The seller located this 1960 Imperial Crown 2-Door Hardtop squirreled away in a barn. It had occupied that spot for decades, but it has survived the time in isolation surprisingly well. They revived this classic, but it needs someone to add the final touches to return it to a roadworthy state. Adding to its appeal, its original owner clocked a mere 28,000 miles behind the wheel before placing it into storage. Located in Santa Barbara, California, you will find the Imperial listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has hit $7,500, although that figure is short of the reserve. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for referring this prestige classic to us.
In past articles, I’ve lamented the lack of photos supplied by some sellers. However, this one rates a special mention. They provide eleven shots, but only one is of this classic’s exterior. That seems an odd choice and makes it hard to assess the state of its panels and paint. The car wears its original Executive Gray paint, which the seller admits is faded. A cosmetic refresh would make an enormous difference, although the buyer could drive it in its current state as a genuine survivor with a sense of pride. The chrome and tinted glass look nice and provide a pleasing contrast that adds to the car’s sense of presence. The seller indicates that they recently located the car in a barn, a spot that it had occupied since 1978. The storage conditions must have been favorable because there is no glaring evidence of corrosion issues. If the Imperial has spent its life in its current location, there’s a good chance that it could be rust-free.
Turning our attention to the interior, we find one aspect of this classic where the seller furnishes plenty of photos. As the premium brand within the Chrysler portfolio, it’s unsurprising that this car is loaded to the brim with luxury appointments. The new owner receives white leather upholstery, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, a six-way power driver’s seat, swivel function for both front buckets, an automatic headlamp dimmer, cruise control, and an AM radio with a power antenna and rear seat speaker. Adding to the exclusive feel of the Imperial, the 1960 model year marked the first where the company utilized electroluminescent illumination for the gauges. This Crown’s interior is in excellent condition for its age, with the leather showing no evidence of yellowing or physical damage. The dash appears perfect, and I believe that a deep clean would have the interior presenting beautifully.
There’s no denying that the Imperial Crown is a big and heavy car, and the figures tell the story. At nearly 19-feet in overall length and tipping the scales at 4,720lbs, it demanded something special under the hood if an owner craved respectable performance. The company came to the party with a 413ci V8 producing 350hp and 470 ft/lbs of torque. The power feeds to a Sure-Grip rear end via a three-speed automatic transmission. In keeping with its luxury credentials, this Imperial also features power steering and power brakes for an effortless driving experience. Considering its size and weight, this classic should offer excellent performance. If pointed at a ¼ mile in its prime, it would complete the journey in 16.5 seconds before winding its way to 123mph. The seller states that although the car sat for forty-four years, they had no trouble coaxing it back to life. It runs and drives but should not be considered roadworthy. It will need a detailed inspection to ensure that the brakes and steering are okay. The buyer will also need to invest in new tires and an exhaust because these items are well past their best. However, the list doesn’t appear enormous, raising the possibility that returning the Imperial to our roads could be a quick and easy process.
When this 1960 Imperial Crown Hardtop was new, it was far from a cheap car. However, it represented the pinnacle of luxury offered by Chrysler, and not only did it match the opulence of its competition, but its beautiful V8 gave it class-leading performance. Imperial production for that model year was a modest 17,719 cars, and a mere 1,504 were the Crown 2-Door Hardtop. That makes this a rare beast, and it is doubtful that your neighbor would own an identical classic if you parked this one in your driveway. With its needs seemingly so minor, returning it to its rightful place on our roads could prove a straightforward and rewarding experience. Are you up for that challenge?
Lovely beast of a car.
A classic of this magnitude deserves to wear the white wall tires as originally equipped. :-)
Coker makes a perfect period-correct whitewall for this.
White walls for sure!
Bidding is up to 25K, reserve still not met. To me, that seems like way top buck for a car that needs a paint job and probably full brake overhaul and probably a fair amount of work under the hood.
I mean, if the seller rescued the car from storage, what did he do to it?
Bidding is now $30,160.00 as I write this. Reserve not yet met!
I got me a car as big as a whale !
Now this is just a cool car .To me well worth putting the money into it .This is Beautiful Car just needs the right owner .
Cadillac Smadillac . Look at this beautiful beast .
The excellent condition of the original interior makes anything else this car might need minor annoyances, if the reserve is not much higher than the current $30k bid.
Does that sale come with tugboats, or, do you supply your own?
We consistently see purportedly ultra low mileage cars with little to no evidence to back up the claims. 5 digit odometers are alway suspect in my book when making these claims and offers a seller to error on the side of dishonesty. The seat upholstery is not correct as there are no embossed Imperials on it and of course there is no pitiful the gas or brake pedals, always a clear clue to true mileage. I’ve owned Imperials since the day I could drive and this is a nice rare example but I suspect someone may be getting duped on this sale.
