1962 Imperial Crown Convertible
Virgil Exner’s “Forward Look” design philosophy shaped the 1962 Imperial Crown into one of the more visually assertive American luxury cars of its period.
Free-standing headlights flanked a polished split grille up front, and a chrome beltline ran the full length of the car before meeting the signature “Gunsight” taillights (one of the more distinctive styling details found on any American production car of the time).
Exner wind-tunnel tested many of his designs at the University of Michigan, believing the tall fins provided aerodynamic benefit beyond their appearance.
The interior carried the space-age theme throughout, with a squared-off steering wheel and two diamond-shaped pods housing the push-button TorqueFlite transmission controls. Factory air conditioning was available at considerable extra cost.
A 413 CI V-8 fed by a single Carter four-barrel carburetor produced 340 horsepower, with power steering and power brakes standard across the line.
The Crown series sat at the top of the Imperial lineup, with the convertible priced at roughly $6,000, close to $1,000 more than the least expensive Imperial models.
Chrysler had separated Imperial into its own marque in 1955, positioning it against Lincoln and Cadillac. By 1962, production totaled just 554 Crown convertibles, and overall Imperial output remained well below that of its two main competitors, making the Crown convertible one of the rarer domestic luxury choices of the period.
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