They truly are amazing cars. I love my 61 and cant wait to drive it! The 61 is widely known as one of the first retro styling car. Everything about the 61-63 cars were all about history. They are something that is very hard to film or take good pictures of. Such beautiful cars to look at in person though! Really hard to explain the scale to people. Great video!
In my Mom & Dad's 1965 Imperial, the second floor switch caused the radio to seek a strong station. There was a small motor in the radio that would move the dial until a station was tuned in.
@@What.its.like. It was an amazing car that was years ahead of it's time. I feel lucky we had one as a family car, and it was great in that role. They had it from about '70-75 and put hundreds of thousands of miles on it.
If anyone remembers the old sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", this was the banker Milburn Drysdale's car in the first couple of seasons. Chrysler Corp. supplied all of the vehicles for the show and Mr. Drysdale always had a big fancy Imperial while his secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway had a smaller Dodge or Plymouth of some sort; often a convertible which she'd try to entice Jethro to go for rides in with her. Very often Jethro; who never really clued in that Miss Jane had the hots for him, would misinterpret her overtures and just hop in her car and go for a rip by himself leaving the poor, lovesick secretary confounded once again.
One of the buttons on the floor is for the high beam (closest to the emergency brake), the other is for the radio and operates a motorized seek feature to find the strongest signal radio stations when you are on a long trip. It actually scans the dial for you to find a nearby station.
If you chose the 1963 Imperial you may run the risk of having Ethel Merman in the back seat of it nagging you about why you're being beaten by the other cars on the road like in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!" Haha!
Ethel was the very outspoken passenger in a 1962 Crown Convertible. That was such a great and fun movie featuring many of the then current stars of Hollywood not to mention the fantastic cars! A treat to watch on so many levels. I have it on VHS, DVD, and digital download
I had the joy of watching It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at the drive-in way back when. It was so wild and funny, so many big name stars. Everyone should watch it at least twice. Imperials were beautiful back then not quite as nice as a Cadillac but still very classy. I think in the 50’s Chrysler advertised them as an Engineer’s car and many features such as the brakes were oversized.
The Imperials of this era were known as tanks for they had extensive cross-member bracing underneath. Because of this, Imperials were banned from many demolition derbies for they were impervious to impacts that would disable a normal car. Styling-wise I lean slightly to the older version with the hilariously oversized tailfins; but I think the 62 was more practical with the more generous window greenhouse and the option of autopilot.
@@What.its.like. Jay Leno loves Imperials as well, in his video he talks of the strong cross bracing and the secret radio station tuning button on the floor.
It breaks my heart to think of someone putting one of these in a demo derby. I despise demo derbies in general. Some truly wonderful cars were destroyed.
64-66 were the best looking Imperials with the 65' being the best -looking with the glass covered headlamps. They had just a beautiful body style during those 3 years.
I’ve been looking for an engle imperial or any imperial frankly imperials are hard to find.. lol One day it would be a really tall order but one day I would love to get a link in a Cadillac and an imperial from the mid60s and compare them
My dad bought a new '62 Crown sedan in probably the same blue. The interior seat material was different. This car must be a Custom.. low trim. I don't remember double coat hooks. I was 12 then and used to look out the back window at the taillights at night. It rode beautifully and was quite powerful. These were designed for the Interstates and speeds over 70 in the greatest possible comfort. We took a trip from Charlottsville Va to Ohio on US 250 which is very twisty and hilly. No problem and the hubcaps had vents to help cool the brakes. These cars were really something Tom McHail of Mechanix Illustrated magazine much preferred Imperial to Cadillac and Lincoln.
I often wondered how these ride and drive the owner was super cool I saw him driving it later on after the show was over and he had the running lights on and it just looks so classy.. I was driving as well otherwise I would’ve tried to get the camera out to film him going by
I see others commented on the second foot button on the floor to change the radio station, but I thought I might add a little something. When I was very young, when I was around 3-6 years old in the very early 60's, my dad used to hit that switch while driving around in out family car, a 1957 Crown Imperial 2-dr hardtop, and I would like we had a magic radio because it would change stations when ever my dad said "change stations." I didn't know he was clicking the switch. I use to show my friends we had a magic radio and would ask my dad to show them. Later in life when I was much older, I learned my dad just hit the switch on the floor. :)
Yeah threw me off because I was I’m used to seeing the radio buttons closer to the radio on the floor Awesome memory thank you so much for sharing that =)
Song is Frankie Valley & the Four Seasons. I bought a 63 Imperial ~2 years ago, all original and in moderate condition. She needs a lot of body work, but mechanically just basics. Happy to see this video as Imperials from this era are not as popular as they should be. Just turned 25 and can't wait to have my car fully restored in the coming years. If anyone has questions or stories about these cars, I'm more than happy to hear.
I used to own a 63 LeBaron many many years ago. They are tough cars and now they are worth a lot of money as they're hard to get ahold of. Good luck with your restoration of the one you have. Mine was a gold color and had a gold brocade cloth interior. It also had the very rare dual inline 4 bbls carbs on a high compression 413. Damn the Denver police for stealing it from me back then.
First care I ever drove when I was 14, was my Uncles '58 Crown Imperial. It was sort of a pinkish beige color with a chocolate colored crown. It was enormous.
Hi Jay, This a general comment about your channel and that is, you do by far the best presentations of the great old cars of yesteryear. Thank you and keep up your outstanding work!
Thank you so much Ed it mean the world. I want to present these cars in such a way that if you are looking to buy one of these cars information that goes with them because sometimes the information is really hard to find, and I honestly live for that I love the challenge. Try to show all the lines of the car if you’re restoring one of these is what they should look like. =)
Did you notice the front fenders are smooth all the way across? They were joined together at the front center as one piece, a real pain to remove. I had a '63. On the HI way you could get 15 to 17 mpg with a steady foot. Around town not so much.
