57 IMPERIAL COUPE - CLEAN MONTANA SURVIVOR

1957 Imperial Hardtop Coupe - Gorgeous Garaged Survivor
Why just drive down the road when you can fly?
This beautiful 1957 Imperial Southampton hardtop coupe is a rare survivor from a series of which only 4,885 were produced. Sure to appreciate in value, it is in extraordinary condition, clean as a whistle, and needs nothing to enjoy immediately. The odometer just turned over 40,000 miles.
Refinished in the striking combination of Champagne Gold and Cloud White, it cruises down the highway powered by a smooth 392 Hemi V8, with 325 HP and dual exhausts. Putting that power to the road is the legendary Torqueflite 3-speed automatic transmission operated by push-button, of course. The four new Bridgestone wide-whitewall tires have only a few hundred miles on them. Work done by the previous owner included new brakes all around, shocks, motor tune/hoses/belts/etc, and there are no known mechanical issues. Inside, the carpet is new, as well as the matching cut-and-sewn trunk mat. A below-dash CD player blends in while sending tunes to hidden speakers front and rear in the original locations (no cutting/modifications done).
The condition of this car is remarkable: from the exterior trim and lenses, to the interior plastics and headliner, dash pad and gauges, originality is everywhere. Obviously this car was always garaged and well cared-for. I doubt that one could find such a well-preserved 57 Imperial, let alone a coupe. I bought the car from a man in his 20's who inherited it when his grandfather died. I was told that the grandfather was the 2nd owner and bought it from the estate of the first owner, in whose garage it had languished for many years without use and therefore needed attention to bring it back to drivability. The 2nd owner took it to his mechanic and had him do such things as brakes, exhaust, tune-up, hoses, etc that I mentioned (this happened in the 1990's I believe). Then he had a local shop repaint the car in the original colors.The 2nd owner then hardly used the car at all, only for "Sunday drives" in good weather.I have no documentation to back this story up but I also have no reason to doubt what the family told me; nor can I attest to every thing that was done by the grandfather, since any records he kept were lost after he died.
The extraordinary condition of this car is best appreciated in person: the trim is gorgeous, the paint gleams, the rubber weatherseals are soft and pliable, and the interior is exceptionally clean. The car is quiet and comfortable, rides great, handles tight, tracks straight, and stays cool with strong oil pressure even in the summer. There are nosqueaksor rattles. Everything works on the car unless noted otherwise: wipers, heater, windows, lights, turn signals, gauges, cigar lighter, etc.

The only flaws on this car are minor, and include: a few paint chips/scratches that have been touched up well; the power seat forward-back function doesn't work (it is currently all the way back, which is perfect for me and I'm 6 feet tall - up/down works fine); clock and gas gauge only work sometimes; there is a small dent in the right backup light surround; a ding into the factory lead by the right headlight from when the grandfather closed the hood down too fast and off-center (see photo); orange peel in some places on the paint (looks like it was never color-sanded but could be); some bubbling through a skim-coat of filler along the lower edges of the body and one spot of rust coming through (see photos). Regarding that last issue, let me say that I know that these cars are known for rusting, but that this one shows no signs of such damage other than what I just mentioned, which is so low on the car it is hardlynoticeable. The trunk, floors, underside, doors, drip rails, window surrounds, etc are all totally solid. I have included as many photos as eBay allows to demonstrate this and just how clean and well-preserved this car is. I welcome anyone who wants to inspect the car themselves.
I have never owned one of these Imperials before, am no expert on them, and have only owned the car for one year, so please do your homework before bidding - moreover, all prospective bidders are welcome and encouraged to see and drive the car themselves before bidding. This car is sold "as-is" and "where-is" and absolutely no warranties are made concerning it or its condition, either expressed or implied. It must be picked up by September 20th, as i will be out of town after that until mid-October, unless other arrangements are made with me beforehand. I will be happy to answer any questions.
Gas is cheap, and life is short - don't let this one pass you by!