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Chrysler Drops Imperial Luxo-Sedan and Preps for New 300



Commonly referred to as "the poor man's Rolls-Royce", the Chrysler Imperialwas scheduled to enter production by the end of the decade. Though the current 300 has served the brand well, helping to create a more luxurious image for the smallest member of the Big Three, having a true flagship vehicle to compete with Ford's Lincoln and GM's Cadillac was felt to be necessary. The car debuted in concept form two years ago at the North American International Auto Show, complete with rear-hinged doors and a bluff front end that mimicked the look of the ultra-swanky Phantom.

Unfortunately (or fortunately as this was an extremely controversial design), the dream of selling the Imperial has burst. A Chrysler spokesperson confirmed in an interview with Automotive News that development of the
The Imperial will no longer be produced due to pending fuel consumption regulations. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)
ultra-luxury sedan has not only stopped, but production will not occur.

This news is especially troubling to the employees at Chrysler's Brampton plant who were promised production of another new vehicle inaddition to the Challenger, which would ensure a $700 million investment. The Canadian Auto Workers union agreed to wage concessions in exchange for the new vehicle that would keep the plant running at higher capacities.

So what caused the downfall of the Imperial? Besides being tight for cash, the Imperial was a vehicle that was predicted
While it would've been nice to see a Chrysler with a cabin and an image as nice as this... it just wouldn't have been good for the brand. (Photo: Chrysler)
by the media to be not only unpopular but unnecessary. Chrysler's current flagship product, the 300C is already facing sliding sales, and though a mild update is expected to arrive for 2008, there are still thousands and thousands of existing model year products still on dealer lots. Furthermore, since the split of Chrysler from Mercedes-Benz, new owners Cerberus are more interested in turning a profit, something the Imperial would not guarantee.
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