1962 Imperial Crown Convertible

A total of 554 examples of the Imperial Crown Convertible were built in 1962, and this was the final year of Virgil Exner's venerated 'Forward Look' Chrysler designs. The Chrysler Corporation redesigned its Imperial models in 1955, splitting them into a separate line to further distinguish it from its other products and add even more allure, exclusivity, and prestige to its opulent line of cars. Initially, the bodies were designed by the engineers who built the chassis, but this changed with the ascension of designer Virgil Exner and his 'Forward Look' aesthetics. Additional fine-tuning of the designs was performed during wind-tunnel testing at the University of Michigan. The designs wore lowered rooflines and tall tail fins, resulting in a sleeker and more aggressive appearance. Exner's designs evolved over the years, with the early 1960s example featuring free-standing headlights sitting astride a polished, split grille. In the back were sky-high 'Gunsight' taillights.

Power was sourced from a 413 cubic-inch V8 engine fed by a single Carter four-barrel carburetor delivering 340 horsepower. The list of standard equipment included power brakes and power steering.

This particular example is finished in Embassy Red over beige leather upholstery with a beige convertible top. The two diamond-shaped panels house the push-button transmission controls as well as factory air-conditioning and heat controls. Positioned between the two panels is a 120 mph speedometer, oil pressure, battery, water temperature, and fuel level readings.

This example left the factory with air conditioning - a $600 option - along with power vent windows, a power six-way seat, power windows, a power convertible top, an AM radio, and a remote driver-side mirror.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2022