It still boggles my mind that US cars of that era had features like cruise control & automatic headlamp dipping which took decades to appear on UK vehicles. Plus that car looks bigger than some English villages! Excellent video 👏
Glad you dig this video I’ve only been in a few European cars from this time and I’m always taken aback by how small they are how narrow they are and frankly just how they do things or how they did things back then
I really enjoy your videos of all the classic cars. It wafts me down memory lane of some of the today's classics that I purchased back in the 70's and 80s for and average price of $500+ . They were "cheap" cars back then.
Ultimate favorite is 61 LEBARON with limo type roof. 62 and 63 LEBARON were elegant and luxurious. But 61 was the grand finale for Exners fabulous finned fantasies for Chrysler! As advertised, The Incomparable Imperial! 👑
For 1962, my father got a Lincoln continental, which replaced the 61 Cadillac coupe de ville. I liked the Lincoln better ... The suicide doors were way cool, and the seats were softer.
The Lincoln is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. However, I love both the 1961 and 1962 Imperials, with the 1961 coming in slightly ahead. They are beautiful and have such an optimism about them.
Thank you for posting!! My Dad wanted to order one new, fate had other plans. I appreciate you covering rare cars like this that a showed adventure in styling!
The 413 engine is no slouch in these early '60s Imperials, and that's with a single 4-bbl carb only and not the dual 4-bbl long ram manifold 413 found on the 300s. Ever seen the 1963 movie "Move Over, Darling" with Doris Day and James Garner? ... there is an AWESOME chase scene of the '63 Imperial convertible whipping around the L.A. neighborhood and streets like some lightweight sports car. ...and to see a big car handle like THAT. AMAZING!
Yes, it actually handled that well too. I had a '63 LeBaron and with radial tires, I could keep up with any car on the road when it came to handling. It was amazing.
Song is “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. ‘62 Cadillac Fleetwood would be my first choice! Yes! But love the ‘62 Imperial Custom, especially the Coupe! Thanks for the video!
You got the song and title glad you dig this video Do you like the sound being all one level I kinda like it better whatever there’s an overdubs section and then there’s a section with me talking it gives it to different layers I had to overdubbed this one because the DJ was right next to these cars and you could hear all the music and I didn’t want it to get copyright strikes
I won't reveal who, but a TH-camR in his early 20's with millions of subs said that all Chryslers throughout time were complete crap. While that's very true of their recent offerings I'm old enough to remember that in the 1950s & 1960s Chrysler vehicles were reputed to be the best engineering Detroit had to offer (although personally my money's on Cadillac).
Yeah that’s another purpose of this channel is to educate people about cars that they never knew existed.. so many cool cars kids don’t know about, Chrysler was at the top of their game in the 50s they were the cutting edge don’t believe all that malarkey about GM and Cadillac Chrysler was at the top imperial was the top of the heap. Chrysler had swivel seats translucent steering wheels cross ram intake with long tube headers they were doing all kinds of crazy engineering stuff. It’s sad to see Chrysler the way they are now they are a shell of her former self
Outstanding handbuilt quality. Rear window on the Crown is wide, the LeBaron's window is much smaller. other floor push button maybe is for tuning the radio keeping both hands on the wheel. 1st choice the Lincoln, 2nd the 63 Imperial, cleaner rear styling, even though the 64-66 models would be better .
Yep! It was considered a privacy window for the backseat passengers. I believe it was assumed the LeBaron being the top tiered Imperial, would be more chauffeur driven
I had a Crown. Massive car. Floating down the highway. I could lay across the trunk with lots of room. I loved the headlights. Chrome was great. Imperial’s were banned in Demolition Derby’s. I did see a demolition derby with eight Imperial cars. Amazingly solid car. Thank you for sharing this video 😊
Thank you so much chuck, it means a lot to me this channel is come such a long way in such a short amount of time I periodically go back and listen to some of the older ones and they’re almost too hard to watch there wasn’t any flow. But it all comes with time and I’m sure a year from now I’m gonna look back and say that the videos I’m making now sucked. It just keeps evolving I have so many cool ideas but I can’t wait to implement. =)
#1 The Chrysler closely followed by the Lincoln - just because it’s a Chrysler but the Lincoln’s beautiful too! #2 The 59 - my birth year and those fins, those fins, those fins ………😍 TBQH, I’d love any of these Atomic / Jet Age cars.
I would choose the 1962 Imperial all day long. It doesn't have the life-threatening fins of the 1961 cars, but it still looks like someone studied every curve on its surface. I have always liked the headlights.
Wow. What a work of art that model was. The front headlights are particularly unique---sort of a throwback to the 1920s. I was surprised to see the exterior door handles---they are what all American cars adopted in future decades. Great video showing excellent close-ups of the car's styling. Sad to see these luxurious beauties have gone the way of the dinosaurs. Which of the three 1962 luxury cars would I rather have? Hands down it would be the timeless '62 Lincoln Continental. That slab-sided four-door has, in my opinion, never been improved upon. It's perfect styling still looks undated and "iconic" sixty years later.
Great choices, that’s what me and the owner were talking about how the big cars are very rarely seen like I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a 1959 Cadillac at a car show. Wonder why
@@What.its.like. I recently visited a doctor's office, and the one piece of art on his waiting room wall was a huge framed color photo of the tail fin of a "59 Cadillac (Eldorado?). He said I was the only patient he'd had who ever commented on it!
Glad you dig this episode there’s one more forward to a car coming but it’s probably gonna be this weekend I might rearrange the schedule around I forgot discussion episode Friday that’s going to be a controversial one.. lol but I feel like the base will mostly be in agreements with it
I don't think that I've ever seen any cars come from the factory with a bug screen. That is something that the dealer might install for the owner or someone else would install it. Chrysler would never send a car from the factory so unsightly. A factory one would would have a better fit and trim. And, yep, it is a bug screen, to protect the radiator from bugs. Although the bug screens may stop the bugs, even clean they reduce airflow through the radiator. They do need to be cleaned, but they are easier to clean than the radiator. If you look closely at radiator fins, you will see that each fin has it's own fins. If this car had air conditioning, the condenser is coarser and has simpler fins than a radiator. The condenser will catch some bugs, but the majority goes into the radiator and plugs it up. As the condenser is best open to the air, if a bug screen were used, it should be placed between the condenser and the radiator. If I wanted fins, I'd get a 1957-8 Imperial. I would probably would have preferred the "Green Hornet" era Imperial and get a 1964-6.
