There’s a certain ingredient to the cocktail that is the concept of a “premium” or “luxury” car that adds an element of something a little dangerous to the mix. Something that implies power and maybe even a touch of cruelty, something imposing, intimidating. It’s perhaps related to the use of substantial black limousines and SUVs as state cars and all of the power and abuses of power that implies. Whatever it is, it seems to be part of what luxury cars are, and I suspect that’s sort of what whomever came up with these Imperial ads was going for, because, damn, these things just feel … unsettling.
These ads are mostly from the Imperial’s “Fuselage Look” era of 1969 to 1973, and these were still known just as Imperials, as opposed to Chrysler Imperials, though by 1971 they did add a badge that read Imperial by Chrysler on the decklid. This was an era of some imposing-looking cars regardless of how they were advertised.
Plus, let’s not forget what the Imperial badges looked like:
I mean, that already feels like the standard of some Central European dictator, right? If you woke up in some hotel room and looked out the window and saw flags with that bird on them, you might be a little nervous, right?
The cover of the 1969 Imperials’ brochure is interesting, mostly due to the fact that it both looks like the opening shot to some movie about gangsters and that it features precisely zero cars of any sort:
Maybe there’s a car behind some of those trees?
It’s more the regular magazine-type ads where things really get weird, though. We’ll start sort of subtle:
Okay, this isn’t so bad; the car prominent, what seems to be a father and daughter in that doorway on the balcony, watching. Then you see a scene with the dad out painting in the wilderness with his child. That’s kinda nice. Okay, I’m not creeped out or anything! What else do we have?
Okay, another car, outside, with a couple, both in black overcoats. It feels sort of…funereal? Somber? Something with real gravity is going on there.
Again we have a car out in a field, and once again we have a dad and daughter. They feel very posed, a bit less serious because of the kid’s smile there, but still things feel very … controlled. These feel like official photos of some kind: staged, stilted, planned. This person is probably not someone you’d want to cross.
Another seeming dad, another seeming daughter, this time with another daughter thrown in for good measure. They look a bit more grim, and in the small inset photo by the window, they don’t seem happy at all. I don’t know what’s going on here, but it doesn’t feel like there’s a lot of levity here, or personal choice. Things don’t feel particularly appealing over here. I’d like to go home now, please.
This is the same basic formula, but now the daughter figure is actually being held in place. The poses are stiff and controlled. Something feels wrong, The man in these photos is clearly dangerous in some way.
All of these ads definitely have a tone about them, don’t they? Am I imagining things?
Looks like people going to or coming back from a funeral. Mind you, a really nice funeral.
The mother’s funeral, and the daughters are well aware that their father is a suspect.
One of my first cars was an ’81 LeBaron coupe (this was ’92-’95 era), and up until that year they still had that Imperial badge in the taillights
Advertisers were off the “Elegant Lady in Evening Gown standing next to expensive car” genre of advertising from the late 50’s/early 60’s – because things had changed.
(Even for Buick – just look at their 1967 brochure vs 1968 advertising)
The late 60’s/early 70’s were a scary time for conservative white men – So they felt the need to project an aura of protection over their families, businesses, wealth, privilege, etc.
This is why everyone looked so grim – Things were scary out there with black people and women and gays and communists and hippies and anti-war protesters and abortionists causing all sorts of “problems”.
(Just wait till your daughter gets crazy ideas in college…)
What a sad little way they viewed the world…
So, when you off the wife, you buy an Imperial? Confused. More data needed.
What a strange way to advertise a car. Why put that second daughter in there just to look distinctly unhappy? If that was the best photo from the whole shoot, imagine what the outtakes looked like!
And there’s no way the people in the black overcoats are doing anything but going to a funeral. Actually it looks like they’ve just arrived. At the funeral of you, the viewer!
These ads look like they are from the opening credits of Succession.
My take was Damien
None of these girls seem to give a shit about torsion bar suspensions that’s for sure.
And yes, overall, big ol’ yikes to the creepy vibes here.
What’s with all the old dads? Everyone had their kids after 40? Cool cars , creepy ads.
I think this is actually rich Grandpa, (kind of similar to Marge’s father in the Simpsons). In this case, it being 1969 and all, his daughter and her no-good husband are running off to California to join a commune, smoke pot and learn yoga, so he had to go rescue/kidnap his granddaughters.
Not necessarily, men often looked 50+ at 35 back then
Cigarettes. Just so many cigarettes.
My parents were both in their forties when I was born.
They were frequently mistaken for my grandparents.
Remember, when you buy an Imperial, you don’t just get a car, you get a Czar!
The Chrysler Imperial series by Francisco Goya.
Where are the mothers?
“Tonight on Dateline: True Crime…”
In the trunk.
So now I’m envisioning these creepy daddy/daughter duos rolling down the boulevard in their fuselage-bodied Imperials bumping “’97 Bonnie and Clyde” by Eminem.
You’e right. These ads are not OK. “Is this my daughter? Yeeesss?”
Same thing I was thinking.
A manly man’s man, but also a family man, he buys an Imperial. Gives me vibes like this masterpiece of advertising.
There’s a reason why every villain in several seasons of Mannix all drove the same dark blue Imperial.
The Imperial is the ultimate bad guy car…
The word that comes to mind is creepy, but they’re not not sinister either.
I’m getting “creepy” and “uncomfortable”. Like the start of a vampire movie or something
Humbert Humbert drove an Imperial?
I have nearly all of these ‘69 to ‘73 Imperial brochures. They are distinct and unique, but I love ‘em.
It’s either Take Your Daughter to Work Day or FLDS wedding day.
Definitely fundie wedding. The clothes and ages of both involved match perfectly.
TIL FLDS, WTH
IKR?
Should a luxury car break with tradition? Blink twice for “yes.”
You can fit so many dead mothers in the trunk of one of these.
Looking at the poses in these ads the word “possessive” springs to mind. Like the daughters are just as much a trophy as the cars are. Urgh. *shivers*
What springs to my mind is all those creepy photos of Trump with preteen Ivanka. “Possessive”, definitely, and holding her like she’s a trophy.
This was discussed on another site a couple years ago.
Vintage Ad: 1969 Imperial – There’s More Reason Than One Why We Won’t See Ads Like This Again – Curbside Classic
What stands out in this ad series is that it’s always an older dad (or grandpa) with preteen/teenage girls. Imperial Man is never portrayed as having son(s), let alone there being any thought of depicting Imperial Woman.
I’m going to assume these are dads, people aged terribly back then, with the heavy cigarette and alcohol consumption and lack of modern moisturizers and exfoliants, as well as good sunscreen. But it is weird that they so consistently have only daughters.
Also, in one of the ads, she appears to be wearing a nightgown, even though everyone else is wearing normal clothes with no sign that they woke up in the middle of the night to take a quick ad photo.
The adults in these ads are professional models/actors who could represent younger images. The apparent age is a style choice. The Sixties were a sea change when youth became a social and professional asset instead of a liability. College education was becoming common, so a young college graduate might be going directly into a job that previously was filled by a high school graduate with years of work experience in the industry.
Yeah, that article came to my mind quickly as I see this article…
Hidden headlights are just the best. This needs to come back.
Seems like the ads are created by some sort of secret society. the 70’s & 80’s sure were weird.
That badge looks familiar…oh right, Panem. All the right people in the Capitol drive Imperials.
Love the fuselage era Chryslers.
Yikes. Super creepy stepdaddy vibes abound!
The one with the red checked skirt is blinking “torture” in Morse code.
And if you say anything to your Mom, well then we will have to kill little brother Tommy…
Joke’s on her, he’s already in the trunk.