14k-Mile Luxurious Beauty: 1969 Imperial LeBaron
The Imperial has sort of an unusual history, as in the early days the car was indeed a model offered by Chrysler, but by the mid-fifties the powers that be made the decision that it might better compete in the high-end luxury auto market if Imperial separated and became a different division, at least for the time being. That’s exactly what happened, with LeBaron becoming the designation for the top-of-the-line models. This 1969 Imperial LeBaron here on eBay exemplifies opulence to the hilt, and if you like lots of bells and whistles this one might be worth a close look. This one is another offering from West Coast Classics in Torrance, California, and so far bidding has gotten up to $37,125 with the reserve not met. Or if you must own it today, there’s also the option to buy it now for $49,500. Jonny, thanks so much for the insightful tip here!
The car can also be viewed on the WCC website, with either link providing plenty of high-quality photos that all seem to show a top-notch Imperial from every angle imaginable. We get some pretty good information about the car’s past, with ties to Virginia, Florida, and now California, with just 14,259 miles on the ticker in five-plus decades. The car has undergone a restoration and sports a beautiful black paint job, although I didn’t see where the seller actually confirmed this was the original factory color. Regardless, I’m totally feeling the presentation outside and don’t see one detail I’d even consider changing.
Inside, things are looking splendid overall, with those leather seats giving the appearance that their comfort would last for multiple long hours on the road. One nitpick I did notice regarding the interior is it seems in some of the photos that perhaps the instrument panel isn’t entirely aligned at the bottom with the dash opening it goes into, probably not a huge deal but I was curious what may have caused this. From a luxury standpoint, this one’s got it all, well at least almost everything. Every available option can be found here, sans a tilt steering column, with your guess being as good as mine why this wasn’t also included.
Under the hood is the original numbers-matching big block, a 440 making 350 horsepower, plenty of power to move this land yacht around. It’s connected to a TorqueFlite automatic, with the seller stating that the drivetrain has been rebuilt. The Imperial is said to purr like a kitten and drive straight as an arrow. There are also a dozen photos from the underside on the company website including this one, which all seem to depict a solid undercarriage all the way around. This one is no doubt in the upper echelon of Imperial LeBaron cars, and it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody who can’t wait for the auction to run its course taps the immediate gratification button. What are your thoughts here?
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Comments
Lets see. This, or a Mk III…
Impressive Imperial. Attention-getting yet stately. Those thumbwheel radio controls bring back memories of a regular Chrysler the in-laws owned back in the day. It seems gargantuan but actually is about the same length as today’s F-150 Super Crew. Excellent ebay ad. Even in top-notch condition, I did not know these brought big dollars.
Good job Mike.
50k for this and no tilt ?. Overpriced imo.Nice car though glwts.
Le Barge.
De Barge 📻 🎶 🎤 🕺
@Stan- Well played! I forgot about them, as have countless numbers of others.
More like large and in charge.
I purchased one of these great cars in 1980 while stationed in San Diego, I think Chrysler missed a huge opportunity by not incorporating these into their Rapid Transit program
What a sweet cruiser! But I’m thinking that 4 speed, 454 C3 at half the price might be more me!
This is my second post… I look at my phone and said WOW WEE!! 69 Chrysler imperial LeBaron!! This is rare as hens teeth. Beautiful shape and engine compartment nice and clean. I was surprise this did not have tilt or telescopic steering wheel. When you pay this much money back in 69 you get all the options on this Chrysler. I don’t know if they offered that on this model then. But 1970 model had tilt and telescopic steering wheel. I had opportunity back in the ’70s to tried one and it’s really cool with the steering wheel. This model has that beautiful brown leather interior and I love how they detail the dashboard. As for the price many of you feel it’s high but you have to understand you’re not going to find a car like this in this condition unless it’s in a museum or in a private collection. Fair price would be $40,000. I would love to have this in my driveway. And drive it to car shows smoking my cigar and feeling like a banker! 😂 I wish to seller a lot of luck. 🐻🇺🇸
Beautiful ride 2.94 gear ⚙️ to help move around just shy of 5000lb coupe. Almost 500ft/lb of tq sure helps 🙌
Surprised that the drivetrain has been rebuilt with only 14k miles
I questioned that too!
It probably needed it. If it sat any length of time. Just sitting is not good for a car. People don’t realize once you start it. Every seal will start puking fluid and ring will be stuck.
The current market is so overpriced because of foolish rich kids that never even change oil let alone restore a car.
John, you are correct.
