Chrysler 1950's models

[Guest straight shooter]

I would like to know in chronological order the cheapest chrysler model to the most expensive. There are so many models Imperial, Newport, St.Regis, New Yorker, 300, Town & Country, Royal, and Windsor. I am confused especially with the 300 and the Imperial, Which one was more expensive and which one is more desirable now a days. Thanks for any help that you can give me.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

You're spanning several different eras of MoPar - from the waning days of the flathead to the early V-8 era.

Generally, here they are from the bottom-up:

Royal (entry level Chrysler, always a six, generally base-level trim, upholstery, and options. Last offered in 1950 (?).)

Windsor thru '54 (upscale six-cylinder Chrysler, physically the same size and shape as the Royal, but with nicer trim and upholstery, and usually more heavily optioned.

Windsor '55- '61 (entry-level Chrysler, replacing the Royal. Now a V-8, non-Hemi. Usually on a shorter chassis than NY'er.)

Saratoga (entry-level eight-cylinder Chrysler thru '54; later Saratogas fit between between bottom-line Windsor and the New Yorker. Usually same body and chassis as the New Yorker, but less opulent trim & upholstery)

New Yorker (premium level eight cylinder car; St. Regis edition indicated special trim package)

Imperial - (Chrysler's top-of-the-Line luxury car, often known as the Crown Imperial, and frequently a long wheel-base model. After 1954, Imperial became it's own division for a while.)

300 -( Chrysler's factory "hot-rod", or muscle car. Based on the 1955 New Yorker body and chassis, with beefed-up suspension and brakes, borrowing the grille from the Imperial, and boasting a Hemi V-8 with two four-barrel carbs, they were rated at 300 BHP. Available only as two-door hardtops or convertibles. From 1956 on through about 1966, a letter suffix was attached to high-performance models, eg: 1956= 300-B, 1957= 300-C.)

As to desirability and value, generally, the six-cylinder cars are at the bottom of the scale, excepting convertibles and the 1946-'48 six-cylinder Town-Country sedans.

Imperials have a nice appeal to fans of luxury barges, but unless the car has a special history, they aren't hugely valuable. '55 & later are probably more desirable, due to improved styling and driveline.

New Yorkers are desirable drivers.

The 300 "letter-car" is probably the most desireable / expensive model out of the bunch, legitimate 1955-57 models can bring six figures.

I'm a little fuzzy on just when, but sometime around 1960, Chrysler began offering non-letter 300's, which offered the look and trimmings of the higher-powered letter versions, but w/o the dual-quad cross-ram, 4-speed transmission, etc.

The 60-'62 non-letter cars are still valuable, but less so than the letter suffix cars.

After 1964, the 300 was mostly a trim package, and the high-performance options had gone away.

They are ALL nice, big comfortable cars, at the upper end of the corporate food-chain, with De Soto, Dodge, and Plymouth underneath, in descending order.

This just scratches the surface, but should give some perspective into the Chrysler hierachy.

A great source of info is "The Standard Catalog of Chrysler Corporation: 1914-2000".

Edited December 22, 2011 by De Soto Frank (see edit history)

[Guest straight shooter]

Thanks Frank your post is exactly what I was looking for and really cleared things up for me.

[John_Maine]

If I'm remembering correctly, I think the non-letter 300 came out in '62.

[NTX5467]

The "generic" 300s started in 1962. Replaced the mid-line Chrysler models. 1963 300s were termed "Pacesetter" 300s. Normal 4bbl V-8s. The Letter Series still had the 2x4bbl V-8s, usually "Cross Ram" intake manifolds, which were unique to the 300 Letter Series cars . . . last model year for them was 1964.

The 1965 Chrysler 300-L was the last in the line. A luxurious factory hot rod! Had a 413 4bbl engine, but still had the HD suspension and brakes (most possibly "police spec", all things considered) of the prior years.

In earlier times, "Newport" was the model term for "Hardtop", just as Buick used "Riviera" to denote the same thing. In 1962, "Newport" became the entry level Chrysler models.

In mid-year 1971, Chrysler revived the "Royal" nameplate for an entry level Chrysler Newport. At that time, all Chryslers had B/RB series engines (i.e., 383, 400, 413, 440), so to get a better price point for the 1971s, the 360 2bbl was standard in the Newport Royal. A little different interior fabric was used too. By 1972, the 400 2bbl V-8 was back as the standard engine in the Newport Royals, with electronic ignition being optional.

