When you look past the tired and faded exterior appearance, this 1965 Imperial Crown Convertible seems to be a really solid car that would be a lovely classic to own and drive once it has been restored. There is no doubt that it is going to require some work, but with only 633 Convertibles being built during the 1965 model year, it might be well worth the effort if you are a person searching for an unusual classic. The Convertible is located in Everett, Pennsylvania, and is listed for sale here on eBay. The Imperial has attracted a single bid of $2,500, and at that price, it appears as though the reserve has been met.

The Imperial is being sold out of an estate collection, and it appears that it has been inactive for many years. The Daffodil Yellow paint is quite faded, and the power top is pretty shredded. If you look beyond that, while it appears that there might be some slight rust in the bottoms of the doors, along with some in the driver’s side fender, that would seem to be about it. The rest of the lower body extremities, along with the quarter panels, are clean. The seller also says that the floors and frame are solid as well. It would seem that all of the external trim and chrome is present, and while the majority of it could either be cleaned or restored, the front bumper appears to have damage that might warrant its replacement. Apart from that, the seller states that there are no other signs of prior accident damage.

None of us likes nasty surprises, but the occasional pleasant surprise never goes astray. When I got my first glance at the interior photos of the Convertible, I definitely felt that I experienced the latter sensation. Considering the condition of the rest of the car, the interior looks really promising. The seller says that the leather on the seats remains soft, and it looks like a clean and condition would see them returned to their best. All of the armrests would appear to require restoration, the carpet is showing some wear in a couple of spots, and there are few loose items that will need to be reattached, but the rest of it looks like it will respond to a good old-fashioned dose of elbow grease. Equipment levels are all that you would expect from a luxury car. This includes air conditioning, power windows, power locks, six-way power front seats, cruise control, a power antenna, a remote trunk release, and a remote exterior mirror. One interesting new feature for 1965 was the “Sentry Signal” warning light, which gave you a visual indication if something untoward was showing on one of the car’s gauges. It certainly saved drivers the trouble of perusing those gauges.

I think that taking one look in the engine bay would make it safe to assume that this car has not fired a shot in anger for a very long time. The seller gives us no indication on the relative health of the 413ci V8 or the TorqueFlite transmission. If healthy, the 413 is capable of producing 340hp. It is to be hoped that the engine at least turns freely, and given the solid-state of the rest of the vehicle, I think that we have the right to show some optimism in this area. In addition to this engine and transmission, the Imperial found itself fitted with power steering and power brakes as standard equipment.

As we’ve seen before, rarity doesn’t necessarily translate into enormous values in the world of the classic car. This Imperial is 1-of-633 cars built during 1965, and it is a luxury car. All of this should equate to a pretty high potential value, but these are a car that remains relatively affordable. Spotless examples of the Imperial Convertible can generally be found for between $30,000 and $40,000, although they do occasionally appear at prices slightly below this figure. If this one is a solid car, and if it can be secured for a reasonable price, there is no reason why it couldn’t be fully restored, and still make a certain amount of economic sense.