The extra button on the floor is the radio's wonderbar feature. It's a scan feature for the radio and there would be a bar on the radio above the numbers that would do the same thing..
Caddy still holds the fin record with the 59. They were so huge it took several years for them to shrink to vestigial fins. The tailights on this are the "Bomb Site" design. That's a very significant design feature..
I owned that very car for many years... the other button on the floorboard actually changes the radio station to presets, a system driven by gears attached to strings in the radio somehow that broke, but if you stab it with the radio on the dial should still spin!
In some cars that 2nd switch on the floor was a radio control changer . You press it and it changes the channel. You can search for a station you like without taking your hands off the wheel.
Some of your illustrations show the 63 model, which has a a different grille and taillights as the most obvious difference. You compared a 61 LeBaron with a 62 Custom, LeBarons in all years 60-63 had a small rear window other Imperials had the wraparound rear window .
Yeah that was a mistake I was looking for a picture that was in focus I wasn’t really paying attention to the car because I Google search the 62 and 63 showed up I’m sorry about that
I had a '63 LeBaron and wish I had it back. One of the best cars I have owned. By the way mine had the separate rear air conditioning unit and a few other options but weighed almost 6000lbs with me in it. It was a full tank of gas and everything in it as it was supposed to have. It also had a dual inline 4bbl on a 413 high compression engine and still managed 15mpg in town if driven gently. The highway mileage was 16 until you went above 70. Then it started dropping a little bit. Top end was 130mph.
Hi Jay, the extra button on the floor is for the search and seek a.m. Radio you push that he goes to the next strongest station. Hope this helps. I totally enjoy your presentations. Take care.
My Dad had a number of used Imperials '57 - '63. My favorite was the '63 because it was sleeker, having no fins or lights on the rear fender. The pod fornt lights were fashioned after older lights on cars. I always thought of these cars as tanks that went like rocketdhips
During these years the Imperials and Continentals were just supreme pieces of engineering and craftsmanship. Their looks were very different, but the cars were absolutely awesome. I tend toward the Imperial, especially '62 and '63, but objectively choosing between these two is difficult. Cadillacs of the era were nice, but they did not rise to the level of design, engineering or build care of the other two. They were really more like super flashy Buicks.
My Uncle had a metallic pink '61 4-dr sedan that had belonged to Doris Day. Moving from California to Edmonton AB Canada, he had it shipped north where I got to see it.
Was it traded in at Hugh McColls Southpark Motors on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. I recall seeing such an Imperial on the sales floor around the middle of the 1980’s if I remember correctly about the time. Definitely a pink Imperial 1960 something.
The photo of black car at end of presentation is a 63, not a 62. The other button on the floor changes the radio station. At each depression of the floor button the right tuner nob on the AM radio rotated and tuned into the next station. Allowed you to scan stations without taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road. Thank you for doing this video
Notice the trans has no park. You would leave it in gear and put the brake on. When starting put it in neutral. Chrysler was the last of the Big 3 to add park. We had a 55' Rocket 88 Olds when I was a small kid, it had no park, then when my father got a 62' Olds 98 it had a park.
one of the most beautiful cars to ever be built in the US. The only thing that would have made this car better would be if Chrysler had continued to build, offer, improve and enlarge the 392 Hemi. Still to this day a very good, reliable, efficient, and well engineered power plant.
1962 Lincoln is superior (except for the Imperial's handling and wider seats). Black car with foreign license plate is actually a 1963 Crown. Wraparound C-pillar was only found on LeBaron model and had a poor quality execution with hemp and solder (bubbles noticeably underneath the paint over time). My favorite is actually the earlier 1960 Imperial.
Pretty good review, too bad you kept using a 63 photo for most of the 62 feature. Considering most people don't have any clue about Imperial I give props to you for being enthusiastic and informative! Very few discrepancies concerning accuracy, a really well done video. Keep 'em coming!
Thank you for pointing that out I was looking to see if the picture was in focus thank you for catching that I hate when that happens that was a mistake
Thanks Jay for a glimpse of an iconic old school luxury car -- the '62 Imperial. Love the old Lincolns, Cadillacs and Imperials back in the '60s. Great job as always!
BTW, were you aware that to this very day *Mercedes-Benz still uses pneumatic (not electric) power door locks?* They started this practice in the 1960s when American companies were doing the same but they're one of the few (only?) not to have gone electric. The advantage is that it is VERY SILENT compared to electric motors forcefully slamming about.
When the electric locks work, you know because of the "thunk." Having driven limousines for a long time years back, the Mercedes locks ran out of air sometimes if they'd been used alot when the car was turned off, which happened a lot, especially as the car aged. Our service did our own maintenance and the pneumatic system was a real pain sometimes being very complex.
Id take the 63 imperial over all of them. I have a 62 sedan deville, a 63 lincoln, and i had a 66 imperial for a few years. Best car ive ever owned, period.
That’s awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience. How did the imperial ride over the Lincoln and Cadillac. Why did you think the imperial is better ? Asking the MAN who has owned them all lol (packard slogan)
@@What.its.like. the Imperial handled better than the Caddy or Lincoln, the Imperial had more torque, and it somehow provided an impression of higher quality. Lastly, the sound of the starter cranking that 440 on a cold winter morning took me back to a magical time in my life.
It’s as if a car was designed while tripping on LSD. Honestly, I don’t remember ever seeing one of these when I was young. I was 6 in 1962. Compared to the elegance of a ‘62 Lincoln…
Totally unique Exner style! So much going on , it's one if those that the more I look the more I appreciate it's uniqueness! I like the clean style if the Lincoln, but would choose the Caddy(although I'd prefer the convertible). Of the Imperials, I'd take this one, the color and finish is gorgeous 🤩
The imperial is a bit out there it’s an acquired taste but I will tell you it looks a whole lot better in person than I did on the screen but on the screen was able to see more lines than I did when I saw it in person if that makes any sense
I just didn't see the Park function button anywhere.She did look outdated against the Lincoln that had a much sober styling and the Lincoln would be favorite but the Imperial has great personality and character.
