, Virgil started to show an interest in athletics and art. When looking at photos of him at any age, you will see that he had a good athletic built – and was very dapper. Exner also showed an interest in cars at a young age, and collected car catalogs. As a teenager, Exner insisted on his friends calling him Ex – as he felt the name Virgil to be too feminine. He attended Notre Dame University for art training but had to drop out in 1928 for financial reasons. He stayed in Southbend, IN (home of Notre Dame and Studebaker) and took a job drawing advertisements for Studebaker. A friend suggested he contact Harley Earl at General Motors, and show him his work. When Harley Earl saw Exner’s work, he hired him to work in the Pontiac design studio.

In 1938, the Raymond Lowery industrial design firm hired Exner away from Pontiac. Ex would work on Studebakers for the next eleven years. Most feel that he was most responsible for designing the 1947 Starlight coupe, despite Raymond Lowery grabbing all of the credit for the design. The 1947 Studebakers were the first Post-WWII American cars introduced to the public. Studebaker’s slogan in 1947 was “First by far with a post-war car”. He was also instrumental in the design of the famous “bullet-Nosed” Studebakers – but did not receive proper credit for that either. I have read much on Raymond Lowery. He and his firm is credited with the late forties and early fifties Studebakers, the 1963 Studebaker Avante, the design of the current Coke Bottle, streamlined trains, streamlined toasters, and the modern look of many items we take for granted today. However, the more I read about Raymond Lowery, the more I find that his talent was hiring the best designers, managing the projects they worked – but taking all credit for their work. Since his company employed the designers, he felt that there was no reason to give credit to others. Many famous designers who worked for Raymond Lowery left for this reason. It is said that Ex and Lowery despised each other.

In 1949, Exner joined Chrysler as head of the Advance Styling Group, where he helped to create “idea cars” like the DeSoto Adventurer, Dodge Firearrow, K-310, Chrysler d’Elegance, Plymouth XNR, and a few others. After World War II, the Chrysler Corporation cars were the stodgiest looking of all American cars. Chrysler’s president, Keller, insisted that a car’s roofline should be high enough for a man to wear his hat while driving. While the other car companies were making their cars lower and sleeker – Chrysler cars were tall and boxy, costing Chrysler market-share. Directors at Chrysler soon realized that something had to change, and Exner became Chrysler’s first vice-president of styling.

Immediately, Exner designed the production models to be lower, sleek, and tiny fins started to sprout. He referred to this as the 'Forward Look". Ex’s designs combined with Chrysler’s technology (Hemi engines, first alternator, first power steering, shifter on the dashboard – and then later pushbuttons, etc) increased Chrysler Corporation’s market share. Years ago, I read a Studebaker book were it told of how envious Raymond Lowery was with Exner’s success. Legend has it that Lowery made a 1/12 scale clay mock up of a car with gigantic fins. He then sent this mockery to Exner with an insulting note about the design of his cars.

Despite the successes Ex brought Chrysler, Virgil Exner would ultimately become a scapegoat for others at Chrysler’s errors. It started with the cars of 1957, when Chrysler’s rush to manufacturing caused quality issues. The biggest was these cars were rusting fast. Chrysler was due for a major design change for 1962, and the 1961 cars were to be a transition car – taking the cars from fins to the new style due in 1962. Unfortunately, Virgil Exner had a heart attack in 1956 (when the 1961 cars were being designed) – and the 1961 car did not have enough of his direction. Ex returned to work in 1957 and immediately went to work on the 1962 cars.

In the summer of 1959, a Chrysler executive received a tip that Ford and GM were going to downsize their cars dramatically, and executives viewed “Spy Photos” of the downsized cars. There was panic because they were convinced that customers would buy the smaller cars – and not Chrysler’s cars. The designs for the 1962 Chryslers car had already been set – but the directors immediately gave Exner the directive to shorten the wheelbase by three inches and to make it eight inches narrower. Virgil Exner told the directors that doing that to his designs would make the car look like Hell – but it fell of deaf ears.

When the 1962 models of Ford and GM roll out, Chrysler found out that they had been a victim of a hoax by Chevrolet. The car buying public agreed with Exner that just lopping inches off the car would make it ugly – and would not buy them. Chrysler needed a scapegoat, so they fired Ex.

