1962 Chrysler Imperial for sale $19,900

First of all, please save your E-mails, we know this isnandrsquo;t a Chrysler Imperial, but thatandrsquo;s how the software wants to list it. Secondly, youandrsquo;re looking at a beautiful survivor in almost entirely original condition, including the beautiful code N Oyster White paint. It was delivered new to Beverly Hills, California where it spent a majority of its life until being repatriated to Cleveland with its second owner. The significant thing here is that the paint (and therefore the bodywork underneath) is original and untouched, and as a California car, you know rust is a total non-issue. All four doors fit beautifully and close with authority, the gaps are pretty much where the factory set them 55 years ago, and the detailing is exemplary. The soft shine on the Oyster White paint is just beautiful and aside from a few of the usual signs of use, it has a fantastic all-of-a-piece look. The chrome is excellent, the tinted glass is unmarked, and thereandrsquo;s no question that this car has always been a cherished heirloom.

Anchored by very andlsquo;60s chic black cloth and silver leather, the spacious interior feels sophisticated and thereandrsquo;s something interesting everywhere you look. Arguably, the driver has the best seat in the house, literally and figuratively, as it is clearly separated from the rest of the front bench with a higher seat back thatandrsquo;s almost like a bucket. The squared-off steering wheel is simply awesome and this car echoes a line of far-out instrument panels for which Chrysler was rightfully famous. Seriously, is there a dashboard more beautiful than this one? Auxiliary gauges are underneath and theyandrsquo;re all fully operational, and the controls for the pushbutton TorqueFlite 3-speed automatic and heater flank the gauges in two upright pods at your fingertips. The controls for the AirTemp air conditioning system live under the dash, as do the vents, almost as if A/C was an afterthought for Chrysler engineers, but the system is fully functional thanks to a recent service and R134a refrigerant. The carpets, door panels, headliner, and even the sun visors are in outstanding condition with no notable issues or damage and even though it lived its life in sunny California, the dash pad is not cracked or dried out. And for road trips, nothing beats a big American luxury car, especially one with a mammoth trunk like this, which still carries its original spare tire and jack assembly.

This is a very big car, but thanks to Chryslerandrsquo;s innovative uni-body construction, itandrsquo;s lighter than it looks and the massive 413 cubic inch wedge V8 makes it surprisingly fast and capable. With a buttery-smooth idle and seemingly endless reserves of torque, it pulls the big sedan forward like an electric motor with only a muted V8 hum from ahead of the firewall. The engine bay has been detailed at some point and remains commendably clean today. It always starts quickly and easily and never gets fussy, and with a giant radiator up front, weandrsquo;ve never been able to get it even a little close to overheating. Thereandrsquo;s a new Optima battery, which doesnandrsquo;t look correct but delivers a big hit of juice to turn it over with vigor under all conditions. Recent maintenance includes a tune-up and new belts and hoses, so itandrsquo;s ready to enjoy.

The undercarriage isnandrsquo;t restored but it, too, shows off just how well west coast hardware survives the passage of time. The 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission shifts crisply and the pushbutton mechanism works properly. Highway-friendly 2.93 gears out back make this a fantastic long-distance cruiser and it eats up pavement at speeds thatandrsquo;ll get you a ticket in 49