(first posted 7/29/2013) Last June 29 was a great day for car nuts in the Quad Cities. That’s because the Antique Automobile Club of America decided to have their Grand National Meet right here, in downtown Moline. I’ll be posting several more articles here about this great event, but today I want to focus on my favorite car at the show: The fin-tastic 1961 New Yorker Town & Country.
The ’61 Chryslers were facelifted versions of the all-new ’60 models that brought unibody construction to the entire corporate line–a big change at at time when most cars on the road still had full-frame construction, save for those funny little foreign cars that were starting to appear.
Of course, the wagons were new as well, and they introduced a neat new feature: pillarless styling. Yes, you could get your Chrysler wagon as a hardtop model! In fact, that was all you could get, as no pillared version was available. It made the 1960 and later models look a bit more dashing than the outgoing ’59s.
Today, everybody seems to hate wagons (well, not me, but the public at large), and I just don’t understand why. They were cool! And what’s the deal about the next generation automatically rejecting and hating what their parents like? I rode in Volvo wagons all through my childhood, and guess what I drive today? A Volvo wagon! Are some folks so knee-jerk that they can’t see a good thing for what it is? Or are Americans just getting too fat for the traditional station wagon?
But enough digression. You can’t change the public’s love for boring, reliable, silver-colored appliances, and that is why CC is so great. You can look at cool and interesting cars all day, just to take your mind off all the Dramamine-influenced modern vehicles you see on the way to work, all quite unlike this 1961 Chrysler, which has style in spades! These wagons were the last Mopars to sport large fins without apology.
While the 1962 models were largely the same, they became “plucked chickens” with fins shorn off. All things considered, they actually looked pretty good, but those fins were so cool on the 1960-61 models.
A Newport T&C was also available, but the crème de la crème was the plusher New Yorker version, which retailed for a then-princely $4,764 (six-passenger) and $4,871 (nine-passenger), and tipped the scales at 4,425 and 4,455 pounds, respectively.
As you’d expect, New Yorkers got lots of extra trim, including bright rocker and wheel lip trim, gold-accented wheel covers and emblems, and this side spear riding the sprouting point of the fins. They were among the most expensive Chryslers; only the 300G hardtop and convertible were dearer. They’re also among the rarest, with only 676 six-passenger and 760 nine-passenger versions built. And that’s why you don’t see these at every car show–to put it mildly.
The inside was just as fancy as the exterior, with cloth-and-vinyl seating, a clear Lucite steering wheel rim, and the most excellent Astro Dome instrument cluster–the coolest dash of the ’60s, in my opinion. I really liked this sapphire-blue and light-blue color combination and matching interior.
This car also has rare factory air conditioning, according to the barely visible announcement on the rear-quarter window: “Air Conditioned by AirTemp.” The option cost $714 on wagons–nearly 15% over the price of the car!
The biggest difference over the ’60 model was the slanted headlights. Unlike the fins, these would return for ’62. Under the hood was a 413 CID V8 with a four-barrel carb, good for 350 horsepower. Dual exhaust was standard on wagons and optional on other New Yorkers.
Ironically, I had my own reverse-CC Effect, having seen a white ’61 Windsor at the Coralville cruise night just the previous evening. We’ll also cover that one someday, but I think the wagon is far, far cooler–which is saying something, since I was drooling over that Windsor, as my uncle Dave, cousin Sara and her husband can attest!
It was just starting to rain harder when I spotted this beautiful car (sadly, it rained off-and-on during my whole time at the show), but I had to get pictures of this Chrysler. I have never, ever seen one of these in person before, and the odds are I won’t ever see another one. These didn’t exactly grow on trees when new, and fifty-odd years of attrition has probably done in most of them. But I found one!
It’s amazing that this was just a fairly ordinary car, except for its trim level, once! A family hauler from another, infinitely more glamourous dimension….
Gorgeous, a stunning car and a beautiful colour.So stylish and glamourous,I’ve always been a wagon fan though I’ve never owned one
Not at all. How many “hardtop” WAGONS were there?
IIRC, American Motors experimented with one about 1959 – and that was the end of it. Except for this.
The ultimate end of this would be a B-pillar-less two-door luxo-wagon shooting brake! Imagine what the Nomad might have looked like if they’d carried the concept forward and given it a roll-down second-seat window…
Oldsmobile produced a four door hardtop wagon in 1957 and 1958.