After Chrysler, Ex and his son, Virgil Exner, Jr., designed jet-powered pleasure boats for Buehler Corporation. In 1963, they started working on the idea of bringing back a Neo-Classic Duesenberg. In 1966, they were to have come out with a Duesenberg looking car sitting on a Chrysler drive train, and had actually taken orders for the car -- but at the last minute, a major financer backed out. They were able to, with the help of John DeLorean; produce a Stutz looking neoclassic that rode on a Pontiac drive train.

Virgil Exner died on December 22, 1973. He was just 64 years old.

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The first great era of Chrysler concept car creation and design came when Virgil Exner was hired away from his post at Studebaker in 1949 to develop a series of "idea cars" for Chrysler. The president of Chrysler, K.T. Keller, hired Exner to bring the company to the next level. Not long after his hiring, Exner introduced the 1950 Chrysler K-310 "idea car." Exner used "idea cars" to help influence new production vehicles. In that vein, the K-310 was designed to showcase Chrysler's upcoming revolutionary 1951 Hemi V8. In creating the K-310, Exner developed his "pure automobile" design philosophy in which functional elements of the car were featured instead of being disguised - elements like the wheels, the radiator grille, spare tire storage, taillights, etc. Prior to the K-310, those features had been hidden. Exner went in a different direction because, as he said, "The wheel is one of mankind's greatest inventions. Why attempt to hide it?" After the success of the K-310, Exner continued to climb the ladder at Chrysler. In 1953 he was named Director of Styling. Then in 1957, he became Chrysler's first Vice President of Styling. In that time, Exner insisted on having complete control of the clay modeling room and final approval of die models. Keller granted him the control and Exner made history. Exner continued to refine his designs through the 50s and in doing so, created some of the most inventive work ever produced by an automotive company.

Some of his highlights include:

The 1955 Flight Sweep I/Flight Sweep II - These two cars - a convertible and a hardtop - were used to explore the idea of prominent tailfins, a styling theme the company pursued in its 1957 lineup. The Flight Sweeps were members of the commercially successful lineup of Forward Look cars.
1955 Chrysler Falcon - This has been described as Exner's Viper. It was a two-seat long hood-short deck sport convertible noted for its "pure automobile" shapes like its prominent radiator grille and exposed side exhaust pipes. The Falcon's egg crate grille was later adapted for the 1957-59 Chrysler 300s, while its side-mounted exhausts were adopted by the Dodge Viper.
1957 Imperial - This was the first American car to have curved side glass - a feature now present in every car on the road today. The designers said the side glass cheated the wind while saving space. No wonder everyone copied it.
1960 XNR - Exner used this compact two-seat roadster to explore an asymmetrical, driver-oriented design theme with sculptural fender blades.
1961 TurboFlite - The radical two-door coupe with a retractable flight cockpit-style roof canopy featured a prominent winged spoiler high over the rear deck. This design and aerodynamic feature would later be used successfully by the 1969-70 Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Road Runner Superbird in NASCAR competition.

Unfortunately, 1961 was the last year Exner worked for Chrysler. When it was all said and done Exner said his greatest pride wasn't in the designs he created. Rather, it was in the creation of the styling organization at Chrysler.

His departure cleared the way for a new era in Chrysler design - an era led by Elwood Engel and the Turbine Car designs.

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Great stages of its life:

> September 24, 1909 Birth of Virgil max Exner Senior with ANN ARBOR in Michigan (the USA). It is adopted by a couple of BUCHANAN in Michigan also: Max and Iva Exner. He is a factory worker, it raises Virgil, his/her single child, in the strict discipline of the MORMONS.

> 1926 - 1928 Studies at the University Our-Lady in South Bend in Indiana (the USA)

> 1928 - 1934 It works as draughtsman for an advertising agency of creation: "Advertising Artist Inc." There, Virgil Exner will realize, amongst other things, of superb booklets style "Art Déco" for Studebaker which was customer of the agency.

> In 1931 It marries Mildred Marie Eshleman, the young woman who had recruited it in "Advertising Artists Inc."

> In April 1933, birth of Virgil EXNER Junior.