This car it was absolutely stunning I did one other Virgil Exner forward look design at the car show it’s not going to come until next week it’s a stellar car it’s a 1960 I believe.
Though all on one platform & cowl, the '57-9 design era stressed backward sweep; '60-'3 swept forward; '64-6 by Elwood Engel (late of Ford) showed squared '61 Lincoln roots.
Most people believed that the 1962 and 1964 Imperial dual port grille (split grille) came from Pontiac (GM). Actually Chrysler and Imperial had this styling feature in 1955 and 1956. Pontiac not until 1959. Most people believed that the first American auto to have three tail lights of alternating red white red was the 1958 Chevy. Actually DeSoto had this in 1956. The tail lights were vertical. Chrysler Corp tried red white red tail light designs later in the 1960s and 1970s. People thought they were "copying" Chevy styling. GM so dominated automobile sales back then that people always assumed that GM was the pioneer even when they were not. The 1958 Ford also had red white red tail lights. Who remembers? In the late 1950s headlights were mounted high, as in the 1957 Chevy. In 1960 Ford, Chevy, and Plymouth had their headlights mounted low. (Dodge Dart still had high mounted headlights. Dart was considered best looking low priced 1960.) This high mounting of headlights in the early and mid 1950s may have been due to legal requirements. I'm not sure.
These cars were the cream of the crop in the sixties. Imperial, Cadillac and Lincoln reigned as the best and most opulent you could get. Most cars back then didn't come with power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, power breaks or even an FM radio. Cars were basic. Some only coming with a manual transmission or a standard V6.
My dad sold cars in the late 60s /early 70s. He bought a 62 Imperial convertible home one day. It had power everything, including leather bucket seats.
Those head lights are definitely a unique styling touch and Chryco went with the "floating look" or simulated floating look before. On the 59 Fury, the black mesh behind the grille is supposed to give the illusion that the headlights and front emblem are floating on the grille at a distance.
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They truly are amazing cars. I love my 61 and cant wait to drive it! The 61 is widely known as one of the first retro styling car. Everything about the 61-63 cars were all about history. They are something that is very hard to film or take good pictures of. Such beautiful cars to look at in person though! Really hard to explain the scale to people. Great video!
Totally agree happy you dig this episode
In my Mom & Dad's 1965 Imperial, the second floor switch caused the radio to seek a strong station. There was a small motor in the radio that would move the dial until a station was tuned in.
Awesome thank you so much for that information I want to find an imperial from that era Elwood Engle Designed those
@@What.its.like. It was an amazing car that was years ahead of it's time. I feel lucky we had one as a family car, and it was great in that role. They had it from about '70-75 and put hundreds of thousands of miles on it.
I've seen the same in an old Buick Wildcat.
That's called a wonder bar radio, they were common/popular, in the Chrysler products.
I had 2 floors? What a big car that must have been!
Uncle had a black 1965 Imperial convertible. One of the largest, and coolest, cars I’ve ever seen.
That’s awesome engle era imperial
That was a cool car
If anyone remembers the old sitcom "The Beverly Hillbillies", this was the banker Milburn Drysdale's car in the first couple of seasons. Chrysler Corp. supplied all of the vehicles for the show and Mr. Drysdale always had a big fancy Imperial while his secretary, Miss Jane Hathaway had a smaller Dodge or Plymouth of some sort; often a convertible which she'd try to entice Jethro to go for rides in with her. Very often Jethro; who never really clued in that Miss Jane had the hots for him, would misinterpret her overtures and just hop in her car and go for a rip by himself leaving the poor, lovesick secretary confounded once again.
From a long gone era of style and grace.
One of the buttons on the floor is for the high beam (closest to the emergency brake), the other is for the radio and operates a motorized seek feature to find the strongest signal radio stations when you are on a long trip. It actually scans the dial for you to find a nearby station.
My first car was a 62 Crown Imperial. I was 15, and loved freaking out friends by changing the radio station without touching the radio.
If you chose the 1963 Imperial you may run the risk of having Ethel Merman in the back seat of it nagging you about why you're being beaten by the other cars on the road like in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World!" Haha!
Ha!!! I remember that!😊
The big W
Ethel was the very outspoken passenger in a 1962 Crown Convertible. That was such a great and fun movie featuring many of the then current stars of Hollywood not to mention the fantastic cars! A treat to watch on so many levels. I have it on VHS, DVD, and digital download
@@ayryz1 Yep! Hate to sound like Awchie and Edith, but "those were the days"!
I had the joy of watching It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World at the drive-in way back when. It was so wild and funny, so many big name stars.
Everyone should watch it at least twice.
Imperials were beautiful back then not quite as nice as a Cadillac but still very classy. I think in the 50’s Chrysler advertised them as an Engineer’s car and many features such as the brakes were oversized.
The Imperials of this era were known as tanks for they had extensive cross-member bracing underneath. Because of this, Imperials were banned from many demolition derbies for they were impervious to impacts that would disable a normal car. Styling-wise I lean slightly to the older version with the hilariously oversized tailfins; but I think the 62 was more practical with the more generous window greenhouse and the option of autopilot.
I heard or read that Tom McCahill loved imperials that was his car of choice
@@What.its.like. Jay Leno loves Imperials as well, in his video he talks of the strong cross bracing and the secret radio station tuning button on the floor.
I think that the Auto Pilot became available for the 59 model.
It breaks my heart to think of someone putting one of these in a demo derby. I despise demo derbies in general. Some truly wonderful cars were destroyed.
@@robert3302 I agree ☝️. Many a great Packard, Hupmobile, and Imperial were lost forever. We live in a throwaway society and don’t value what we have.
64-66 were the best looking Imperials with the 65' being the best -looking with the glass covered headlamps. They had just a beautiful body style during those 3 years.
