Award-Winning Survivor: 1963 Imperial (Chrysler)
During the 1960s (and before and after), there was an ongoing rivalry between Cadillac, Lincoln, and Chrysler for the top spot in the ultra-luxury car field. And most of the time, Cadillac came out on top while Imperial (Chrysler) was in third place. The Imperial got a redesign in 1957 as part of Chrysler’s “Forward Look” movement, yet the vehicle still had many of those styling cues in 1963 and was looking dated by then. That’s the year the seller’s car was built, and it’s said to have captured several awards over the years. From Milpitas, California, this Mopar is available here on craigslist for $18,000. Another tip/treat brought to us by Rocco B.!
To help establish the Imperial as a truly premium car, Chrysler set up the line with its own sales division in 1955 and promoted it without a Chrysler affiliation. With its appearance refreshed in 1963, the automobile’s soaring tailfins were finally dropped along with the independently mounted taillights. Of the more than 14,000 Imperials produced that year, fewer than 3,300 were the Custom 4-door hardtop like the seller’s car (you could also get that body style in the slightly fancier Crown and LeBron models). Besides coming across as a better-looking and more conservative car, the Imperial was treated to the same new 5-year/50,000-mile powertrain warranty that the rest of the Chrysler portfolio received.
These land yachts came with plenty of power under the hood with Chrysler’s 413 cubic inch V8 that produced an impressive 390 hp with an automatic transmission. This seller’s car has said motor and it, and the rest of the automobile, apparently have accumulated 81,000 miles. No mention is made by the seller as to whether any restoration work has ever been done or if any issues would prevent it from being used regularly.
The body and aqua paint on this beauty present well in the limited photos that are provided, and the same can be said of the matching interior. It has a plethora of power accessories that we assume work as they should, including power steering, brakes, and windows. The Imperial has factory air conditioning that would be needed if the car finds itself in a hot and humid climate. It’s a plus that this auto appears to be in good overall condition as redoing it would not come cheaply.
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Comments
This reminded me of one of my favorite movies It’s a mad mad mad mad world. Milton Berle drove a black Imperial. In one scene Ethel Murman said, “We’re the ones in the Imperial and we’re last?!”
I believe the Imperial convertible was baby blue. Spencer Tracy’s Dodge Dart was black. Great movie.
Thanks for bringing up one of my favorite movies (along with “Chinatown”). Now I’m gonna have to pull out the DVD and watch it.
“I cahn’t see! I cahn’t see!”
“It just sailed right out there!”
“I’m coming to get you, Mama!”
“It’s under the big dubbaya…”
Milton Berle drove a 1962 Imperial Crown convertible.
It was pale blue with a white interior.
And the correct spelling for Ethel’s surname is Merman.
Hey Russell, wait up! Ooh, you’re buggin’ me man!
out baby out baby out baby out!
I couldn’t tell for sure from the side angle, but does this Imperial have the toilet seat deck lid too? If so, I thought those were gone after `62?
It was not an option in 1962 but there was such an outcry from consumers, it was brought back for the 1963 model year.
In ’62 the dealers fitted ’61 deck lids and chrome trim as an option just to make the sale. A similar deck lid was standard back to 1957 and deleting it upset the buyers, in ’63 it came back as standard, the people let Chrysler know not to mess with a classic design. Sadly Harley Earl turned into a “Lincoln box” when he came over from Ford, it resembled the Lincoln in more ways one, talk about a rectangular packing crate, yuk, all the ‘in your face’ flair and style went out the window !
It had the decklid option in 61 and 63, not 62.
Noticed the license plate is a San Jose region issue and would mean this Imperial is in the area it was new in.
Horsepower is 350, not 390.
“(you could also get that body style in the slightly fancier Crown and LeBron models)”
That’s an interesting typo… you meant LeBaron.
My father had a white 63 Crown.
The Crown and LeBaron used the same body, they just had extra bits and pieces, electric windows, AC, etc, etc. but all of them were available as options anyway, other than that it was hard tell the difference between them all.
Only 4 photos. Seriously?
Lovely looking car. If only more pics were posted. 4 photos is nowhere near enough to show the entire car. If you’re going to offer a car for sale online, you’re gonna need a lot more than that. The more the better.
Craigslist!!!🤦🤦🤦 Trying to sell your ride with 4 photos!! No engine photos!! Really!! How bloody sad!! Ok… Got that out. On this Chrysler it had those special headlights mounting. It was unique and different. But if the car got hit or a problem with the headlight it was hard to aim it straight where it belong to see the road at night. This imperial is in beautiful shape for the year is from. Very very difficult to find parts for this. The price I am on the fence with it. Unless you’re old school and have connections with lots of people with Chrysler parts. Good luck.. 🐻🇺🇸
Russ, without even trying, you summed up Imperial’s image problem in your first sentence. It wasn’t “Cadillac, Lincoln, and Chrysler,” it was “Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial.”
CCFisher, you got THAT right.
If you want $18k, how about making an $18k effort? Minimum 20 pics and a two paragraph description would suffice. A lot of possible buyers are not going to be local to come out and see it.
True, that.
BF writer: “To help establish the Imperial as a truly premium car, Chrysler set up the line with its own sales division in 1955 and promoted it without a Chrysler affiliation.”
Actually they set it up as a separate marque (brand).
BF: “With its appearance refreshed in 1963, the automobile’s soaring tailfins were finally dropped along with the independently mounted taillights.”
The soaring tailfins were dropped in ’62. The ’62 and ’63 still have a slight fin, though.
BF: “These land yachts came with plenty of power under the hood with Chrysler’s 413 cubic inch V8 that produced an impressive 390 hp with an automatic transmission.”
No Imperial ever had 390 hp. Try 340 for this ’63.
I had a ’64 2 Door Crown (with the “propeller” rear bumper). I can’t remember what size the engine was (I’ve never been mechanically inclined, but I remember it was HUGE!)
That came with a 413 also.
I bought a 1963 LeBaron in 1979, from Autoland in Hobe Sound, FL. The thing was from Ohio, and was originally purchased by some restaurant company. It was beige, with beige (maybe aged white) leather, and someone had put a 440 in place of its 413, according to the next guy who got it. I find it interesting that the Custom, Crown, and LeBarons had the same upholstery pattern like this one has. I know there had to be differences alternately in all three though. Mine had optional broadcloth available. I didn’t have a toilet seat on mine, if I had kept the thing long enough, I would have liked one. I found a ’63 Custom in our junkyard with vertically pleated upholstery, now that I think about it.