As did Buick.
AMC had a hardtop wagon on the Rambler in ’56. They were the first.
Mercury had them from ’57 to ’60… and built 2 door hardtop wagons too!
Though owned by Ford Motor Co, Mercury’s were similar under the hood but the sheet metal was another thing. Mercury offered up hardtop wagons in the late 1950’sthru 1960 but ford did not..
Kenny.
Yes it was no ordinary car my dad had a 61 Chrysler Wagon red with black
roof.383 push button transmission. When he left alight
one day I flew over the back seat hit my head on the back window.would l9ve to fined one.
Gasp! Swoon!! That is one mighty fine find Mr K. Being a pillarless 4-door wagon is the cake; the gorgeous colour is the icing thereon. Delicious!
Wow, this is a good find.
If the owner drove it – and not trailered it – from Connecticut to Moline, I’m jealous. No, not of the bill to feed it, but for being able to cruise such a distance in such style.
Just think, in 50 years somebody will be writing about the F-150 King Ranch and the Ram 1500 Big Horn. That’s a sobering thought!
I’ve never noticed a hardtop wagon from any other manufacturer, and perhaps it’s no coincidence that roof racks don’t seem to be as common on these.
GM had them for a couple of years in the fifties (Buick/Oldsmobile, I think). I agree that a roof rack wouldn’t be a good idea on a hardtop station wagon. That huge opening stretching from the “A” pillar to the “C” pillar has to result in a vehicle that flexes and shakes.
Thanks for that information; I always wondered if another manufacturer tried it. From a quick check of oldcarbrochures.com, it looks like GM only offered them in ’57 and ’58.
The Ambassador by Rambler was available in a pillarless Cross Country (wagon) version for the 1958-1960 model years.
This Chrysler is beautiful!
AMC began offering hardtop wagons in 1956, when the all-new Rambler debuted.
In addition to Oldsmobile offering the hardtop Fiesta wagon in 1957-58, Buick offered the hardtop Caballero wagons during the same years.
Here is a ’58 with a roof rack.
Yes, and notice that the roof rack is over the “C” and “D” pillars.
Apparently AMC knew better than to tempt owners to load up a bunch of gear on the unsupported roof stretching between the “A” and “C” pillars.
Interestingly, AMC saved money on these wagons by not having a dedicated roof stamping. The rearmost portion was an extension that was welded to the sedan’s roof.
Which is why they have the dip in the roof .
Being a unit body the Chrysler ones were probably less creaky than those ’57-58 Olds and Buicks. I remember being in a GM hardtop sedan from around then that creaked around the windows when backing from driveway to street.
Mercury also had them from 1957-including a 2-door hardtop.
I guess there’s nothing new under the sun…
…and tried once and unsuccessfully, there wasn’t much need to go to the well again.
Never noticed (???) the assist handles before that flank the rear window. Cool!
(Former owner, many rears ago, 1960 New Yorker coupe)
Me neither, those are really cool! Fuselage Mopars had something similar, but maybe only on the 9-passenger models. My family’s 1970 Sport Suburban was only a 6-passenger, and did not have the handles.
My heart is going pitter-pat! This car is just … my goodness, words are failing me. I can’t find fault with a single styling detail.
Not even that gaping fish-mouth that is the inspiration for Ford’s current cars? (Here we all thought it was the Aston Martin!). /sarcastic laugh/
“For the man who has everything and just needs something to carry it in.”
Incredible car. So ‘over the top,’ and yet it all works…
“Nothing exceeds like excess!”
I remember sitting in one of these when new (not the station wagon, though). My friend’s dad, a doctor, had recently bought it, and my friend and I sat in the car admiring the amazing domed gauge cluster. The car was in the garage, and turning on the parking lights lit up the cluster like a crystal ball, giving us a glimpse into the future. As an eight-year-old, I was deeply impressed.
This photo does not quite capture the magic.
What an amazing design. I also love the illusion of no steering column. The wheel appears to be part of the instrument panel itself. This whole car is amazing.
Imagine how much effort/time/cost it would take to restore this car: it would have to be astronomical. Restoring a Hemi SuperBird would be a cakewalk compared to this.
This wagon is probably one of those unrestored originals.
