William Oliver posted shots of this ’62 Chrysler New Yorker wagon working on its tan, which is coming along quite well. This would be the last year that a Chrysler was built with the 126″ wheelbase, which had been the norm for New Yorkers since the Forward Look cars arrived in 1957. And hardtop wagons would be gone in two more years too.
The fins finally disappeared for 1962, after hanging around for a bit too long. There’s only one engine listed for the new Yorker this year, a 340 hp version of the EB 413 V8. Plenty of power for the job. A wagon of epic proportions. Pump up those tires, listen to the 413 come back to life, push D, and take off.
Just needs some polishing. Yeah, that’s all. And some air in the tires.
File under “ran when parked.”
In 1974.
New Yorker, Meh. I could really rock that Lincoln though. Wonder if its for sale.
My dad owned one for 20 years (1977 Town Car with the 460). It’s 20 feet long. It’s a great car to be a passenger in on a long trip. The driving experience is more akin to piloting a ship than anything else!
A sort of fan/booster for hardtop wagons, I thought they had all disappeared by 61 or 62. Chrysler must have held on LONG after every other manufacturer gave that body style up.
The 4dr HT wagons lasted until 1964 at Chrysler. 63/64 got some lower reskinning, but the upper roof, windshield, and glass still shows its 1957 roots.
Not 1957, except maybe in terms of general style. In 1960 all Chrysler products switched to unitized construction instead of the earlier body on frame. The 1963/64 did get a complete new body except for its basic structure including windshield and yes, that fact showed up more in the station wagons which retained the same greenhouse.
Oh, it seems that this was covered here previously, and rather recently.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1963-chrysler-new-yorker-virgil-exner-comes-full-circle-with-some-help/
That is one enormous vehicle. I can only imagine the look on Mrs DougD’s face when I arrive in this 🙂
Looks like it needs a windshield too. (checks internet) Wow you can actually buy a new one for $442.
I know everyone else is looking at a rusty old hulk with a busted windshield, but I think you and I both see this.
I’m with you, JPC, my brother. You’ve got the vision, and I wholeheartedly agree.
Or for $173 you could have the next best thing.
https://ck-modelcars.de/en/eur/p/36958/chrysler-newport-town-country-wagon-year-1962-helltuerkis-white-1-18-bos-models/bos277/
And beige, of course, as was almost everything else Chrysler painted in the early 60s.
Right this moment was the first time I learned that there was a wheelbase difference between the Newport and New Yorker wagons. I was about to contest the 126 inch figure on the wagon, but that seems to be correct. Chrysler often sort of split the difference with a single wagon wheelbase that was long for a Plymouth but short for a Chrysler.
I don’t know much about these, but yes the ’65 and newer C body wagons all used one body shell and the Dodge wheelbase.
These must have been quite the car when new, as my grandfather who was a fairly successful insurance executive in LA at the time followed a series of Buicks from 1949 through 1955 with a 1958 Dodge D-500 Station Wagon (his first car with air conditioning) and a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker Station Wagon, before switching to Lincoln Continentals every other year from 1962 to 1972.
Imagine going from hauling 4170 pounds with a dynaflow and 236 gross horsepower, to hauling 4360 pounds, but with a 3-speed torqueflight and 305 gross horsepower. Must have been a very sporty wagon! The Buick was theoretically nearly as fast to sixty, but I think that assumes using the low range and my grandfather wasn’t a drag racer type, so probably wouldn’t have used low.
More interested in that Lincoln.
Where is the location of that old Chrysler? I’m guessing it’s Memphis, TN – judging by the First Tennessee Bank tower and the stadium in the background – which I think is AutoZone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds.
the stunner
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/comment-image/301273.jpg
Lived in Memphis 22 years, didn’t notice/didn’t want to notice landmarks. Off the top of my head this is close to downtown, at most it is in an area known as Midtown.
Unlike other Chrysler products, I can’t say that I have ever seen one of these in beige, 99% seem to have been white.
I would totally drive that (after some clean-up, of course) I want an old car, but one my family can all enjoy. These did have 3 rows, right?
Some had 3 rows, some only two. The extra seat was an option.
That wagon is worth saving just for the “Astrodome” instrument cluster.
Plus being a giant hardtop, big-block, high trim wagon!
The location is interesting, presumably being so close to the centre of the city it won’t be available for storing old cars forever.
Very cool find!
That is a left nut car for me. Love the ’61-’62 Chryslers. Wonder if an Imperial front clip would fit?
No. The Imperials through 1965 were all still built with the body on frame structure from 1957. One reason they were able to get away with it is that starting in 1957 Imperials had curved glass side windows so they weren’t dated in that way, and the windshield had a leaning back A pillar similar to 1960’s cars, not a vertical or leaning forward dog leg like other 1957 cars. All other Chrysler products went unit body in 1960.
Wow, it still looks beautiful even as a spent heap! Patina? Definitely has that. Is there such a thing as too much?
Yes, it is Memphis. It is downtown Memphis. Some people own entire buildings that are derelict (much like every other building in downtown Memphis) and are basically junk storage.
I always loved these hardtop wagons. I know Mercury had them in the late ’50’s (in addition to Chrysler/DeSoto) as did Rambler, Buick and Olds. GM killed them in ’59 and by ’64 they were all gone. Wonder why, as hardtop sedans kept their popularity until the late ’70’s.
Makes me pine for the one that got away. About 25 yrs. ago, Dad, I and a brother went to the Spring Carlisle (PA) car show. A year before, a guy had a pristine ’64 New Yorker wagon in Champagne with a white top. Brocade upholstery, split seat with passenger recline (rare on a US car back then), in-dash Airtemp A/C, full length roof rack… the works… showroom condition and priced accordingly. Asking price was $9800… a lot of dough for a wagon in the early ’90s. I still remember how the gold badges and scripts retained their finish as if they just came out of the anodizer.
One year later, we returned, and decided to hit the flea market before the car corral. A mistake. When we got to the latter, there was the Chrysler with a sold sign on it: $5500.
No other wagon projected the combination of open air luxury, stateliness, handling and effortless power of these big Chryslers.