For 1957 through 1965, long-wheelbase Imperial Crown cars would be finished by Ghia in Italy. The earlier models used two-door hardtop bodies mounted on the more rigid convertible chassis; these would be shipped across the Atlantic, cut apart, lengthened by and reworked. Later models were built from four-door models to the same specification. Each took a month to build and carried a high price for the time ($18,500 in 1963-64). They sold poorly against the Cadillac Series 75 that was less expensive ($9724–$9960 in 1963-64), and had an established reputation among limousine buyers, as well as against competing coachbuilders building on the Cadillac commercial chassis. A total of 132 Imperial Crowns were manufactured for Chrysler by Ghia over 1957-65. An oddity is that these cars were often built as soon as the styling changed, and sold over a period of some years. All 1961 Imperial Crown Ghias used the 1960 styling front and rear, for example, and all 10 Ghia built Imperial Crowns sold during the 1965 model year were 1964s with 1965 exterior styling and consequently had pushbutton gearshifts. At about curb weight the 1957-65 Ghia built Imperial Crowns are the heaviest standard production cars sold by an American firm since the 1930s.