For those not familiar with what happens to bearing seals when the vehicle isn’t used, here is an example of what happens:
The highly polished surfaces where a seal is expected to do it’s job is [when seen under magnification] full of bumps & voids. These mini mountains and valleys have very sharp edges, created by the polishing process. Under regular use, the sealing surfaces, made with either synthetic rubber or [on older vehicles] leather, glide over these imperfections and keep most oils inside and dirt outside.
When these mechanical systems are allowed to sit unused for years at a time, the sealing surfaces, under pressure to seal at the point of contact, gradually deform, filling into the valleys and taking on the shape of the mountains. A small amount of oil used to lubricate the seal surface is also pulled away from the surface by gravity, leaving parts of the seal and shaft without a lubricant, that acts as a cushion between the sealing surface and the shaft.
When that shaft is finally turned, the seal sections that filled the valleys are sheared off, leaving tiny gaps in the sealing surface. The gaps caused by the mountains remain, allowing oil to exit and dirt to enter.
While this is not quickly evident due to the microscopic level of damages, as the shaft continues to rotate with use, the damaged sealing surface continues to erode at a rapid rate. This same situation also applies to brake cylinder & caliper rubber seals. Bleeding the brakes of a car that sat for 20 years will allow the car to stop, but within a few thousand miles, the brake cylinder seal leakage will be very evident.
Many years ago, the 3 Tucker cars now in the AACA museum were owned by my friend, Dave Cammack. He rarely drove them due to the extreme cost of insurance just to take one out of his small museum for a drive. I worked with him a few times to start the cars and move them, if only a few feet forward and then back, so seals and bearings were maintained. He usually did this once or twice a year. This is also how I got to drive 3 Tuckers!
It’s not foolish rich kids who drive up the prices. It’s affluent guys in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s who can afford to buy the car of their boyhood dreams. Ever watch the Barrett Jackson or Mecum auctions on tv?
Lovely car, but why did it need paint and a drivetrain rebuild at 14K miles? The paint could be due to poor storage, but there are few Chrysler drivetrains that need a rebuild at 14K.
Two possibilities from experience come to mind: 1) If sitting too long, valves can get stuck in place; and/or 2) various oil seals can dry up and start leaking or seeping. Also worth considering: if an engine and trans are taken apart for resealing and inspection, it has to be re-assembled, which some might call “re-building” even if all the major parts were reused. They probably also wanted to freshen up the paint on the engine, etc. It sure is a striking luxury car!
Dad had a 72 NYB coupe w/a 440 when I was in HS and I won a lot of stop light races in it. Cheaper than a 69 Charger or GTX but you travel in quiet luxury blowing the doors off of a lot of cars.
Our neighbor had this exact car in white with black top and black interior. He was a chauffeur for MGM Studios in the 50’s and 60’s and this was the car he really wanted for retirement. They took a lot of long driving trips and loved it. It was one of the smoothest riding cars I have ever been in. HUGE backseat too!
My 1972 Imperial LeBaron had the tilt steering wheel. Honestly don’t remember if it was telescopic as well. It did have the steering wheel horn activation. Just squeeze the steering wheel and the horn blows. That was actually a pain in the A.
I loved the dashboard illumination. It was front lit instead of the common back lit.
I went from a MG Midget to this. LOL I could of put the MG in the trunk of the Imperial as a spare. Love my land yachts.
Could one get floor shift for the automatic in Imperial? – maybe not.
I don’t think you could get the gator/snakeskin or paisley vinyl top on Imperial either, but “the 1971 Imperial had a maroon vinyl top that quickly faded to show the bizarre patterned base they used for the top, but it wasn’t supposed to do that.”
No floor shifter available. I have seen one Imperial with the Paisley top featured in one of the Mopar specialty magazines about 10 years ago. Some of the sales brochures featured a Paisley top car.
@ Paolo
My ’72 Imperial was a 2 door, white, with burgundy interior and burgundy vinyl paisley top.
Have seen 69 with paisley brown top. Have seen 71 with bright fusia pink with white top in Dallas as teenager
A rare car, even when new. The two-door models are hardly ever seen.
Chrysler should have made a Daytona/Superbird version for NASCAR racing. I’m sure that Buddy Baker had taking it over 200 mph, with a soccer field sized rear spoiler.
Speaking of Paisly tops. My Dad had a black one in 70 or 71 also with the 440 auto. The nicest part that I can remember about that car wasn’t the incredible smooth ride or the massive power and torque of that big wedge but the incredible paisley blue cloth interior it had from the factory. I’ve never seen fabric of this caliber in a car before or ever since. We took rides on the weekends from SPRINGFIELD MA to way past Portland ME. Like it was around the block. I have to believe These cars were meant for running the “ Pike” at high speeds.