> 1934 - 1938 Designer with the General Motors Corporation where it is in charge of the design of the PONTIAC.

> 1938 - 1949 Designer of Studebaker Corporation.

> 1940 birth of Brian Exner (It will disparaitra one year later)

> 1943 birth of his/her Bronwen daughter

> 1947 the sister of Mildred dies while putting at the world June Marie. Virgil and his wife adopt the enfant.+

> 1949 -1953 it enters to the service of the Chrysler Corporation in the capacity as head of the engineering and design department Carosserie.

> 1953 - 1961 it is named Director of Styling, in this quality it is responsible for all that relates to the appearance of the cars built by the group.

> 1961 - 1973 It leaves Chrysler and creates its own engineering and design department where it works narrowly with his son Virgil EXNER Junior.

> December 22, 1973 Virgil max Exner disparait at the 64 years age.

> on September 11, 1993 is twenty years after its disappearance, its talent will be finally glorifié; it will receive on a purely posthumous basis the "Edsel B. Ford Design History Award "on behalf of the Ford Museum. Ford for which it however did not work... His/her son, on the other hand, was a long time designer for the mark.

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One of six cars built for Chrysler in 1953 by Carrozzeria Ghia and based on Virgil Exner's design for the Thomas Special and 1952 Caroler Special. This superbly restored example is part of the Jerry J. Moore collection in Houston.

Text and Photos by Dennis Adler - Car Collector magazine October, 1997

The United States has a longstanding tradition of helping its vanquished enemies rebuild their trampled landscapes and broken economies. It is part of being a responsible nation. In 1947, General George Marshall, who was appointed US Secretary of State, established the European Recovery Program, or as it is more commonly known, the Marshall Plan. The following year the US Congress allocated $17 billion to help rebuild war-torn industries throughout Europe, and tens of millions poured into Italy, which had perhaps been ravaged second only to Germany by virtue of being the ground upon which Allied and German forces chose to stage some of their most heated battles. Italy had not only been on the wrong side in the conflict, geographically it was in the wrong place. Bombed by air, crushed by tanks, and trampled upon by millions of soldiers, it is remarkable that the Italian automotive industry was able to rebuild itself so quickly after the war. But Italy was always a country driven by its love for automobiles.

In the late '40s, Chrysler Corporation was invited over to Italy by Fiat to assist them in training their technicians in the latest American machining and assembly techniques. This same process also helped Alfa Romeo turn into a volume automaker in the early postwar years with aid from the Marshall Plan. In a very short time, Chrysler learned a great deal about the Italian automaking industry and the small but thriving carrozziere, which were among the last custom coachbuilding firms left in the world. A handful had also survived in England and France, but in America, custom coachbuilding was an art that had all but vanished by the late '40s.

Although Chrysler initially approached Pinin Farina to build prototype bodies in 1950, by 1951 an agreement had been signed with Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin to build a series of cars based upon designs by Chrysler chief stylist Virgil Exner. In the early '50s, the Chrysler Ghias were about as close as any American automaker came to recreating the coachbuilt classics of the late 1930s.

Among the rarest models produced during the 15-year alliance forged between Chrysler and Ghia, were the Exner-designed Ghia Specials manufactured from 1951 through 1954. The majority were built on the standard 125.5 inch wheelbase chassis used on all Chrysler models (except the Imperial) in 1953. Powered by Chrysler's 331cid/180hp hemi V8, Ghia models were equipped with either the new PowerFlite two-speed automatic, or the older Fluid Torque transmission, depending upon when they were built.

The example pictured, from the Houston collection of Jerry J. Moore, was delivered in 1953. According to Chrysler archives, this is one of approximately six cars based on Exner's '52 Chrysler Special and '53 Thomas Special (the latter commissioned by C.B. Thomas, then president of the export division of Chrysler Corporation).

After building six cars for Chrysler, it is estimated that Ghia produced another 12 for themselves. At one point in time there were as many as 18 similar cars. Don Williams of the Blackhawk Collection says that because of the uniqueness of the Chrysler Specials, they have a very high survival rate.