I’ve been looking for an engle imperial or any imperial frankly imperials are hard to find.. lol One day it would be a really tall order but one day I would love to get a link in a Cadillac and an imperial from the mid60s and compare them
An Incredibly Beauuutiful Car!💕
Yeah it was =)
My dad bought a new '62 Crown sedan in probably the same blue. The interior seat material was different. This car must be a Custom.. low trim. I don't remember double coat hooks. I was 12 then and used to look out the back window at the taillights at night. It rode beautifully and was quite powerful. These were designed for the Interstates and speeds over 70 in the greatest possible comfort. We took a trip from Charlottsville Va to Ohio on US 250 which is very twisty and hilly. No problem and the hubcaps had vents to help cool the brakes. These cars were really something Tom McHail of Mechanix Illustrated magazine much preferred Imperial to Cadillac and Lincoln.
The other button on the floor is for radio stations. My father had a 1970 Imperial with this feature.
My guess is the outer floor button is to switch the radio stations.
Thank you for that information usually the radio buttons closer to the radio that’s what threw me off
Drove one of these once, was like riding on glass and you could steer it with one finger. Just not around tight corners.
I often wondered how these ride and drive the owner was super cool I saw him driving it later on after the show was over and he had the running lights on and it just looks so classy.. I was driving as well otherwise I would’ve tried to get the camera out to film him going by
I see others commented on the second foot button on the floor to change the radio station, but I thought I might add a little something. When I was very young, when I was around 3-6 years old in the very early 60's, my dad used to hit that switch while driving around in out family car, a 1957 Crown Imperial 2-dr hardtop, and I would like we had a magic radio because it would change stations when ever my dad said "change stations." I didn't know he was clicking the switch. I use to show my friends we had a magic radio and would ask my dad to show them. Later in life when I was much older, I learned my dad just hit the switch on the floor. :)
Yeah threw me off because I was I’m used to seeing the radio buttons closer to the radio on the floor
Awesome memory thank you so much for sharing that =)
Song is Frankie Valley & the Four Seasons. I bought a 63 Imperial ~2 years ago, all original and in moderate condition. She needs a lot of body work, but mechanically just basics. Happy to see this video as Imperials from this era are not as popular as they should be. Just turned 25 and can't wait to have my car fully restored in the coming years. If anyone has questions or stories about these cars, I'm more than happy to hear.
Forgot to mention the song name! Big Girls Don't Cry
I used to own a 63 LeBaron many many years ago. They are tough cars and now they are worth a lot of money as they're hard to get ahold of. Good luck with your restoration of the one you have. Mine was a gold color and had a gold brocade cloth interior. It also had the very rare dual inline 4 bbls carbs on a high compression 413. Damn the Denver police for stealing it from me back then.
First care I ever drove when I was 14, was my Uncles '58 Crown Imperial. It was sort of a pinkish beige color with a chocolate colored crown. It was enormous.
Awesome thank you so much for sharing this memories with us
Hi Jay, This a general comment about your channel and that is, you do by far the best presentations of the great old cars of yesteryear. Thank you and keep up your outstanding work!
Thank you so much Ed it mean the world. I want to present these cars in such a way that if you are looking to buy one of these cars information that goes with them because sometimes the information is really hard to find, and I honestly live for that I love the challenge. Try to show all the lines of the car if you’re restoring one of these is what they should look like. =)
@@What.its.like. I would agree...it is great to get these details.
that's right, Jay does the best presentation and he's consistent...as time goes by, the videos just get better.
"Big girls don 't cry" The 4 seasons, Imperial is the only choice, 61 being my fav!
Trivia: The guy who created that Lincoln left Ford, took Virgil Exners place and redesigned the 64-66 Imperial classic.
Elwood engle =)
Although I dig the Imperial’s funky space age styling I like Comtimental’s clean lines.
Did you notice the front fenders are smooth all the way across? They were joined together at the front center as one piece, a real pain to remove. I had a '63. On the HI way you could get 15 to 17 mpg with a steady foot. Around town not so much.
Thank you so much for pointing that out
It still boggles my mind that US cars of that era had features like cruise control & automatic headlamp dipping which took decades to appear on UK vehicles. Plus that car looks bigger than some English villages!
Excellent video 👏
Glad you dig this video
I’ve only been in a few European cars from this time and I’m always taken aback by how small they are how narrow they are and frankly just how they do things or how they did things back then
Me too. I'm in NZ. Lots of 1950-190 British cars here still. Even the Jags and Rovers don't compare with their US equivalents.
American cars had these features back in the 50s, at least back to 1956 in Cadillacs.
Yeah the Europeans are always late to the party and when they show up they claim to be the best lol
Neither one of those features worked very well. They more like sales gimmicks.
Absolutely beautiful. Super rare, the steering wheel and dashboard was very futuristic looking. I would love to own a classic one day.
The second button by the dimmer switch is to change the radio station. My father's 56 Cadillac had that feature.
I really enjoy your videos of all the classic cars. It wafts me down memory lane of some of the today's classics that I purchased back in the 70's and 80s for and average price of $500+ . They were "cheap" cars back then.
Thank you glad you dig this channel =)
They were cheap and there were a lot of them.
1962 Cadillac Fleetwood
1961 Imperial
Awesome choices =)
Ultimate favorite is 61 LEBARON with limo type roof. 62 and 63 LEBARON were elegant and luxurious. But 61 was the grand finale for Exners fabulous finned fantasies for Chrysler! As advertised, The Incomparable Imperial! 👑
For 1962, my father got a Lincoln continental, which replaced the 61 Cadillac coupe de ville. I liked the Lincoln better ... The suicide doors were way cool, and the seats were softer.
Lincoln made some incredible seats.. I mean they still do.. I haven’t been in the new Cadillac in a while
The Lincoln is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. However, I love both the 1961 and 1962 Imperials, with the 1961 coming in slightly ahead. They are beautiful and have such an optimism about them.
Sweet 62 CADDY
Thank you for posting!!
My Dad wanted to order one new, fate had other plans.
