I am helping our chapter editor with an article on a 1931 Cadillac model 4855 5 Passenger Imperial Cabriolet. Does anyone know if "Imperial" had a specific meaning for Fleetwood bodies or was it just a sales tool? The build sheet lists a Fisher Order Number. Were these normally assigned to Fleetwood bodies after the 1925 purchase of Fleetwood by Fisher? Appreciate any insight on this.
Art Cutler
"Imperial" was assigned to car bodies with divided windows between the driver and the passenger compartment. There were both five and seven passenger styles. At one time I had a 1941 Series 6733 Imperial (7 passenger) and a 1941 Series 6719F. I may be wrong in considering the "F" cars as "Imperials." So, to be safe, I would recant slightly and say that the 7533 cars are considered "Imperials" and the five passenger division cars are "formal" sedans. That may be getting to splitting hairs.
With a little more ambiguity I can go to Washington...
Thanks Barry!
I always thought Imperial denoted division window, whether 19 or 33 designation?
I looked in the front of the Master Parts Book and wasn't sure, so I gave my convoluted explanation, figuring that someone would trip me up. Whatever... We're all pretty close anyhow.
Quote from: Barry M Wheeler #2189 on February 06, 2018, 05:09:30 PM
"Imperial" was assigned to car bodies with divided windows between the driver and the passenger compartment. There were both five and seven passenger styles. At one time I had a 1941 Series 6733 Imperial (7 passenger) and a 1941 Series 6719F. I may be wrong in considering the "F" cars as "Imperials." So, to be safe, I would recant slightly and say that the 7533 cars are considered "Imperials" and the five passenger division cars are "formal" sedans. That may be getting to splitting hairs.
With a little more ambiguity I can go to Washington...
Art and Barry,
A fascinating little issue! I looked up in several sales brochures from 1931 (also 1930 and 1936) to see how
the various models are identified. I believe that Barry had it right originally. In both 1930 and 1931 there are models, both 5 passenger and 7 passenger, identified as Imperials. So I think that Imperial meant chauffeur-driven with the division glass, irrespective of the number of passengers. In one 1931 Cadillac it refers to an Imperial cabriolet model -- I think there are three different Imperials in that brochure. I have not found any V8 Cadillac model Imperials with just 5 passengers, but V8s do exist as 7-passenger Imperial models. For 1936 I did not find a 5-passenger Imperial model.
In practical terms, I believe that Imperials were almost always 7-passenger limousines with division windows -- at least in most years over the decades.
Let me know if this isn't clear, or if you have further questions. I can check the Data Books -- which I haven't done yet.
John Emerson
1952 Cadillac Sedan 6219X