The transatlantic relationship formed between Chrysler and Ghia brought forth an entire series of limited production models, beginning with the Chrysler-Ghia GS-1 coupes in 1954, which were sold exclusively in Europe by Societe France Motors. Ghia also built the limited production 1954 Dodge Firebomb cabriolets the Chrysler-powered Dual Ghias, marketed by Dual Motors Corporation of Detroit from 1956 to 1958, and the Chrysler Crown Imperial Ghia limousines, manufactured from 1957 to 1965. However, were it not for the efforts of two men, Mario Boano and Luigi "Gigi" Segre, there would never have been a Chrysler Ghia, or for that matter, a Carrozzeria Ghia.

Originally founded in 1915 by Giacinto Ghia, as Carrozzeria Ghia & Gariglio, the firm designed and built automobile bodies for many of Italy's most respected marques: Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Italia, and Fiat. The Carrozzeria also gained a reputation in the 1920s and '30s for building innovative, lightweight aluminum alloy sports car bodies. Ghia's design for the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 in particular, received rave reviews from the European motoring press in 1927.

The design and construction of automobile bodies for both touring and competition had been Ghia's foundation for nearly 25 years when World War II brought an abrupt end to Italy's prosperous luxury car market and impassioned love for motorsports.

Although there were no automotive chassis on which to work, there was regular income for the Turin factory throughout the early years of the war manufacturing carts for the Italian Army and a line of very stylish bicycles. There seemed little for Giacinto Ghia to do but wait for the war to end. For Ghia, the end came late in 1943 when the entire factory was destroyed during an Allied bombing raid. The loss of his buildings and all of the tooling and designs that had evolved over more than a quarter century was too much for Ghia to shoulder, and on February 21, 1944, he died of heart failure while supervising the reconstruction of the Turin factory.

Determined that the family name would continue, Santina Ghia offered what was left of her husband's company to two of his closest associates, Giorgio Alberti and Felice Mario Boano, a successor chosen by Giacinto before his death.

An accomplished coachbuilder in his own right, Boano had apprenticed at the Stabilimenti Farina and then with Pinin Farina, before establishing his own scoccheria, an industrial carpenter's yard supplying coachbuilders, including Ghia, with the full-scale wooden bucks over which metal body panels are hand formed. It was in fact the very same business in which Giacinto Ghia had made his start. Whether it was their similar backgrounds or just that Ghia took an immediate liking to Boano, he had made it clear to all involved that he wanted Boano to head the carrozzeria when he retired.

Together, Boano and Alberti rebuilt the company from the ruins of the Turino workshops, and by the late '40s had contracts for the design and manufacture of coachwork for Delahaye, Delage and Talbot Lago, along with orders for traditional bodies from two of Ghia's oldest clients, Alfa Romeo and Lancia.

Although they were never unfriendly towards each other, Boano and Alberti did not get along, and often disagreed on how the company should be operated. The pragmatic Boano brought an end to their disputes by buying out Alberti in 1947, thus giving himself absolute control of the carrozzeria. Running the entire company was something of an eye-opener for Boano, who soon discovered that his place was in the design studio and not the front office. In 1948 he hired Luigi "Gigi" Segre, who had been the commercial director of SIATA, one of Italy's most respected tuners, to take over management of Ghia. Segre was one of those rare individuals endowed with both business acumen and a talent for design and engineering. He was both a blessing and a curse to Mario Boano, who sent Segre to America in 1949 to meet with Virgil Exner and Chrysler CEO K.T. Keller. The three quickly formed a friendship that would bond the American automaker and Carrozzeria Ghia S.p.A. together for more than a decade, but left Boano almost an outsider.

In Exner, Segre had found a visionary with aspirations that could, and eventually would, make the alliance between the

two companies one of the most significant of the postwar era, and help build Ghia's worldwide reputation. This had been one of the key issues Segre had argued about with Boano, who wanted Ghia to concentrate more on the Torinese automotive industry. Exner and his advanced styling group at Chrysler, which included Cliff Voss, Maury Baldwin, and consultant Paul Farago, who ran a specialty sports car shop on the out skirts of Detroit, were the guiding force behind the Chrysler Ghia designs. Farago, who was of Italian descent and spoke the language fluently, often acted as Exner's interpreter in meetings with Segre and Boano. Exner who was well seasoned, not only in design but in the politics of design, managed to keep himself on good terms with both Segre and Boano, despite their strong differences of opinion on the Chrysler-Ghia relationship. In 1953, things finally came to a head and Boano sold Ghia to Segre.

