Unicorn 1962 Imperial Crown Droptop Is a 55-Year Heirloom Survivor With Unique Features

Of those already few luxury cars built by Mother Mopar in 1962 (the entire Imperial production was 14,337), around 50 are believed to be around today. Seeing one anywhere today – even in a museum is a fine treat, but seeing one that’s been in the same family for 57 years straight is downright blue-moon rare.

Speaking of blue moons – here’s one such unicorn showcased at the Blue Moon Cruiser Fun Run 2024 in New Kingstown, Pennsylvania. The owner has known this stunning survivor since he was a child. More to the point, since October 1967, when his father walked into a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership and bought it.

The car was sitting in the used car parking lot, and the present owner’s dad kept coming back to it—he was the only one interested in the car, actually. By 1967, the design language had shifted toward other paradigms, so little interest was in what was considered ‘old-fashioned.’ Some people refer to it as ‘class,’ and that is timeless. It was not priceless, however, as the dealership wanted $1,500 for it.

The prospect, however, reaped the benefits of his monopolist situation and got the Imperial Crown convertible, vintage 1962, for $1,150. Play the video below, filmed by Pam Hirschhorn, the vlogger behind the Car Show Reporter YouTube channel, and listen to the car’s story. Two years after the Imperial joined the family, the then-owner’s wife (today’s proprietor’s mother) had an accident – a car pulled in front of her, and it came out totaled.

No, not the Imperial – the other car was wrecked. The Mopar was true to its motto of the day – America’s most carefully built car – and drove away unharmed. In fact, it was so unaffected by the incident that the owner didn’t even need to claim the insurance for the repairs, as he only polished the chrome and cleaned the green paint left by the impact (the second car involved was green).

The dings are still on the body – but are so minimal that they could easily be missed unless the owner points them out. Even the floating headlights were intact after the crash – talk about build quality. Yes, they really don’t make them like they used to.

Unfortunately, we don’t know the mileage the Imperial has on it. Still, its condition indicates it has been very well cared for, inside and out. As for the engine, the Imperials had one powerplant in 1962 – the venerable 413 cubic-inch V8 ‘Wedge,’ the 6.8-liter (actually, 6,767 CCs) that eventually led to the birth of the 426 Max Wedge.

It was by far the brawniest in the fine car field, with 340 hp / 345 PS and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm). Cadillac relied on the 390 cubic-inch V8 (6.5-liter) that developed 320 hp / 325 PS and 430 lb-ft (583 NM). At the same time, Lincoln was the displacement champion, sporting a 430-big-inch ogre that underdelivered big time: 296 hp / 300 PS and 465 lb-ft (631 Nm) of torque.

The Imperial reigned supreme – pun intended – but it was so carefully inspected, tested, and checked that the production stayed very low. Moving this splendid survivor car along is a pushbutton TorqueFlite transmission – again, a sole option in 1962 Imperials. All had power steering, seats, brakes, and windows as standard equipment.

The Crown trim added $480 to the base MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) of $5,770. That’s $60,000 in today’s money, but put it this way. When this car was assembled, the average salary in the United States of Automobile was $3,712. That’s the yearly salary; a same-year Cadillac convertible, the famous Eldorado Biarritz, was almost $200 cheaper than the Imperial competitor, at $5,588.

The Crown received a fully hand-stitched leather interior, among other upgrades as standard - and this survivor boasts its fine upholstery, even after three kids and 62 years of service. Originally bought by a Hershey’s executive – who could afford a luxury car during the Kennedy administration, if not top management? – the car has become a family heirloom for the current owner, who plans to pass it on to his son.

One final note about the 1962 Imperial: those remarkable taillights—the ‘Sparrow Strainers’—were a single-year design, but they can be traced to the 1955 Imperial Newport (another one-year Mopar splendor). While the floating headlights were carried over until 1965, there is one quirky feature at the front end: the concealed turn signals installed above the headlamps—the chrome headlamp housings acted as reflectors.