For the 1966 model year, you could option a Chrysler 300 to be basically the same as the prior 1965 300-L. 440/365 "TNT" V-8, TorqueFlite, HD suspension (could probably order the Trailer Tow Pkg to get the suspension and brakes in one package . . . except that the brakes were non-self-adjusting), standard bucket seat interior, console and floor shifter, first year for 4-piston front disc brakes (with 15" wheel/tire package). CAR LIFE magazine tested on and dubbed it "300-M", if there would have been one.

300s were "the bucket seat" cars, although buckets were sometimes optional in lower-line Newports. In 1967, the Newport bucket seat option had the exact same seats as the 300 would have, but with Newport door trim panels . . . (I've got a '67 Newport 2-dr hardtop like this) . . . and dash trim. 300s were "the sporty Chryslers", back then. Newport was the "Move Up To Chrysler" model. New Yorker was the "Fancy" Chrysler. Imperial was the "Better Than Cadillac" Chrysler.

Enjoy!

NTX5467

[Guest Erwin_b]

Thanks for the info man!

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Didn't Chrysler further diminish the 300 name with a four-door version around 1969 ?

[Dosmo]

You're spanning several different eras of MoPar - from the waning days of the flathead to the early V-8 era.

Generally, here they are from the bottom-up:

Royal (entry level Chrysler, always a six, generally base-level trim, upholstery, and options. Last offered in 1950 (?).)

Windsor thru '54 (upscale six-cylinder Chrysler, physically the same size and shape as the Royal, but with nicer trim and upholstery, and usually more heavily optioned.

Windsor '55- '61 (entry-level Chrysler, replacing the Royal. Now a V-8, non-Hemi. Usually on a shorter chassis than NY'er.)

Saratoga (entry-level eight-cylinder Chrysler thru '54; later Saratogas fit between between bottom-line Windsor and the New Yorker. Usually same body and chassis as the New Yorker, but less opulent trim & upholstery)

New Yorker (premium level eight cylinder car; St. Regis edition indicated special trim package)

Imperial - (Chrysler's top-of-the-Line luxury car, often known as the Crown Imperial, and frequently a long wheel-base model. After 1954, Imperial became it's own division for a while.)

300 -( Chrysler's factory "hot-rod", or muscle car. Based on the 1955 New Yorker body and chassis, with beefed-up suspension and brakes, borrowing the grille from the Imperial, and boasting a Hemi V-8 with two four-barrel carbs, they were rated at 300 BHP. Available only as two-door hardtops or convertibles. From 1956 on through about 1966, a letter suffix was attached to high-performance models, eg: 1956= 300-B, 1957= 300-C.)

As to desirability and value, generally, the six-cylinder cars are at the bottom of the scale, excepting convertibles and the 1946-'48 six-cylinder Town-Country sedans.

Imperials have a nice appeal to fans of luxury barges, but unless the car has a special history, they aren't hugely valuable. '55 & later are probably more desirable, due to improved styling and driveline.

New Yorkers are desirable drivers.

The 300 "letter-car" is probably the most desireable / expensive model out of the bunch, legitimate 1955-57 models can bring six figures.

I'm a little fuzzy on just when, but sometime around 1960, Chrysler began offering non-letter 300's, which offered the look and trimmings of the higher-powered letter versions, but w/o the dual-quad cross-ram, 4-speed transmission, etc.

The 60-'62 non-letter cars are still valuable, but less so than the letter suffix cars.

After 1964, the 300 was mostly a trim package, and the high-performance options had gone away.

They are ALL nice, big comfortable cars, at the upper end of the corporate food-chain, with De Soto, Dodge, and Plymouth underneath, in descending order.

This just scratches the surface, but should give some perspective into the Chrysler hierachy.

A great source of info is "The Standard Catalog of Chrysler Corporation: 1914-2000".

Frank, that's a nice job of specifying all those different models. Correct me if I'm mistaken here - I was under the impression that the Saratoga series was suspended for the model years 1953-56. I thought that in 1953, the Saratoga was renamed the New Yorker, and that the former New Yorker became the New Yorker Deluxe. And, I believe that the Saratoga - at least for 1951 & 52 - was based on the same wheelbase as the Windsor, which was 125.5". The New Yorkers for 1951 & 52 were on 131.5" WB. Beginning in 1953, Windsors, New Yorkers and New Yorker Deluxes all used the same 125.5" WB. The 1951 Saratoga with the first generation hemi V-8 was referred to as the banker's hot rod because Chrysler put the hot engine in the smallest body produced by the division. The Saratoga series was brought back for the 1957 model year.

