Imperial Home Page -> Imperials by Year -> 1938 -> Spotter' s Guide
The following information is a visual guide to identifying and enjoying Imperials of this model year. Unless otherwise mentioned, all features described are unique to this model-year.
This page was maintained by Dwight M. Cannon, and anyone else who wishes to contribute information as time goes by - Please provide as much information as you can, whether in the form of text or images! (See the bottom of this page for feedback info). We want this collection of web-pages to be the ultimate resource for folks who love these wonderful luxury cars.
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1938 Chrysler Imperial C-19 |
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1938 Chrysler Imperial C-19 Front |
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1938 Chrysler Imperial C-19 Rear |
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1938 Magazine Advertisement |
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Custom 8 |
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Per the owner, this car was purchased from an estate sale of a woman in San Jose. She was the widow of the owner of some department stores in the area. |
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The paint was in good shape but the heirs had it repainted before the sale. Not a real topnotch job, but the trim was removed before painting. |
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There is absolutely no rust and the rubber trim is still in excellent shape. I understand that one side window glass has started to delaminate. This is flat glass and easy to replace. |
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The interior is all original. The only flaw is that the drivers side arm rest is broken (not unusual in this year). The carpet is removed in the pictures to allow access for a master cylinder repair. |
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The transmission has overdrive. You can see the engagement knob under the dash next to the add-on gauge. The owner drives it often enough to keep everything in good shape. |
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Everything works - there is an antenna but there never was a radio. The missing gearshift knob is in the glove box. |
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I have not seen the car but I have talked to the owner.
Photos and story courtesy of our friend 4-Toes. |