For Exner, Boano's departure was all too familiar. Back in 1938 Exner had joined the renowned Raymond Loewy design firm, and was in fact one of the principal architects behind Loewy's "image" as one of the world's great designers.

Loewy was loathe to give even the slightest bit of recognition to any of his associates - as far as he was concerned the designs were by Loewy Studio, and that was that. Exner finally grew weary of this practice, and in 1944 he quit and went to work for Studebaker, where he designed the South Bend, Indiana, automaker's landmark 1947 models. After doing the 1948 and 1949 facelifts for Studebaker, Exner was personally recruited by K.T. Keller, to be chief of Chrysler's advance styling studio.

Despite building a quality product, Chrysler was burdened with a stodgy, old man's car image. Having seen what Exner accomplished at Studebaker, Keller knew that he could do the same for Chrysler. Exner's first step was to commission a series of advanced concept cars, and by taking advantage of the low cost of construction in postwar Italy, along with Ghia's fine craftsman- ship, he was able to produce some of the most beautiful and influential concept cars ever to flow from a designer's pen: the D'Elegance, the DeSoto Adventurer II, the Dodge Firearrow, Chrysler Falcon, and the Chrysler-Ghia series, all of which helped put Chrysler at the forefront of American automotive styling by 1957.

A few months before the new '57s were introduced, GM stylist Chuck Jordan, who was just starting out under Bill Mitchell, went along with several other designers to peek over the wall at Chrysler's proving grounds, in hopes of catching a glimpse of a '57 model. They were blown away by what they saw. It was a Chrysler 300C, Ghia-inspired grille, dual headlights, tailfins and all. "Exner had a profound effect on everyone in Detroit," says Tom Gale, Chrysler's current executive vice president of Product Development. Exner lit a fire under Detroit and the best and flashiest cars of the 1950s came on the heels of the '57 Chryslers.

The relationship that developed between Chrysler and Ghia in the 1950s contributed to the sharing of ideas and designs that traveled in both directions across the Atlantic, creating cars that were neither American nor Italian in design and execution, but something new and wonderful. Something we might take for granted in today's era of international design, engineering and manufacturing, but in the 1950s, the Chrysler Ghias were unique.

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The 1955 Imperial was styled by Virgil Exner. The brilliant Exner was Chrysler Corp.'s innovative styling boss who came up with captivating "Forward Look'' styling in 1955 for the automaker's Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler nameplates--besides the Imperial.

Exner styled the 1955 Imperial along the lines of his daring 1951 K-310 auto show concept car. The new Imperial had exclusive sheet metal and longer wheelbases than other Chryslers, although it shared mechanical parts. It got excellent reviews--but was just too new in conservative 1950s America to be much of a threat to established Cadillac and Lincoln. The 1956 Imperial mostly just got modest tailfins.

But the 1957-59 second-generation Imperials really made lots of people take notice. Those models shared Exner's sensational "Flite Sweep'' styling, which was the latest expression of the Forward Look. The new styling was so good it caused industry styling leader General Motors to put excessive chrome on its 1958 models and hastily restyle its 1959 cars.

Many people didn't know that autos could be made as low and sleek as the 1957 Chrysler Corp. models.

"You mean we're actually going to build those things?'' asked many Chrysler Corp. employees, who thought the 1957 models were to be only auto show concept cars.

Flite Sweep styling wasn't supposed to arrive until 1960. But Chrysler Corp.--long known for engineering achievements--got a breakthrough in torsion bar suspension design. That allowed major reductions in auto body height, which allowed the new look. It led the automaker to honestly say in advertisements for its 1957 models, "Suddenly it's 1960!''

No 1957 Chrysler Corp. model was more sensational than the Imperial, which looked basically the same until 1960. For one thing, the 1957 model's sweeping, graceful fins had new "gunsight'' taillights, which made the car look majestic.

There also was a massive grille, enormous compound-curve windshield and innovative curved side glass. The airy roofline had thin pillars and industry-first curved side glass. Power came from Chrysler's awesome, race-winning "Hemi'' V-8, which had hemispherical combustion chambers that helped generate 325 horsepower.

