1962 Imperial LeBaron
Positioned at the top of the 1962 Imperial lineup, the LeBaron was offered exclusively as a four-door hardtop (called the Southampton) and priced at just over $6,400, well above the Custom and Crown models that sat below it in the hierarchy.
Styling for 1962 represented a significant departure from the more flamboyant prior years. The tall, blade-like fins of the 1960-61 models were substantially trimmed, replaced by elongated gunsight taillights mounted at their tips.
Up front, a split grille arrangement echoed the 1955-56 Imperials, and a new round eagle hood ornament made its first appearance.
The LeBaron’s formal rear window, with its squarer, more upright glass, remained a distinguishing feature shared only with the Crown four-door sedan that year.
Under the hood sat Chrysler’s 413 CI wedge-head V-8 producing 340 horsepower, paired with the lighter-duty A727 TorqueFlite push-button automatic. Power steering, power brakes, and power windows were all standard equipment on every LeBaron.
Notably, 1962 marked the final year Imperial was assembled at its dedicated Warren Avenue plant in Detroit before production moved to Chrysler’s Jefferson Avenue Assembly Plant for 1963, a move that reflected the brand’s ongoing struggle to match Cadillac’s sales volumes throughout the period.
Total LeBaron production for the year came to 1,449 units, out of 14,337 Imperials built in total.
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