The rear wheel drive D platform was a body on frame chassis used only by
Imperial from 1957 until 1966, (although Chrysler would not use such nomenclature until 1964). The standard chassis had a
wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
and the extended wheelbase (
limousine
A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment which can be operated mechanically by hand or by a button electronically. A luxu ...
) chassis had a wheelbase of . The D Platform had no major chassis components in common with any other Chrysler product and consequently maintained noticeably wider shoulder room and different exterior styling from contemporaneous
Chrysler
FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...
C platforms.
Famed for their durability and
crashworthiness
Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Different criteria are used to figure out how safe a structure is in a crash, ...
, Imperials built on the D platform were once a favorite of
demolition derby
Demolition derby is a type of motorsport, usually presented at county fairs and national events. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their v ...
contestants, so much so that demolition derbies have since outlawed the cars from most competitions.
Retrieved 2010-07-30. {{webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713110937/http://www.jmproductionsinc.com/new/rules_4_932254385.pdf , date=2011-07-13
See also
* Chrysler platforms
References
External links
Imperial: Y body or C body or D body? (AllPar)
D platform