I appreciate you covering rare cars like this that a showed adventure in styling!
You bet so many cool cars out there that don’t get the coverage
WWR: I think the '62 Lincoln is head-and-shoulders above the others in style.
the extra button on the floor is for the signal seeking radio. Press the button with your foot it changes to the next station, great safety feature
Awesome thank you for that
the extra floor button probably changes the preset radio stations.
Thank you so much for that information =)
Very nice car headlights look funny how they place them.
The 413 engine is no slouch in these early '60s Imperials, and that's with a single 4-bbl carb only and not the dual 4-bbl long ram manifold 413 found on the 300s. Ever seen the 1963 movie "Move Over, Darling" with Doris Day and James Garner? ... there is an AWESOME chase scene of the '63 Imperial convertible whipping around the L.A. neighborhood and streets like some lightweight sports car. ...and to see a big car handle like THAT. AMAZING!
Yes, it actually handled that well too. I had a '63 LeBaron and with radial tires, I could keep up with any car on the road when it came to handling. It was amazing.
Damn I sure do miss these cars.😥
That's a no-brainer. Hands down, I would take The Imperial, for so many reasons. A true classic.
That would be my pick as well
The indicators above the quad beams tied into the identity of the New Yorkers in the 80s.
That thickly-browed look gave those cars so much character.
The Lincoln and the '61 are wicked cool 😎
Great choices =)
You can’t get that level of quality for just over $52K today.
Totally agree
Song is “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. ‘62 Cadillac Fleetwood would be my first choice! Yes! But love the ‘62 Imperial Custom, especially the Coupe! Thanks for the video!
You got the song and title glad you dig this video
Do you like the sound being all one level I kinda like it better whatever there’s an overdubs section and then there’s a section with me talking it gives it to different layers I had to overdubbed this one because the DJ was right next to these cars and you could hear all the music and I didn’t want it to get copyright strikes
@@What.its.like.: I think everything came out really well. This was a very interesting and well-done video…. the way that you did it. Thanks again!
I'm glad that you were able to feature such a rare car, Jay . And I'll take the '62 Lincoln and the '63 Imperial.
So this is how my car will be presented ? This is JOHNNY LOVE ❤❤❤❤❤
Yeah I can’t wait to feature your awesome car on the channel =)
I won't reveal who, but a TH-camR in his early 20's with millions of subs said that all Chryslers throughout time were complete crap. While that's very true of their recent offerings I'm old enough to remember that in the 1950s & 1960s Chrysler vehicles were reputed to be the best engineering Detroit had to offer (although personally my money's on Cadillac).
Yeah that’s another purpose of this channel is to educate people about cars that they never knew existed.. so many cool cars kids don’t know about, Chrysler was at the top of their game in the 50s they were the cutting edge don’t believe all that malarkey about GM and Cadillac Chrysler was at the top imperial was the top of the heap. Chrysler had swivel seats translucent steering wheels cross ram intake with long tube headers they were doing all kinds of crazy engineering stuff. It’s sad to see Chrysler the way they are now they are a shell of her former self
Other makes suspension and frames were quite primitive. Chrysler was unibody.
Outstanding handbuilt quality. Rear window on the Crown is wide, the LeBaron's window is much smaller. other floor push button maybe is for tuning the radio keeping both hands on the wheel. 1st choice the Lincoln, 2nd the 63 Imperial, cleaner rear styling, even though the 64-66 models would be better .
Yep! It was considered a privacy window for the backseat passengers. I believe it was assumed the LeBaron being the top tiered Imperial, would be more chauffeur driven
I had a Crown. Massive car. Floating down the highway. I could lay across the trunk with lots of room. I loved the headlights. Chrome was great. Imperial’s were banned in Demolition Derby’s. I did see a demolition derby with eight Imperial cars. Amazingly solid car. Thank you for sharing this video 😊
Thank you so much for sharing your car with us glad you dig this episode =)
I dug the live chat, but wanted to take a minute to say thank you again for the great content and all your work. ~ Chuck
Thank you so much chuck, it means a lot to me this channel is come such a long way in such a short amount of time I periodically go back and listen to some of the older ones and they’re almost too hard to watch there wasn’t any flow. But it all comes with time and I’m sure a year from now I’m gonna look back and say that the videos I’m making now sucked. It just keeps evolving I have so many cool ideas but I can’t wait to implement. =)
@@What.its.like. Not unlike the history of the cars you cover. Each year we see improvements, new options, etc. ~ Chuck
Another great episode!!
Scenario 1: 1962 Lincoln
Scenario 2: 1963 Imperial
Great choices =)
The Continental, all day every day!
Sweet =) One day I want nothing more than to compare the three of them I think that would be really cool
the Lincoln hands down
Sweet =)
The advertisement that starts at 0:43 is gorgeous. It could hang in a museum.
Imperial had some awesome ads
#1 The Chrysler closely followed by the Lincoln - just because it’s a Chrysler but the Lincoln’s beautiful too! #2 The 59 - my birth year and those fins, those fins, those fins ………😍 TBQH, I’d love any of these Atomic / Jet Age cars.
I would choose the 1962 Imperial all day long. It doesn't have the life-threatening fins of the 1961 cars, but it still looks like someone studied every curve on its surface. I have always liked the headlights.
Wow. What a work of art that model was. The front headlights are particularly unique---sort of a throwback to the 1920s. I was surprised to see the exterior door handles---they are what all American cars adopted in future decades. Great video showing excellent close-ups of the car's styling. Sad to see these luxurious beauties have gone the way of the dinosaurs.
Which of the three 1962 luxury cars would I rather have? Hands down it would be the timeless '62 Lincoln Continental. That slab-sided four-door has, in my opinion, never been improved upon. It's perfect styling still looks undated and "iconic" sixty years later.
Great choices, that’s what me and the owner were talking about how the big cars are very rarely seen like I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a 1959 Cadillac at a car show. Wonder why
@@What.its.like. I recently visited a doctor's office, and the one piece of art on his waiting room wall was a huge framed color photo of the tail fin of a "59 Cadillac (Eldorado?). He said I was the only patient he'd had who ever commented on it!
