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G-Man Visual Design

  • G-Man Visual Design
  • Photography
  • Photography Portfolio
  • Print Production
  • Print Production Portfolio
  • About / Contact
  • Blog: for the love of old, shiny things

©2023 G-Man Visual Design. All images, unless otherwise noted, are the property of R. Gust Smith. Unauthorized use of any images is prohibited. 

Elements: 1955 Chrysler Imperial phantom

September 05, 2016 in Elements

Another “car of note” from this year’s Goodguys PPG Nationals is this award winning “one of none” 1955 Chrysler Imperial convertible. It looks like a factory stock restoration, but Chrysler didn’t build an Imperial convertible in 1955. Because of that, this is actually a custom. Well, that and the hidden bits. Underneath the stunning stock sheetmetal is a bespoke frame, and a fuel injected 6.4 liter Hemi that’s disguised to look like an original 354 Hemi. 

I’m not just a huge MoPar fan, I’m a big fan of the Virgil Exner penned cars from 1955 to 1964. This is where it all started, when Chrysler Corporation broke out of the dowdy, upright look of the early ’50s, to the “Forward Look” of the late ’50s. The fins had yet to appear, but the long, low look began, and with the full wheel openings and egg-crate grille, it almost had a European look. This is no accident. Virgil Exner was a big fan of Italian coach builders, and the Chrysler concept cars of the early fifties were built by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, Italy.

Tags: car, G-ManViz, Goodguys PPG Nationals, 1955, Automoble, Custom, Chrysler, Imperial
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For the love of old, shiny things

My thoughts on photography and the things that I shoot.