Nice putting the “Pike” in quotes…but clearly the “Pike” takes you to the Cape or upstate NY if you lived in Springfield MA. Imperials were definitely highway cruisers though.
It would be the only one on the block. Partly because there wouldn’t be room for another one on your block. Consider the size and that it weighs less than most modern pickups.
Not just another run-of-the-mill car here, that’s for sure, and that’s why I’d buy it. Original, low miles, distinctive, even elegant. Could you buy anything more interesting and in equal shape for $40,000? Too many car guys lavish vast amounts of time, money, and effort on mere Fords and Chevies, not realizing that there are other, more unusual choices.
No bids. I suppose it’s possible someone would pay such an excessive price, although seems unlikely. These are great cruisers, and would make a nice family car for way less money. Gas budget would need to be generous.
I have never seen one before and the more I look at it the more I love it. It’s wonderfully sinister. Now what rims to put on it? BTW the vinyl top looks a little wonky at the left rear sail panel. With the dash panel misalignment mentioned it would be a good idea to look this over very closely as its had a lot of work done to it. The reassembly may not have been of the highest standard. I wish they showed a picture with the headlights on.
These bodies weren’t designed for vinyl tops. Dealers insisted on adding them. The le baron and dodge Challenger needed it for the rear limousine window. Never saw one with the round portal windows as on the spring edition nautical Newport coupes. Vinyl tops had a snob appeal. Only Lincoln did them well.
Not a LeBaron. Those were all 4-door hardtops. this car is simply called the Imperial Coupe. Not a lot of them sold, and fairly hard to find today.
No, they made LeBaron coupes too. You’re thinking of the Crown.
Bill, I know you’re an expert on Imperials, but my ’71 2 door was a LeBaron.
Did they change designation between ’69 & ’71?
Gary and Angel,
It’s not common for me to be in error here on Barn Finds, but you guys are correct. I did some quick checks and found Imperial 2-door cars with the smaller rear window. In all my years of collecting Imperials I don’t remember seeing one.
Never seen an AC compressor like that. A V2?
Nice car. If you run over a ‘dillo at 80 MPH, the ‘dillo will bounce off the floor pan 4 times. I was driving a 73 Imperial & my FIL was asleep in the back seat. He’s 6’ 2″ tall and was fully stretched out.
You must be younger than most on here. That was the Chrysler compressor up until the 80’s. Chrysler had the coldest a/c with those V2s.
These were few and far between nearly 40 years ago in coupe form. These passed through the wrecking yard frequently in 4 door form mostly. I sadly remember a coupe as nice as this one coming in and selling the front seats, which are actually buckets with the center fold down piece in the middle. The guy put them in a RT SE Challenger. Many of these, far too many gave their souls for Cudas, Challengers, Road Runners long ago. I am guilty of killing a very nice medium blue NewYorker for my Challenger convertible. It is nice to see one made it as it is likely far rarer than a Cuda or Challenger.
Good post/points. My parents had a 72 NYB that rusted out at 50K miles in Pittsburgh by 1986. They got $400 for the 440. Mom cried! lol
Can’t recall the movie, but a crazy guy ran one it the ditch , got out open the trunk ( full of rabbits 🐇) and started shooting them. Crazy . This one is nice , 40 is strong and there were a few hurst models about this time for that money. But that mile of black 👍and with the right wheel! Good luck to the seller and buyer.
Thunderbolt and lightfoot.
It was a 1973 Plymouth fury !
I notice that the ignition switch is to the left of the steering column. My recollection is that ‘69 was the year locking steering columns were required by the government.
1970.
1969. I have 68 ss427 and it’s on the dash. My 69 had it on the column.
Maggy…I’ve owned two 69 Chargers that had the key in the dash and now have a 70 Charger R/T with the key in the column. Chrysler went to the steering column in 70. It may have been different for a Chevy?
I’m talking GM. Ford and Chrysler I don’t know. I didn’t google it but I’m sure you’re right about it being federally mandated in 70.I’m just going by the cars I owned and own which were almost all GM..My bad.
Maggy you and Gary are both correct. I’ve read a couple of times over the years where although the feds mandated it for 1970, GM decided, probably for sales and to get a jump on the competition, to install the column key in 1969.
GM was the first to go to the locking steering column. Ford and Chrysler did so in 1970. I remember clearly. It was a big deal.
No mention of the ship-to-shore radio option … LOL
How about resurrecting the under dash record player from the 50s?
Hee, hee.