Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. We've seen many Cadillacs in this series, and a fair number of Lincolns... but where are the Imperials? So far we've had just this '56 Imperial, and that's not enough!

I found this car parked in a neighborhood with quite the glut of DOTS cars; within one block, you can find the '69 Volvo 1800, the 1970 Lincoln Mark IV, the 1967 Olds Vista Cruiser, and the 1979 Ford Ranchero.


This Crown is in very, very nice original condition. In '67, you could buy one of these for $5,836, about $150 less than a new Porsche 911. You got a big 350-horse 440 engine and all the luxury Chrysler could give you. And, speaking of Chrysler, this is not a "Chrysler Imperial," as Imperial was considered a separate marque during this period.


No, I don't know why there are mittens on the hood. It's not cold enough for them here, even in the winter, and I don't see this car as a ski-trip vehicle.