The wear on the kick panel makes it sus to me.
I agree with you, Rick. It was common practice back then to “turn back the clock”, not proud to say I did a few myself. My 60 Imperial had 68k when I got it a few years back, and was cleaner than this one. It also came with provenance beginning day 1, service records, original purchase contract, original title, etc etc.. There are so many ‘tells’ of either high or low miles, I hope the (un)lucky buyer avails themselves of them.
A wonderful car, then and now. So what if it is 12 mpg or so, you won’t be driving it much, or far, maybe the Great Race, but if you can afford the entry fee, you can afford the gas. I would love to drive this in the Great Race, new tires, belts, hoses, gaskets, just hope the main seals hold, and drive, drive, drive.
But, I expect it will just languish in someone’s barn until no one is interested in it anymore.
If you can afford $30k cash for a classic (current bid) you probably can afford a loan on good terms or the “Excellent Credit” lease on an EV to daily drive.
nlpnt, of course someone interested in a ’60 Imp with the 413 isn’t the same fella (or fell-ette) that would have an EV on their automotive radar.
Just two different things altogether.
I love this car to!
I would jump on this in a NY minute…IF only I could!
The year was 1961 I was but 14 years old when my oldest brother Bill bought a black 2 door Imperial like this one. What a car, that 413 wedge could make that big heavy car move with impressive speed. And what comfort, those seats just swallowed my young butt and felt like I was sitting on air. Push button transmission was really cool too, although he also had that on his 56 Plymouth Belvedere that he traded in on the Imperial. It was the fanciest car in his neighborhood in Northern California. What great memories I got just from seeing this one posted, It’s not a car I would buy these days, but back in 61 it was the car.
God Bless America
I had a 59 with the same engine. They run good but aren’t as bad on gas as Caddys.
@ Rick in Oregon and Jim in FL
It has always been my opinion that people didn’t drive as much or as far in the 40s, 50s & 60s. My father drove 5 miles to work 5 days aweek. Vacations weren’t 5 states away, but a 10 mile trip to the lake.
These cars have ultra low milage ( by today’s standards) because everything was nearby. My mother drove to the grocery store once a week, also about 4/5 miles away.
In the 1970s, when I got my license and a job I put 50 miles a day, 6 days aweek on my new car. Lots of trips from New Jersey to Florida, even a few to California. Once, in just 1 week, I put 1000 miles on my car.
So, cars of the 40s, 50s & 60s had very few miles put on them, hence. With today’s driving, these are ultra low milage cars.
Make sense?
Also, I’ve noticed that cars of these eras were used for 11 years before being put out to pasture, or put away in a barn.
Today, lots of people get a new car every 4 years, or less.
Very true about the driving distances. Just before I was born in 58, my folks moved across town to be closer to Dad’s new job.
The VIN plate has both rivets, and spot welds. The rivets look new, were the VIN plates riveted, or spot welded, or both? I can’t recall.
I also noticed that and wonder if someone with more knowledge can weigh in about it.
” cosmetic refresh” . Is that used car salesman lingo for ” needs a paint job ” ?
I had a 1960 Imperial in that dusk mauve color, they also had Dawn mauve color offered that year…I did some recording, redid the mauve and black interior in its original upholstery which I got from Original Auto Interial in Columbus, Michigan if I remember right….I also had new, correct width Hite wall radials on the car from Coker Tires(great people)…..That 60′ Imperial with that mauve paint which I had repainted back to original, really was fun…and it tur
That 60′ Imperial was a great buy, even at $34,000…..I noticed the car had every option offered by Chrysler to include power vent windows, and I believe I saw a cruise control know mounted in the speedometer housing, not sure on that, but anyways, I would have put a $10,000 paint job as close to original color as possible, and all of a sudden you have a $65,000 car…of course wide whites would make it complete…
Why $65,000, well, I doubt that I will see another fully loaded,..Crown, 2 door hardtop 60′ Imperial with 28,000 miles in my life time….and I have been around car shows, auctions, etc., etc., for 40 years….what a rare, rare, Imperial that guy bought, and I bet he is super, super, happy right now, I would be….😊
Sold with BIN at $34K. No way would I have paid that kind of money with so few pictures. I hope the new buyer did not get hosed.
Roughdiamond…..
It apparently doesn’t matter if he got hosed or not. He obviously has money to throw around. If he got hosed, he can send it out to be fixed. I doubt he works on his cars himself. Just my opinion. Agree to disagree
Glenn Salada, you are certainly an optimist! Having owned a similar car (1960 Custom 4door), there’s always a gotcha somewhere, whether it be suspension, drive train, interior, chrome, body, etc. I still doubt the “28k” without any provenance to support it. Either 100+ miles, or a turn-back.
Picture is my car on way to it’s new owner