This one is better but you would need 3-D Imax to really capture the awesomeness. Click on the image. Notice more electroluminesence around the ignition. And all those push buttons, which I think would have looked more blue-green in real life.
It’s a fascinating story how the “plucked chickens” came about, with the rejection of the all new “S-Series” being replaced by de-finned Dodge Sedans and already finless wagons. However, I prefer the finned ’61s.
Since this is an AACA meet, which I am part of, if this wagon belongs to whom I think it does, it was originally ordered new by Arthur Knorr, a Broadway producer connected to many well known stars at the time. They only made 760 New Yorker wagons in 1961 so it is very rare. It was raining so people kept their memorabilia inside, but if this is the right car, the owner would also display the Captive Air signing that he has, apparently he has restored the tires of the car to original spec.
http://jholst.net/58-service-manual/wheels.pdf
More information and pictures of this car can be found here:
http://www.conceptcarz.com/z19624/Chrysler-New-Yorker.aspx
AACA events are great ways to see period correct cars. In recent years, a Touring (driver) class as well as an HPOF (survivor) class have been added bringing out many cars that may have not received concours restoration but are fine examples. As time progresses, we are seeing more and more late 70s and early 80s cars come in. Hershey in PA in October is not to be missed if you can!
I saw this car in Carlisle in 2012. It is amazing in person. He did an unbelievable job in the resto, and the options were incredible. Dual AC and ram induction!
I remember seeing this car ar the Chryslers at Carlisle show in 2012, too. It was quite a show-stopper!
I Googled that name after reading your post, and based on the auto-based links I found, I would’ve loved to have known Arthur and Ruth Knorr.
Not only did they special order this incredible New Yorker, she also ordered a fully kitted-out Willys CJ-3A Jeep, which was sent to her family’s farm in Pennsylvania:
http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/Siblings/Caprio3A.html
If you follow the link, you’ll see she was very particular about having a certain color, and certain equipment, on what was usually a workhorse…to the point where the equipment doubled the Jeep’s base price.
To make the story even better, the Jeep ended up being sold in an estate sale after Ruth’s death in 1999, with a whopping 1,650 miles on the odometer – and most of the accessories were never installed on the Jeep, much less ever used!
I remember reading about the Knorrs’ Jeep on a Jeep discussion board, back when I was in that community. IIRC, some of the unused accessories are the sole known survivors of little-documented, low-volume Willys utility attachments.
It sounds strange today, to think of PTOs and three-point hitches for a Jeep – but back 30 years ago, old-time Jeep owners thought leather seating and Di-Noc wood-grain appliques on the exterior, positively effete.
Anyway…the circle comes ’round. Twice this Knorr guy’s infected my Internet experience, now….
And speaking of effete…these automotive gems didn’t get here by the hands of gearheads.
Ruth was a former showgirl, and Arthur produced song-and-dance television spectaculars, including Milton Berle’s Texaco Star Theater and the Buick Berle Show, and the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. So knowing they ordered a T&C with dual Quad Cross Ram induction AND a Jeep with a full complement of farm and field implements is just, well, very interesting.
That’s why I say I’d have loved to have at least met them; I admire and am drawn to renaissance men and women…
Cheers for the link, some very nice detail shots of it over there.
Thanks for that conceptcarz link. What an awesome show of exemplary period wagons – wish I was there! And nice photo comparing this one to the also space age 1959 Mercury four door hardtop wagon.
OMG…what beauties.
Nowadays it seems next to impossible to imagine that these cars actually existed.
Such a cool car. I’m a huge fan of the slanted headlight look on these Chryslers. The overall shape and body lines of the car make it, dare I say sexy. Makes wagons of the later ’60s, ’70s, and 80’s look like refrigerators tipped on their sides.
I just want it to be known that I am not a wagon hater. Although I do agree with you Tom that there is a syndrome, affecting many, of hating the car your parents drove. I think that’s why so many people hate minivans today. My mom never drove a minivan or wagon, which is why I think I love both styles so much. She did drive SUV’s and later crossovers. The latter I have little love for.
Very nice and not something I;ll see live very rare cars here the big Chryslers especially wagons sedans we had as no remittance imports but they were hard to get in RHD so we usually got plodges instead.