There were two- and four-door Imperial models, besides a convertible now valued at $32,875. There were even 36 hand-built limousines, which cost a stratospheric $15,075. That was about three times the price of other Imperials, but they added to the Imperial nameplate's prestige.

The 1957 Imperial found 37,593 buyers. That was short of No. 2 Lincoln's 41,123 figure, but at least was fairly close to it.

By 1960, however, the Imperial still was stuck in third spot behind Cadillac and Lincoln. One reason was that GM and Ford were larger and wealthier than Chrysler Corp. and thus could more effectively market Cadillacs and Lincolns.

The 1960 Imperial retained body-on-frame construction for a high level of smoothness and silence while other Chrysler Corp. models got new unit-body construction. Horsepower for all Imperials now was 350.

Chrysler Corp. thought the 1957-59 body style still looked good, so it just gave the 1960 model a new mesh grille that replaced a rather toothy one with chromed bars--along with a larger windshield, more dramatic looking fins and a long "wrapover'' metal roof panel.

The ornate interior shouted luxury, with such items as a new, high-back driver's seat padded in thick foam rubber and a six-way driver's seat with single rotary knob control. The complicated dashboard was filled with pushbuttons and there was an odd squarish steering wheel. There were so many comfort and convenience items that the car practically drove itself.

Sales totaled only 17,719 cars, although a coupe, sedan, convertible and limousine continued to be offered. Design of the 1960 Imperial began in 1957, when America still loved fins. But the 1960 Cadillac was more conservative-looking than late-1950s models. And the word was getting out that Lincoln wold introduce a very classy, conservatively styled model for 1961.

Undaunted, Exner gave the 1961 Imperial the most sensational tailfins ever to appear on the car. Trying to evoke a theme from the classic car era, Exner suspended freestanding "gunsight'' taillights from the fins. Up front were freestanding headlights placed in fender curves.

Imperial spokesmen said the headlights and taillights gave the car a classic look. But those features looked peculiar to many folks--especially since the crisply styled new Lincoln had arrived and the 1961 Cadillac looked even more conservative.

Exner seemed to have lost his deft styling touch, and Imperial sales plunged to 12,258 cars, including nine limousines. Still, the Imperial remained powerful, distinctive and very luxurious, with good handling for such a large, heavy car.

Before leaving Chrysler in 1961, Exner had planned a new cut-down Imperial for 1962. Happily, the awkward looking car never made production. Instead, the 1962 Imperial was improved, with much lower tailfins. The car still had freestanding elongated "bullet'' taillights, but they were more integrated with the Imperial's overall design. Sales rose to 14,337 cars, with no limousines offered that year.

Compared with the 1960-62 models, the 1963 Imperial looked downright conservative. A new grille and crisp, squared-off roofline and squarer rear end were highlights. Sales totaled 14,121 Imperials, which included 13 limousines. That put the car a distant third behind Cadillac and Lincoln, but at least it was still in the game.

Most of the styling revisions were the work of new Chrysler Corp. styling chief Elwood Engel. He had come from Ford Motor after working on the slick 1961 Continental, and also was working on a completely redesigned fourth-generation Imperial for 1964.

Although the third generation Imperial lasted until 1963, the era of flamboyant Imperials really ended with Exner's over-the-top 1961 model, which would have been perfectly acceptable in the late 1950s.

For more information please read:

Biographies of Prominent Carriage Draftsmen - Carriage Monthly, April 1904

Marian Suman-Hreblay - Dictionary of World Coachbuilders and Car Stylists

Daniel D. Hutchins - Wheels Across America: Carriage Art & Craftsmanship

Marian Suman-Hreblay - Dictionary of World Coachbuilders and Car Stylists

Michael Lamm and Dave Holls - A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design

Nick Georgano - The Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile: Coachbuilding

George Arthur Oliver - A History of Coachbuilding

George Arthur Oliver - Cars and Coachbuilding: One Hundred Years of Road Vehicle Development

Hugo Pfau - The Custom Body Era

Beverly Rae Kimes - The Classic Car

Beverly Rae Kimes - The Classic Era