In 1952, Chrysler produced three Chrysler Imperial Parade Phaetons which were ceremonial vehicles. This was after the Second World War and people’s lives were transitioning from that of tension and fear to a hopeful future. The automotive industry was not left behind and it was a golden era for cars. The vehicles were built by Virgil Exner and focused on the new Forward Look. The car was a stretch of the 1952 Imperial Crown Limousine chassis and a very different body built except of the 1951 Imperial grilles bumpers, forward and rear trim. They had a different front and back passenger’s compartments each with a self-windshield.
The small weight Dacron convertible top only was used on the rear compartment and had no side windows. The back doors had no exterior handles and were suicide doors. The mechanicals under the customized bodywork was standard led the line of Chrysler for the period with a power steering, torque converter transmission and Fire Power V8 engine. Only three vehicles were produced, one for the New York City, the second for Los Angeles, and the last one was intended to be a gift to the White House which was refused for it was not in conjunction with the rules then to receive gifts. Rather, the car was located in Detroit and would be used across the state. The ownership of the automotive remained under Chrysler Corporation who serviced them. After three years of use, the cars were returned to Chrysler and were updated to 1996 Imperial appearance which they have maintained to date. The front and back were replaced including the bumpers, grilles and trims. The engines were updated with 4-barrel carburetors, and a completely automatic Powerflite transmissions installed. They repainted and donated back to the respective cities.