Wouldn’t think there are too many in Australia either, I’d expect that 95% of American cars imported (usually from Canada) would have been sedans. There were some American cars built here and had wagons as part of the line-up, and I would expect they would have been close enough for any prospective owners.
I remember my great-aunt telling be about a Dodge wagon from a bit before this era (mid 50’s perhaps) that was used as transport for several couples on local farms to a Saturday night dance in a nearby town. They used to roar along at 80-90mph, and when they hit the bridges over irrigation channels it would get plenty of air! I’m not sure if that was a regular thing or not, it doesn’t normally go down to well with passengers
Wow my favorite Chrysler front end with my favorite fins ever. I forgot you could get that combo on the wagons. The 1960 Chrysler sedans had a different front than this, the 1961 sedans different fins.
Everything was made of metal back then, just look at that grille.
Beautiful specimen in a beautiful color, I’m sure this car is worth some serious money. Great find Tom!
Can’t decide which I like better, this New Yorker Town and Country or a Buick Caballero
I love wagons so this vehicle is attractive to me in many primal ways.
But it also reminds me a bit of the new Infiniti QX.
Both vehicles take what is a functional design and encrust it with ornamentation and opulence. Both vehicles attempt to reshape what is basically a wagon design. The New Yorker does it with 1960-era auto design, and the QX is doing it with 2010-era design.
Both vehicles were/are off-the-charts too expensive to really experience daily family life of working class families. Both vehicles were/are glamorous interpretations of suburban life.
The purpose of a wagon is to offer a level of practicality and functionality in a sedan form. A wagon is to be used to occassionally haul objects and amounts too large for a sedan. A station wagon in this form, (with a third seat), is to be a people mover as well.
The 1961 New Yorker wagon and the 2013 Infiniti QX offer to the suburban family of its era an object which both compliments their family lifestyle and labor, and announces its owner’s ability to acquire creature comforts, chrome, and comfort above and beyond what the average family experienced.
There is a reason there are not many of these vehicles around because there are not many buyers wishing to mix practicality with ostentatious display.
Give it a chrome waterfall and its a 50s Buick, give it the Chrysler’s inverted-rounded trapezoid and it could be one of Exners more restrained designs. 😛
Hideous.
Good God that thing is nasty!!! Kill it with fire… please!
Thanks guys. Exactly what I think every time I see one. I just gawk at the awfulness and wonder how any designers could have come up with something like that.
Beautiful. 1961 Chryslers are one of my favorite cars of all time. It probably won’t come to pass, but I would love to own one someday.
So the boomerang taillights from 1960 survived on the 1961 wagon only, correct? The other 61s had that odd two part tailight design with the round back-up light inside the fins. Clever way to update the front by inverting the grill.
As a rule, I have usually preferred the 60 or the 62 to the 61. However, this New Yorker wagon is an exception. I have 2 words. Wow and Want!
Here’s the ’60 version, my favorite.
Yes, I prefer the 1960 also. The angled headlights of ’61 and ’62 just don’t do it for me. Incredible cars.
Oh baby… that thing is sweet!
See, they did come with roof racks. And a really big one too.
First, I apologize for all these comments. Unlike with Disqus, the Edit function disappears in a few minutes here or I would edit and reorganize.
But check out what you got if you ordered the roof rack. One big roof rack and a whole bunch of chrome bars on the roof. I wonder if the parts department sold a special case (probably a big vinyl zipper bag thing, not a hard case) to fit?.
I hear the family dog likes to ride up there on vacations.
What a find! All the comments above made my day! Do not really remember the Chrysler Wagons from my youth, but they sure seem like they had the upper market covered. Would love to see one in the flesh. Thanks Tom and all for the posts.
What a beautiful car! In some ways it reminds me of my 1963 New Yorker wagon that had the same basic body. I’ve never owned a 61, but had a 60 New Yorker 2-door hardtop and a 62 Newport 2-door hardtop. I really preferred the styling of the 1960 over the 61 and 62.
