A conversion of the Cessna 180 or 182 airframe, the Wren 460 featured full-span double-slotted flaps, movable spoilers to assist the ailerons with roll control, and an optional reversible pitch propeller for shorter landing runs.

[1][2] The stall angle of the airfoil was also changed from 16 to 20 degrees by the addition of a drooped leading edge cuff, a modification that would later be incorporated in the standard 182.

[3] The Wren 460, modified from a Cessna 182A, made its first flight in January 1963, and received FAA certification on June 30, 1964.

[1] Despite the publicity of its initial release, few were built due in part to its price, which was over twice that of a stock Cessna 182 at the time.

Unlike the original, the Wren 460P did not have the option of a reversible propeller as Peterson believed it offered too little benefit for its cost.