Imperial Home Page -> Imperials by Year -> 1956 -> Norman Weinfeld
A brief quote from Norman about his stately Imperial:
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The car is all original, including paint and upholstery, with only minor repaint on the bottom bit of the rear deck lid and chrome on the rear bumper as the result of some ancient mishap or other. I looked in vain for over a year for one of these cars, calling all over the country trying to pry examples loose of their owners (I particularly lusted after a Desert Rose and White one featured in a 1987 article in Collectible Automobile), only to find two at once (both black). One was via an internet search and the other belonged to a new CCPC member whom I called immediately upon seeing his car list (which turned out to be VERY partial) in the club bulletin announcing his new membership. Although the second car had factory air conditioning, which I wanted, the selling point of this car for me was the very rare (and desirable, especially in the mountains) TorqueFlite transmission. |
(Click on the small photo to see a larger size.)
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Norman's wonderful Southampton is a stunning Raven Black example of the 1956 Imperial 2-door. His car is all original, but a "pipe dream" of Norman's is to add air conditioning some day. |
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Here is a shot of a very happy Norman just after purchasing this fine car. Notice the original 1956 California license plate. |
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This Southampton also sports Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels, a snazzy option available on the 1956 Imperials. |
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This picture is a great example showing how
LARGE the Imperial trunk truly is. Virgil Exner designed a wonderful
car that looks sleek and elegant, but at the same time is roomy, safe and
reliable. |
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Here is a backseat shot of Norman's car. Notice the Crown embossed light on the C-Pillar and the large piece of interior chrome which is beneath it, both unique to the Southampton in 1956. |
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The interior on this Imperial is eye-pleasing gray and white. The seats are white leather with a gray leather insert (trim code 59), an extra-cost option. |
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The Imperial for 1956 was stylish and dependable. In the words of Tom McCahill, "In appearance the three top-level cars are as different as George Gobel, Clark Gable and Jimmy Durante. (It's up to you to figure out which one is Gable.)" |
| Below are pictures of Norman and his car from a cruise he participated in through beautiful Donner Lake, California. The two photos of his car, below right, are from Donner Pass. | |||
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And finally, we would like to congratulate Norman for winning 3rd place at the annual California Chrysler Products Club meet in October of 2000. Way to go, Norman!!! |
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