Edited December 22, 2011 by 54nuyorkrwagon
clarification (see edit history)

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Frank, that's a nice job of specifying all those different models. Correct me if I'm mistaken here - I was under the impression that the Saratoga series was suspended for the model years 1953-56. I thought that in 1953, the Saratoga was renamed the New Yorker, and that the former New Yorker became the New Yorker Deluxe. And, I believe that the Saratoga - at least for 1951 & 52 - was based on the same wheelbase as the Windsor, which was 125.5". The New Yorkers for 1951 & 52 were on 131.5" WB. Beginning in 1953, Windsors, New Yorkers and New Yorker Deluxes all used the same 125.5" WB. The 1951 Saratoga with the first generation hemi V-8 was referred to as the banker's hot rod because Chrysler put the hot engine in the smallest body produced by the division. The Saratoga series was brought back for the 1957 model year.

'54 New Yorker Wagon -

Thanks for the clarifications - I did not have any of my reference books at time of original post, so was going totally from memory.

Thanks for your input.

[Rusty_OToole]

St. Regis nameplate was first used for 2 door hardtops about 1955. I think they had another model name for 4 door hardtops but don't remember what it was.

[Guest Juan A. Cervantes]

Hey Rusty, you answerd a question for me concerning the trany oil that I'm suppose to put on my trany and the fluid drive on my 1949 Chrysler Royal. You recomended the ISO 32 Grade but I went to Oreillys and they have a AW-32. Does the Aw and the ISO make any difference? I dont want to put something in there that I am not suppose to.

[Rusty_OToole]

AW-32 is fine, AW-22 even better if they have it.

[John_Maine]

I remember the Saratoga name being used in the late 50's-early 60's. I'm thinking it was discontinued in the US when the non-letter 300 came out in '62. However, the name was used in Canada for a couple of years after that as the 300 was not offered there initially.

[Joe Block]

Great lesson on Chrysler

[NTX5467]

Didn't Chrysler further diminish the 300 name with a four-door version around 1969 ?

When the "300" non-letter models were added in 1962, there was even a low-production 4-dr sedan, from what I learned a little while back.

The 1955 was just "300", but the 1956 was the start of the letter series with "300-B". No "300-A".

From about 1963 onward, the regular 300s were pretty snazzy cars. Standard 4bbl V-8s was a part of the image, leaving the letter car 300s to the 2x4bbl V-8s, upgraded suspension, upgraded brakes, and bucket seats as a part of their standard equipment.

Beginning with the 1966 model year, the 300s got different front and rear end treatments (wrap-around tail lights in 1966) which made them a few inches longer than the normal Newports or New Yorkers. 1968s had hide-away headlights and some really snazzy styling (interior and exterior). The unique front and rear end treatments for 300 models carried through modey year 1971. I don't recall a model year 1972 300, but with the compresion ratio drop in 1971, any performance "image" would have been greatly diminished.

The "300 Package" returned in 1979 on Cordobas. As I recall from the Dealer Specification and Color Guide, there were a few options you couldn't get on that version of "300". One thing was power driver's seat, plus vinyl roof and sun roof (although I've seen some with those two last items on them . . . which were probably added "aftermarket" items, I suspect). Exterior color choice was limited, as was the interior choice . . . most I've seen were Spinnaker White with red leather.

The lone engine choice was the 360 4bbl HO V-8 (think "police-spec" engine), in front of a TorqueFlite. Suspension was "HD", with 15x6 aluminum wheels and Goodyear Eagle radials. Chrysler was one of the very few makers who were still doing REAL dual exhausts on their cars at that time. Unlike GM which was using a single converter and a dual outlet muffler. Take one true dual exhaust system, add the appropriate catalytic converters and associated full length head shields, and that was the Cordoba 300 (and police car) exhaust system for the B-platform cars.

