What a difference three years make! Last week, I covered this 1966 Imperial Crown Coupe – a fine-looking automobile if ever there was one. Today, I’m going to wind it back three years and take a gander at this 1963 Imperial Crown four-door hardtop. Obviously, the condition is a bit different but the differences go well beyond that. This top-drawer Chrysler Corp. product is located in San Bernardino, California and is available, here on craigslist for $3,500. Thumbs up to Pat L for this discovery!
Research tells us that 1963 was out with the old and in with the new as it was the last of the Virgil Exner designs but also incorporated some styling cues from new Chrysler Corp. head designer Elwood Engel. As for trim levels, the LeBaron still occupied the top rung – four-door hardtop only. The Crown, including two and four-door hardtops and a convertible followed with the entry-level two or four-door Custom, if there is such a thing with an Imperial, bringing up the rear. Production volumes for ’63 were pretty similar to ’66 and slightly improved with about 14K copies finding new owners -a fourteenth place finish in the domestic production race.
Styling is subjective, but to my eyes, this Imperial pales in styling compared to the ’66 example. I’d say the styling is considerably calmer than some of Mr. Exner’s pennings with the “floating headlights” being the most obvious Exner signature item. Clearly, the finish is pretty faded and peeling and there is some surface rust rearing its ugly head in places. The finish looks like code P, “Festival Red” – probably not a hue one would normally associate with the inherent refinedness that comes with an Imperial. The extensive stainless trim is dull but at least it’s all there.
According to the seller, this Imperial “starts and runs” courtesy of its 340 gross HP, 413 CI V8 engine (sorry for the lousy image). The seller adds, “Just had new brake lines placed, carburetor rebuilt, gas tank is new“. A push-button activated TorqueFlite automatic transmission gets the power to the rear wheels.
The first thing that one will likely notice inside is the oblong-shaped steering wheel. At first, I thought it was misshaped with age but then I remembered, no, that’s how these came. It’s cracked and, IMHO, goofy looking. The dash pad is probably done as there is a woven topper parked over it and the alabaster leather upholstery is nothing short of filthy though it appears to be, basically, in good nick.
I got a good laugh from the seller’s suggestion, “Car can be sold up to $20,000 after a good facial“. It’s probably going to need more than a facial but I appreciate his optimism. It’s not the most desirable Imperial model out there but the price is right and I think this example is definitely worthy of salvation, how about you?
Why do I look at the rear and see a 1965 plymouth valiant?
That’s the first thing I thought of.
I was looking for the fake tire on the trunk
I had a ’63 Imperial and My Grandfather had a ’61 Valiant. I had a lot of jokes about my car giving birth to Grampa’s car. There was another Chrysler product, a Plymouth Fury, from ’62, ’63,’64 I think, that also looked alot like the Valiant and Imperial. Never had one of those. Eh, ’twas the times. I was given the Imperial, it was not my choice. It had a 413 c.i. engine and when I got onto a highway, I could see the gas gage go down ! The oddest thing though, someone stole the front bumper from the car while it sat in my driveway ! Odd.
Margaret,
I suspect you’ve never had to have show-quality chrome work done on a late ’50s or early ’60s American luxury car! Most bumpers from that time frame can cost 2 to 3 thousand Dollars to correctly replate an enormous bumper assembly.
2 Guys with battery operated wrenches can have that bumper off in about 2 minutes, as they are only held onto the frame by 4 large bolts! When I used to sell vintage car parts, we used to pull parts off Packards, Cadillacs and Imperials we found in junkyards, especially bumpers that were not damaged.
Check the mechanicals, make it safe and functional. Drive the wheels off it!
Nice car! Virgil Exner knew what he was doing. Yes this became dated rather quickly, but that was the times and no one’s fault.
Interior photos are in the Craigslist ad, looks like it’s leather and would clean up nicely.
And it includes a dash cover!
That’s the first time I’ve seen red primer.
The seat patterns are incorrect for a ’63 Crown, so I suspect this interior is a vinyl replacement.
All the 1963 Imperials I’ve owned and/or worked on had front inner fenders that were painted same color as outer body. I suspect this car was originally Gray or dark Silver.
At least the car has factory A/C.
I had a couple of these (62’s) with similar headlight pods. (On the 62’s the tail lights were perched atop the rear quarters). I often though that the car came off the drafting table sans front/rear lights, and production guys said, uh-oh. Then the parts guys said, No Problem, sorting through boxes of spares…
The ’62 taillights were a throwback to the “gunsight” fender-top taillights of the ’55-’56 Imperials, also styled by Exner.