😍Beautiful Imperial, really enjoyed this vid!!!👍
Glad you dig this episode there’s one more forward to a car coming but it’s probably gonna be this weekend I might rearrange the schedule around I forgot discussion episode Friday that’s going to be a controversial one.. lol but I feel like the base will mostly be in agreements with it
@@What.its.like. 👍👍
I don't think that I've ever seen any cars come from the factory with a bug screen. That is something that the dealer might install for the owner or someone else would install it. Chrysler would never send a car from the factory so unsightly. A factory one would would have a better fit and trim. And, yep, it is a bug screen, to protect the radiator from bugs. Although the bug screens may stop the bugs, even clean they reduce airflow through the radiator. They do need to be cleaned, but they are easier to clean than the radiator.
If you look closely at radiator fins, you will see that each fin has it's own fins. If this car had air conditioning, the condenser is coarser and has simpler fins than a radiator. The condenser will catch some bugs, but the majority goes into the radiator and plugs it up. As the condenser is best open to the air, if a bug screen were used, it should be placed between the condenser and the radiator.
If I wanted fins, I'd get a 1957-8 Imperial. I would probably would have preferred the "Green Hornet" era Imperial and get a 1964-6.
The extra button on the floor is the radio's wonderbar feature. It's a scan feature for the radio and there would be a bar on the radio above the numbers that would do the same thing..
Caddy still holds the fin record with the 59. They were so huge it took several years for them to shrink to vestigial fins. The tailights on this are the "Bomb Site" design. That's a very significant design feature..
Stunning, now. Weird back in the day. I can appreciate it now.
It’s amazing isn’t it what was considered uncool is now cool
I owned that very car for many years... the other button on the floorboard actually changes the radio station to presets, a system driven by gears attached to strings in the radio somehow that broke, but if you stab it with the radio on the dial should still spin!
Awesome thank you so much for sharing that information =)
In some cars that 2nd switch on the floor was a radio control changer . You press it and it changes the channel. You can search for a station you like without taking your hands off the wheel.
This is one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen!
I hope I did it justice by showing all the lines
Some of your illustrations show the 63 model, which has a a different grille and taillights as the most obvious difference. You compared a 61 LeBaron with a 62 Custom, LeBarons in all years 60-63 had a small rear window other Imperials had the wraparound rear window .
Yeah that was a mistake I was looking for a picture that was in focus I wasn’t really paying attention to the car because I Google search the 62 and 63 showed up I’m sorry about that
My '65 Crown Coupe has an all leather interior with a real wood dash and trim. The 413 V8 is just as smooth now in 2024.
I had a '63 LeBaron and wish I had it back. One of the best cars I have owned. By the way mine had the separate rear air conditioning unit and a few other options but weighed almost 6000lbs with me in it. It was a full tank of gas and everything in it as it was supposed to have. It also had a dual inline 4bbl on a 413 high compression engine and still managed 15mpg in town if driven gently. The highway mileage was 16 until you went above 70. Then it started dropping a little bit. Top end was 130mph.
Oh wow thank you so much for sharing your car with us and experience. It sounds like it was a great Boulevard cruiser
Hi Jay, the extra button on the floor is for the search and seek a.m. Radio you push that he goes to the next strongest station. Hope this helps. I totally enjoy your presentations. Take care.
Thank you for that information glad you dig this channel =)
My Dad had a number of used Imperials '57 - '63. My favorite was the '63 because it was sleeker, having no fins or lights on the rear fender. The pod fornt lights were fashioned after older lights on cars. I always thought of these cars as tanks that went like rocketdhips
Awesome memory =)
During these years the Imperials and Continentals were just supreme pieces of engineering and craftsmanship. Their looks were very different, but the cars were absolutely awesome. I tend toward the Imperial, especially '62 and '63, but objectively choosing between these two is difficult. Cadillacs of the era were nice, but they did not rise to the level of design, engineering or build care of the other two. They were really more like super flashy Buicks.
My Uncle had one of these in Green, also the 2nd button on the floor was for changing the radio
My Uncle had a metallic pink '61 4-dr sedan that had belonged to Doris Day. Moving from California to Edmonton AB Canada, he had it shipped north where I got to see it.
Did being owned by a star add to its value?
Was it traded in at Hugh McColls Southpark Motors on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton. I recall seeing such an Imperial on the sales floor around the middle of the 1980’s if I remember correctly about the time. Definitely a pink Imperial 1960 something.
The photo of black car at end of presentation is a 63, not a 62.
The other button on the floor changes the radio station. At each depression of the floor button the right tuner nob on the AM radio rotated and tuned into the next station. Allowed you to scan stations without taking your hands off the wheel or eyes off the road.
Thank you for doing this video
Gorgeous car!!!
Notice the trans has no park. You would leave it in gear and put the brake on. When starting put it in neutral. Chrysler was the last of the Big 3 to add park. We had a 55' Rocket 88 Olds when I was a small kid, it had no park, then when my father got a 62' Olds 98 it had a park.
Thank you so much for sharing that information =)
one of the most beautiful cars to ever be built in the US. The only thing that would have made this car better would be if Chrysler had continued to build, offer, improve and enlarge the 392 Hemi. Still to this day a very good, reliable, efficient, and well engineered power plant.
Another great review! This Imperial brings back many memories!
That’s awesome =) glad you dig this episode
1962 Lincoln is superior (except for the Imperial's handling and wider seats). Black car with foreign license plate is actually a 1963 Crown. Wraparound C-pillar was only found on LeBaron model and had a poor quality execution with hemp and solder (bubbles noticeably underneath the paint over time). My favorite is actually the earlier 1960 Imperial.
The floor switch was to change radio stations. Imperial was such a fine car.
Gotta go with Lincoln and the more refined 63 Imperial.
Thank you so much great choices
Pretty good review, too bad you kept using a 63 photo for most of the 62 feature. Considering most people don't have any clue about Imperial I give props to you for being enthusiastic and informative! Very few discrepancies concerning accuracy, a really well done video. Keep 'em coming!