In later years, I purchased a 1980 Newport. I noticed that due to the driveshaft hump, the manual seat tracks were barely wide enough to support a power seat motor and cables. With the 360 HO V-8 and its lh converter under the driver's seat, the floorpan was humped to clear the converter, which meant the manual seat tracks were adapted to the seat via a 1/4" plate "horizontal spacer". This puts the seat tracks about 3"apart, not enough room for any power motor items. I found this out when I found a 1979 Dodge St. Regis at Mopar Nats one year, which was a real polilce-spec vehicle. The converter clearance issue also explained why the front floorpan section was a different part number for the dual exhaust cars!

In 1980, the Cordoba was downsized to the Aspen/Volare platform. The base "LS" model had a unique front end treatment, which was very similar to the 1979 Cordoba 300s. A "Cross-Hair" grille area, with a round medallion in the middle, with red, white, and blue horizontal bands in it. It had the look of the 300 ornamentation, but no 300 ornaments. Some hoped that a mid-year intro of a 360 V-8 would happen, but it never did. Next 300 was the fwd LH-platform 300Ms.

If some felt the late 1960s-early 1970s 300s were "diminished", the 300 Letter Club members really, initially, had ill feelings about the LH 300M . . . until something happened to change their minds.

As I read, at their national meet (held at an AFB base in the western USA), they were allowed to run their "Beautiful Brutes" in 1/4 mile races and such. Chrysler reps turned up with a 300M for comparison. Just a normal-spec 300M with the Performance Handling Package (a somewhat rare option, as it turned out later). The article noted that the Chrysler rep took the 300 owners for rides in the new car. After the found out that it'd outrun their vintage cars, easily, and then run all the way to 140mph+ (PHP included V-rated Michelins), they came back and deemed that the 300M was worthy of the name.

From 1966 onward, the key to having a "HP" 300 was in the selection of options. The 440/375 (365 in 1966, due to camshaft specs) was optional, followed by an upgraded, matching TorqueFlite and a standard 3.23 rear axle (Sure-Grip optional). Then add in the HD suspension package . . . or order the Trailer Tow Package with the 440/375 motor and Sure-Grip for an easier way to bundle things up. Bucket seats and floor console should have been standard back then, but in vinyl rather than leather. Then, if it'd pull 5000rpm in high gear, that'd be about 125mph, although the 1969 Dodge Polara 4-dr sedan held the top speed record of about 150mph (with 2.76 axle ratio) until the middle 1980s and Chevy's Z-28 witih the Tuned-Port 350 V-8 came along. No reason a similar spec 1969 or 70 Chrysler 300 could not be spec'd the same for similar results, I suspect.

One thing about the 1969 C-body with the 440/375 engine was that it was tne ONLY year to have Street Hemi mufflers in the exhaust system rather than the normal C-body-issue mufflers.

Sorry I got this deal a little off-track, model year wise.

NTX5467

[TG57Roadmaster]

Here's a bit of a rarity, a '56 Windsor Nassau 2drht, though it's wrongly ID'ed as a Newport, and all dolled-up with options. The detrimmed Nassau 2drht's were only offered in '55 & '56 and priced @ $100 less than Windsor Newports. They lack the heavy, browed windshield tirim, chrome drip rails, and the chrome that surrounds the 3 stars at the base of the C-pillar. They may have had different upholstery, too, but I don't know about that for sure. Curiously, the Nassaus outsold the Newports, but it seems fewer of the former have survived.

TG

[NTX5467]

IF "Newport" = hardtop in those earlier years, then the designation is correct. If the "Nassau" trim was not the same as the normal Windsor, then I suspect the model nomenclature would be "Windsor Newport 2dr, w/Nassau Trim". Kind of like the 1956 Chevy 210s w/DelRay Trim, I suspect. Or the fact that early Chevy Z/28s were "optioned" cars rather than having a unique model designation for them . . . "Z/28" was an option package.

Still, it's a great looking car. Seems like I've seen it before, for sale somewhere? The non-original 2x4bbl setup is what makes me thing that.

Just some thoughts . . .

NTX5467

[TG57Roadmaster]

Before I made the post about the Nassau, I double-checked to make sure it was correct, as I'd worked on a '56 Nassau for a friend around 1990. The '56 Automotive News Almanac and other references name the two 2-door Windsor hardtops as Nassau (Series C-71-1) and Newport (Series C-71-2); the latter series also included the new 4-door hardtop Newport. Those names appear nowhere on the cars, as they were badged simply as Chrysler Windsor, and are so-named in the brochures. Confusing times for naming, to be sure.