The freestanding headlights were ’61-’63 and supposedly an homage to classic ’30s cars.
Where did that deck lid come from? I have never seen one without the fake tire.
The other one was a option but the plain one is harder to find.
Hold on a minute. A running almost drivable chrysler classic for a reasonable price? I must be dreaming. This is how a sane person prices a vehicle. This is also how a sane person gets into the classic car hobby. How refreshing.
The toilet seat was an option, but it was common enough that one without it looks ‘wrong’.
If Joan Rivers had gotten a facial, she’d have looked like Marilyn Monroe.
Joan was pretty flat too !…..so more than just a facial….much more !!!
Pretty ug styling for an Imperial. They did get a whole lot better.
Joan never did ! lol
Finally a nice car priced to sell. Worth more that the 55 Chevy,
This one can be fixed up to be worth more than the 55 Chevy,
and money left in the bank when done.
While y’all were typing about the Imperial, I dropped off Mr. Kelley’s 39 Ford from winning the car show/parade in Mayer, Arizona, then I shot to San Bernardino and bought the Red 63 Imperial.
It started rite up, and drove into my trailer.
Who is Mr. Kelley, that would be The Kelley Blue Book gentleman.
Thank you Barn Finds. Next car please
Joe,
When you’ve had a chance to check it out a bit closer, let me know what color the car was when new. Red is highly unusual for one of these, and I suspect it was silver or grey when new.
Bill, nice surprise. ZZ1, Mahogany Poly.
Trim: 957, Alabaster White Leather.
Built 1003: October 3, 1962. Optional Power vent glass, power antenna.
BeautIful combo new
Joe, that’s an unexpected surprise! Red with White leather, and if I remember correctly, it would have had red carpets too. That was a really good price [but you knew that already!]
Under trunk lid, it was black. I will unload in morning.
I have the codes for Mopars. I am also curious if it is a factory color.
Yes on the Red carpet. And White with red insert door panels. Pictures available.
It’s my 4th 63 Imperial. Had 2 62’s. 8 61’s. 3 59’s and 1 58. Plus 3 1968 Imperials.
Currently I have 2 of the 61’s. The LeBaron I bought in 1983 for $300. It is my first Imperial ever.
I have a couple pictures of that day, September 1983, towing it home with my 1969 Dodge Daytona. I warehouse my own parts for Imperials because I am a driver. Currently building a small building just for the hard metal parts.
I even towed the 59 LeBaron behind the 61 to an Imperial meet once to the Lawrence Welk area, Deer Park, Champagne Blvd. show off the 15 before Escondido goin South
Joe,
I suspect we would get along fine when it comes to cars, While Packards are my favorite, Imperials come in at a very close second. I also used to flat tow my cars with big block Mopars. I love that you used a Daytona as a tow car!
I’ve had the following Imperials;
1955 Crown Imperial limo [C70-110]. It was the former White house car for Nixon.
1956 Imperial sedan, this car was in the Paris Auto Show exhibit, and was put together in France by Facel Metallon, the shop that made the Facel Vega.
1957 LeBaron sedan with dual A/C
1958 Imperial convertible, a real rust bucket though.
1959 Crown coupe, loaded with every option including dual A/C
1962 Imperial convertible, baby blue.
1963 LeBaron sedan, in silver.
1964 Imperial convertible in all white
1965 Imperial LeBaron Ghia limo, #9 of 10.
1966 Imperial convertible in triple black
1967 [2] Crown coupes, with MDO interiors.
1968 Crown Coupe in gold, with dual A/C, rust free Arizona car.
My only disappointment for an Imperial was a 1969 LeBaron limo by Armbruster-Stageway, it was an armored GSA DC motorpool limo, and it was sooooo slow and would overheat if idled for more than a few minutes.
I was also friends with the elderly man who owned Ike’s ’55 imperial Crown Limo [C70-001] with a Derham hardtop body & sunroof. because he was too old to drive, I used to be his driver for that car, and I used it to drive David and Julie Eisenhower to a fundraiser back in 1988 [Photo attached]
Prior to the former owner’s death, I had arranged for the limo to be donated to the Eisenhower farm in Gettysburg, PA, where it is on public display in the garage.