page_title: Imperial (automobile)
section_title: Fourth generation (1969–1973)
hierarchical_section_title: Imperial (automobile) / Fourth generation (1969–1973)
caption_attribution_description: Photographed at the premmesis of the Louwman museum, The Hague, The Netherlands. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
context_page_description: Imperial was the Chrysler Corporation's luxury automobile brand from 1955 to 1975, and again from 1981 to 1983.
  The Imperial name had been used since 1926, as a Chrysler luxury model, the Chrysler Imperial. However, in 1955, the company spun off Imperial into its own make and division to better compete with its North American rivals, Lincoln and Cadillac. Imperial would see new or modified body styles introduced every two to three years, all with V8 engines and automatic transmissions, as well as technologies that would filter down to Chrysler Corporation's other models.
context_section_description: The "Fuselage Look" was how Chrysler described its new styling for 1969. Instead of the square lines of 1964-1968 models, the new Imperials featured rounded "tumblehome" sides, bulging at the belt line, and tucking in down to the rocker panels. The new styling not only made the cars look longer and wider, it also surrounded the passengers in a hull-like fashion, similar to an aircraft, hence the reference to "fuselage". The curved side glass, which had been pioneered in America by Imperial for its 1957 model, had a much tighter radius, while the increased curvature of the bodysides permitted the window frames to be moved outboard at their bases, resulting in an increase in shoulder room without an increase in overall body width compared to the previous C-body. In fact, front and rear shoulder room increased from 59.4 in (1,509 mm) to 62.7 in (1,593 mm) on 4-door hardtops.
  To reduce development and tooling costs, and bring overall expenditures more in line with actual sales, Imperial was forced to share some of its bodyshell with Chrysler for the first time since 1956. Consequently, glass, and roofs were common with the entry-level Chrysler Newport. In other respects, however, little had changed; construction was still unibody, the wheelbase was still stretched 3.0 in (76 mm) longer than a Chrysler's in front of the passenger section, the engine and transmission were the same, and the torsion bar front suspension was still used.
caption: 1972 Imperial Le Baron
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