That '56 Nassau drove like a dream, and made me long to own any '56 Chrysler ever since.

TG

[Guest another Ratman]

The rarest 1950 Chrysler? Possibly the 1950 Saratoga. Only 1000 made. One year only front end. Last year of the straight eight motor. I've been looking hard for another one for months now and not even a rumor of one other than Miss Daisy. see pics.

Edited January 19, 2012 by another Ratman (see edit history)

[john2dameron]

Trying to sort out Chryslers can get confusing. I'll try to clarify a few things. The Nassau and the St. Regis were two year offerings; 1955-56. The Nassau was the base 2-door hardtop in the Windsor series and the St. Regis was an upscale New Yorker 2-door hardtop. With those two exceptions, the remainder of the Chrysler pillarless cars those two years were Newport 2-doors and Newport 4-doors in both the Windsor and New Yorker series. Nassau was over $100.00 lower than the Newports in the Windsor; St. Regis was about $40.00 more expensive than the NY Windsor. Using 1956 for an example here is the base price of each Chrysler (and Imperial) 2-door hardtop. Windsor Nassau--$2,804, Windsor Newport--$2,941. New Yorker Newport 2-door--$3,845, St. Regis 2-door--$3,889. 300-B hardtop--$4,242. Imperial 2-door hardtop--$5,094, Crown Imperial came in 8-passenger models only priced at $7,603 compared to the 6-passenger 4-door sedan at $4,832. In 1962 Chrysler introduced the non-letter 300 Sport Series in a 4-door sedan, 2- and 4-door hardtops and a convertible. The non letter 2-door hardtop had a base price of $3,323 and the 300-H 2-door hardtop started at $5,090. Incidentally, the 1955 300 2-door hardtop was the C-300, from 1956 through 1965 the letter followed the 300 name and ran from 300B in '56 to 300L in 1965. In 1970 there was a 300-H 2-door hardtop available only in White with tan accents and "H" meant Hurst as the car was built by Hurst Performance Corp. There were only 485 of those produced. It's base price was $5,842. One of my favorite cars was the 1968 Chrysler 300 convertible I ordered from the factory $5,600 (and a very generous tradein allowance, $3,900 for a '65 Cadillac convertible) with a 440 V-8, heavy-duty suspension, heavy-duty brakes and styled steel wheels. The reason I did not get the disc brakes was the disc brakes only came with 15-inch wheels and the styled wheels I wanted were only available as 14-inch wheels.

Edited January 18, 2012 by john2dameron
correction (see edit history)

[TG57Roadmaster]

John that's interesting about a Nassau in the '56 New Yorker lineup, but I can't find any reference

anywhere to such a model, only in Windsor for '55 & '56. Could your post have meant St. Regis in

the NY series and, in your haste to share the info, Nassau is a typo? Happens to me all the time,

but lucky for us there's an "Edit" feature.

Just curious,

TG

[john2dameron]

TG, you are right. That was a boo-boo and I even went back and read the entire post before I posted it and missed that. Nassau was the entry level 2-door hardtop in the Windsor line and St. Regis was the fancier 2-door hardtop in the New Yorker line. Thanks for correcting me. That's what happens when a man should be in bed and is sitting up surfing the internet.

[skyler]

1954 new yorker deluxe convertible, only 766 produced, 1954 windsor deluxe convertible, only 500 produced. the new yorker can go for around 30 k or more and the windsor about 20k. a windsor recently sold for 22k in Pa.. today these are rare cars, the new yorker being easier to find as it has the hemi. in the last ten years i have only seen 3 windsor conv.. one on line selling in the nerterlands, the one from Pa is now in wilmington,NC, and i own one also in wilmingtonNC. a real coincidence that 2 windsor conv's are now 15 miles apart. i will be getting together with the owner of the other one to see it and take some pictures. mine is registered and driven often but his is not roadworthy yet. there also was one for sale in hemmings in La. about ten years ago, but it was in need of a full restoration. when i called about it it had been sold. he was aking 12,500. skyler

[X-Frame]

I was under the impression that Imperial was the top of the line and most expensive model?

I owned three of them in the past... 1963 LeBaron, 1972 LeBaron, and 1975 LeBaron.

In later years the LeBaron name was stuck on a cheaper model car.