I’m a Ford person myself but I like station wagons of all makes and models from days gone by. I love that blue paint, it just jumps right out at you. And all that chrome and wow, I thought all the fins were gone by 1959. SWEEEEET !!!!! Those look like Cadillac fins. All of the American cars of the late 1950’s and very early ’60’s had so much flare and flash like spaceship like clear plastic steering wheels (wow) and chrome steel dashboards, (probably blinded you and impaired your vision on a sunny day) Big chrome knobs on the switches and radio (knobs that you could use without taking your eyes off the road) No shoulder harnesses or even seatbelts ( I remember having to hold on tight around curves or I would slide all over the place on those pleated rear vinyl seats), no airbags on the left, right ,front or rear ( except your mother-in-law in the back seat), How about those Super-Wide whitewall tires and 20 pound S.S. hubcaps that came off like guillotines going fast around tight corners. OH, and more chrome all-around than you could shake a stick at and let’s not forget those 50’s fins.. What a wonderful time for the automobile in our history. Good Ole’ American cars, built with Good Ole’ American steel and put together by Good Ole’ American union workers. In a Good Ole’ Healthy economy too. I would go back to that in a heartbeat.
Kenny.
Apparently my grandfather who was the CEO of an international marine and construction insurance brokerage had a leased 1960 Chrysler New Yorker Wagon as his company car, after having had a 1958 Dodge D-500 Wagon (his first with air conditioning), and then moved on to 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970 and 1972 Lincoln Continentals. He retired in 1974.
Wow, leasing in 1960 had to be pretty rare, no?
I love wagons.(My Wife doesn’t!) I grew up driving them. My Dad had wagons from 1963. Starting with a new ’64 Tempest to a pair of ’81 Chevy Malibus. The wagon is still around, it’s just called an SUV or CUV.
“Suddenly it’s 1960!” Chrysler advertising slogan for the 1957 winged wonders. But by the early ’60s Chrysler just did not know what to do with those soaring fins as the finned look was definitely out. Still this is a nice car with some interesting design touches.
Stunningly gorgeous, wish I could see more of the interior and dash! Wow, what a looker.
The $4,871 base price for the nine passenger (three better be little kids) model works out to $41,000 in 2018 dollars.
In places like the Southwest (where I was) and probably the South by 1961 air conditioning was a pretty normal option, and probably even more so on higher end cars.
Besides the integrated dashboard air conditioning these also offered dual air. It would have been a not unusual thing (I saw one once back then) particularly in a nine passenger wagon. The freon was piped back to a unit with condenser and fan in it that hung from the ceiling, going all the way across, about between the heads of passengers in the rear seat and rear facing third row. The unit was upholstered like the ceiling, a slightly rounded box, with forward (I think) and rear facing vents.
Oh, I just saw a comment above that this one has the dual air. That should all push the weight up to 5000 pounds (’61Lincoln Continental or pre-aluminum Range Rover territory).
Today really big passenger vans have something similar only ahead of the second row with ducts to farther back and separate controls on it, which the Chrysler one did not have. And regular mini(not really anymore)vans have ducts from the front AC along the edges of the ceiling with a few vents along the way, much like trunk mounted AC units used to have except going in the other direction.
Oh, and I agree – this is one of the most awesome cars ever, and in a great color.
In my “mind’s eyes” I can see an upscale matron, from Scarsdale or Westchester, New York, or perhaps a stylish uptown/Garden District New Orleans Mother driving this station wagon, wearing a fox stole, Jackie Kennedy style pillbox hat, long (almost up the arm to her elbow) white gloves, smoking a Pal Mal cigarette, goosing the gas of the substantial & abundant torque 413 4-BBL engine, late for getting the kiddos to tap dancing or swimming practice session, the front & rear factory air conditioning making her cigarette smoke swirl all thru the voluminous interior of this long roof wagon.
Chrysler didn’t do a very good job of aping the ’59 Buick’s canted headlights. To me, the 1960 Chryslers with traditional, horizontal headlights are much more preferential.
I can honestly say that this thought never would had occurred to me.
Saw this in Carlisle Pennsylvania a few years ago.
how is this possible that this stunning finned creature could sit across the showroom
from the stomach churning 61 Plymouth ?
Opinions vary.
A ’61 Ford Galaxie was hardly a drop dead gorgeous paragon of automotive style.
I’m from a plebeian Ford-wagon background, so these stand out as noticeably plusher–and so much rarer.
I know this DeSoto ad isn’t quite a “match,” but thought I’d share for the unibody factor:
The Blue Chrysler Wagon in pictures above has what I thought were 1960 Chrysler taillights. Did they bring these taillights back for the 1961 Wagon? I never knew this, if so.