Thank you for pointing that out I was looking to see if the picture was in focus thank you for catching that I hate when that happens that was a mistake
@@What.its.like. keep up the great videos, I enjoy your content and appreciate all your efforts!
They blow one of these up in a Magnum P.I. Episode. Almost made me cry.
Wow I probably would have cried these are great cars...
Thanks Jay for a glimpse of an iconic old school luxury car -- the '62 Imperial. Love the old Lincolns, Cadillacs and Imperials back in the '60s. Great job as always!
Thank you glad you dig this episode
The second switch on the floor next to the bright dim switch is to change Chanel’s on the radio.
BTW, were you aware that to this very day *Mercedes-Benz still uses pneumatic (not electric) power door locks?* They started this practice in the 1960s when American companies were doing the same but they're one of the few (only?) not to have gone electric. The advantage is that it is VERY SILENT compared to electric motors forcefully slamming about.
That’s interesting 🤔 I didn’t know that
They also bought Chrysler’s climate control back in the day.
Those old vacume locks were lame.
When the electric locks work, you know because of the "thunk." Having driven limousines for a long time years back, the Mercedes locks ran out of air sometimes if they'd been used alot when the car was turned off, which happened a lot, especially as the car aged. Our service did our own maintenance and the pneumatic system was a real pain sometimes being very complex.
Id take the 63 imperial over all of them. I have a 62 sedan deville, a 63 lincoln, and i had a 66 imperial for a few years. Best car ive ever owned, period.
That’s awesome thank you so much for sharing your experience. How did the imperial ride over the Lincoln and Cadillac. Why did you think the imperial is better ?
Asking the MAN who has owned them all lol (packard slogan)
@@What.its.like. the Imperial handled better than the Caddy or Lincoln, the Imperial had more torque, and it somehow provided an impression of higher quality. Lastly, the sound of the starter cranking that 440 on a cold winter morning took me back to a magical time in my life.
It’s as if a car was designed while tripping on LSD. Honestly, I don’t remember ever seeing one of these when I was young. I was 6 in 1962. Compared to the elegance of a ‘62 Lincoln…
LSD was legal at the time these cars were produced
@@ericruud9328 I don't know.
Totally unique Exner style! So much going on , it's one if those that the more I look the more I appreciate it's uniqueness! I like the clean style if the Lincoln, but would choose the Caddy(although I'd prefer the convertible). Of the Imperials, I'd take this one, the color and finish is gorgeous 🤩
The imperial is a bit out there it’s an acquired taste but I will tell you it looks a whole lot better in person than I did on the screen but on the screen was able to see more lines than I did when I saw it in person if that makes any sense
Early 60s Continental simplicity and elegance Eclipsed Imperial & Caddy
I just didn't see the Park function button anywhere.She did look outdated against the Lincoln that had a much sober styling and the Lincoln would be favorite but the Imperial has great personality and character.
that extra switch on the floor of the Imperial was for the radio's seek/scan.
Awesome thank you so much for that information
The other floor button controls auto pilot. (It was on the page with what all the dash knobs do.)
that Imperial Custom is beautiful Jay. I like the oval steering wheel and the dual outside mirrors.
This car it was absolutely stunning I did one other Virgil Exner forward look design at the car show it’s not going to come until next week it’s a stellar car it’s a 1960 I believe.
Though all on one platform & cowl, the '57-9 design era stressed backward sweep; '60-'3 swept forward; '64-6 by Elwood Engel (late of Ford) showed squared '61 Lincoln roots.
8:27 I believe the other "floor button" is to advance the radio to the next preset.
Ooops. I see someone else beat me to this answer.
Thank you
6:10 Headlamps from a 35' Chrysler with added trim rings.
Most people believed that the 1962 and 1964 Imperial dual port grille (split grille) came from Pontiac (GM). Actually Chrysler and Imperial had this styling feature in 1955 and 1956. Pontiac not until 1959.
Most people believed that the first American auto to have three tail lights of alternating red white red was the 1958 Chevy. Actually DeSoto had this in 1956. The tail lights were vertical. Chrysler Corp tried red white red tail light designs later in the 1960s and 1970s. People thought they were "copying" Chevy styling. GM so dominated automobile sales back then that people always assumed that GM was the pioneer even when they were not. The 1958 Ford also had red white red tail lights. Who remembers?
In the late 1950s headlights were mounted high, as in the 1957 Chevy. In 1960 Ford, Chevy, and Plymouth had their headlights mounted low. (Dodge Dart still had high mounted headlights. Dart was considered best looking low priced 1960.)
This high mounting of headlights in the early and mid 1950s may have been due to legal requirements. I'm not sure.
Looks BMW.
Awesome information and insight
I owned a used '66 Imperial Crown (4 door hdtp, but NO a.c. even!) These were REAL QUALITY CARS!
Awesome what do you miss the most about your imperial?
@@What.its.like. The SOLIDITY AND (for a HUGE car) AWESOME HANDLING AND POWER! This "big rig" COULD/WOULD "DANCE"! It was also QUALITY MADE!
@@What.its.like.I MISS THE IMPERIAL! These were AWESOME cars!
These cars were the cream of the crop in the sixties. Imperial, Cadillac and Lincoln reigned as the best and most opulent you could get. Most cars back then didn't come with power windows, air conditioning, cruise control, power breaks or even an FM radio. Cars were basic. Some only coming with a manual transmission or a standard V6.
Agreed some even still offered flat head in-line sixes in the early 60s
My dad sold cars in the late 60s /early 70s. He bought a 62 Imperial convertible home one day. It had power everything, including leather bucket seats.
Your dads car sounds awesome how long did he keep it for did you guys dig the car
@@What.its.like. Pretty impressed with the car, I think it was only one day or two. I'm sure it sold pretty quickly.
Those head lights are definitely a unique styling touch and Chryco went with the "floating look" or simulated floating look before. On the 59 Fury, the black mesh behind the grille is supposed to give the illusion that the headlights and front emblem are floating on the grille at a distance.