Beautiful Restoration of a top of the line Chrysler Imperial.Loaded with options including six-way power seats, Electro-touchradio, power antenna, tilting mirror, dual headlights, heavy dutygenerator and the desirable and iconic Flite Sweep trunk lid withthe faux spare tire. This car is ready tobedriven and enjoyed. Atrue classic in every sense! Walter P. Chrysler formed the ChryslerCorporation in 1924. With his lifetime experience in the autoindustry, combined with a keen eye for style and engineering, hepushed the fledgling car company into one of the top threeautomakers in America. Chrysler soon expanded its lineup quicklywith the addition of the up-market Imperial line. First appearingin late 1927, the Imperial line provided the fledgling company witha model that would compete with Cadillac, Lincoln and all the otherAmerican luxury makes. For 1957, Chrysler introduced anall-new Imperial. With more distinctive styling, and offered infour series, buyers responded favorably. As a result, Imperialsales soared past Lincoln, which was long established as number twoin the luxury car field. Imperial posted its best ever year withtotal sales at 37,593 units. Built on the 129" wheelbasechassis, the new Imperial looked longer and lower. The "gun sight"taillight theme introduced in 1955 was continued, but this year thelamps were grafted into the flowing fins rather than placed on top.A special order, dress-up option was the faux spare tire cover onthe trunk lid, which was called the Flite Sweep Deck Lid byChrysler. Inside, the spacious interior was covered with patternedcloth and vinyl, in fashionable two-tone colors. The dash stillfeatured full instrumentation, rather than following the trendtowards just using warning lights. Under the hood, the famousChrysler overhead valve "Hemi" engine had a cubic inch displacementof 392.7 and boasted 325 horsepower. Power was transferred to thewheels via a bush-button automatic transmission. Chrysler'sTorsional Aire suspension provided a comfortable ride and thepower, drum brakes adequately stopped the near 4,800-pound luxurycar. Painted in a soft cloud white with a light blue top, thisstately 1957 Imperial Four Door Hardtop sedan is impressive fromall angles. Its gleaming chrome and stainless trim adds to itsstriking styling and further accentuates all those jet-age designcues that make an Imperial stand out in a crowd. Not only is thedash a styling delight, but so is combination tan cloth and bluevinyl interior. Under the hood the well-detailed "Hemi" V8 engineready to take you around town or from state to state. Like mostImperials, this 1957 four door hardtop is loaded with factoryoptions and accessories including: six-way power seats,Electro-touch radio, power antenna, tilting mirror, dualheadlights, heavy duty generator and the desirable and iconic FliteSweep trunk lid with the faux spare tire. This 1957 ChryslerImperial, VIN number C5711530, was sold new by Young-Bundy Chryslerin East St. Louis, Illinois. It is believed to have spent the bulkof its life in the Southern Illinois/St. Louis area and is nowbeing offered on behalf of its third owner. Included with the saleis a file of restoration receipts as well as various manuals andperiod Chrysler literature. Restored during the period from 2013through 2016, this 1957 Imperial is in very nice overall condition.The body presents well and was repainted in about 2013. Today, thispaint shows very well with an overall even gloss. The chrome andstainless trim items present well inside and out. The engine andtransmission were rebuilt in about 2016. The engine bay isextremely clean and tidy. The original data/trim tag remains on theright front radiator support, and, based on the numbers shown, thisis a very correct car. The engine starts easily, idles well, andpropels the sedan down the road with the power and grace that onewould expect from a large, 1950s American luxury car. The chassisis nice and tight and the transmission operates smoothly. Theinterior was replaced in about 2013 and remains very clean andpresentable. The seats, door panels, carpets and headliner are innice condition. The padded dashboard shows some signs of wear andthere are some areas of separation, but the control area is veryclean and all of the gauges are clear. The odometer shows justunder 43,000 miles. The trunk is also clean and well detailed. Despite the fact 1957 was a banner year for Imperial production,this is still rare car. Total production of the desirable,four-door hardtop sedan reached less than 7,600 vehicles. Thisexample is ready to be driven and displayed with confidence.