In the late 1950s, Packard was gone, so Lincoln and Cadillac had Chrysler’s Imperial brand as their main rival. Imperials were exquisite cars they built with a high regard to details, fit and finish. And so it was the same for the 1958 Imperial Crown Southampton Coupe.
With its fantastic styling and a long list of standard equipment, the Imperial was one of the best personal luxury cars in 1958. Also, it featured a powerful 413 V8 engine under the hood.
Studebaker disappeared in 1966 after years of trying to stay relevant on the American market. But in the mid-50s, it was one of the best names in the business featuring a lineup of interesting models. But one of the best Studebakers they ever built was the elegant yet fast 1956 Golden Hawk. This car wasn’t as exclusive as some other models on this list.
However, it was one of the finest examples of the personal luxury class in that period. Conceived as a cool-looking personal luxury coupe, the Golden Hawk had a Packard-derived 352 V8 engine with 275 HP, which was impressive for the day. The performance was also significant with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration time of fewer than nine seconds.
This was a road trip through the exclusive world of American luxury coupes from the ’50s. If you found your favorite, you’d better start looking fast. These classic cars are becoming more rare with each passing day.