I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for Mopar four-doors; I currently own a 1965 Dodge Custom 880 six-window sedan with a 383 two-barrel that I rescued out in Juniata County, Pennsylvania for $500, and a 1981 Chrysler LeBaron Salon 4-door sedan with the 225 Slant Six that I rescued out of a junkyard with my dad. Having said that, I’ve always liked Chrysler’s R-body cars; they are a rare and cool sight on the road today (I’ve only seen a couple driving around today). This particular R-body is a 1980 Chrysler Newport four-door sedan, and has only covered 8,696 miles in its 37-year life. Find it here on eBay in Chester, New York, with reserve not met.
After its full-size C-bodies flopped in 1973 due to the OPEC oil embargo, Chrysler was facing an increasingly worrisome organizational and financial situation. Unable to fix the mounting difficulties beyond unsuccessful sales incentives, chairman Lynn Townsend took early retirement and left the reins to John Ricardo. By 1976, Chrysler had exhausted its cash reserves and had to pay for all operating costs with purely sales revenue. Ricardo, trying to right Chrysler’s ship, attempted to seek a bailout from the Federal government to the tune of $7.5 billion, but President Jimmy Carter immediately turned him down. Then in 1977, GM released new, radically downsized standard cars which were nearly 10 inches shorter and lighter by almost 700 pounds. The Chevrolet Caprice, one of GM’s newly-downsized full size cars, won Motor Trend Magazine’s Car Of The Year Award and quickly became the best-selling car in America. Lacking the resources for a similar undertaking (GM had spent $600 million on the project), Chrysler was forced to respond in a more modest way.
After the full-sized C-body Dodge and Plymouth lines were dropped for 1978, the R-body project commenced. Essentially taking the old B-body platform that had its origins in the “downsized” standard Plymouths and Dodges of 1962 and grafting a new, more modern body onto them, the R-body retained a heavier “big car” look on the R-bodies with blocky, imposing lines. The R-body replaced both the C-body and old B-body cars, killing two birds with one stone; unfortunately, Chrysler’s dire financial situation turned worse, leading to Chrysler filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and chairman Ricardo resigning in February 1979 (he would be replaced by Lee Iaccoca, who was recently let go by Ford; Iaccoca would later save Chrysler with the smaller, FWD K-Car lineup and its minivan offspring). As a result of Iaccoca’s arrival, the R-body Chryslers would only be built from 1979 to 1981. This 1980 Chrysler Newport is one of 15,061 built for 1980, and is in all-original condition. The car features a beautiful two-tone gray and dark blue paint scheme (with very few minor imperfections, I may add), and features a padded vinyl top, unusual and cool pin-striping, dual remote side mirrors, intermittent wipers, and steel wheels with deluxe hubcaps wrapped in all-original white-line tires. I love the colors on this car, and though I traditionally prefer cars without vinyl tops (vinyl-topped cars typically are a goldmine for rust), this one’s gray top is sharp. I would store the original tires and swap on a set of new white-line tires.
Underneath, the car is in good condition, with only minor surface rust on some spots. Unfortunately, the seller provides no pictures of the drivetrain, but does mention that the car is equipped with the optional 318 V8 and three-speed Torqueflite automatic transmission. Rated at 120 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque, the 318 V8 is not much for power (especially considering the 318, like Chrysler’s other engines available at the time, was equipped with its Lean-Burn system), but the car should have decent pick up. The seller says that the car “runs and drives flawlessly” and “can be driven any distance with complete confidence”, recently installing new brakes calipers and wheel cylinders and flushing the radiator and cooling system while adding a new thermostat. I would suggest to the future buyer to take this car out for a drive once in a while, just to stretch out its drivetrain’s legs and make sure everything is in running, working order.
There are nice interiors, and then there are nice interiors like this one. Inside, this Chrysler Newport features a blue leather interior with a split-front bench seat, blue carpeting with vinyl floor mats (the front ones are there, but I would inquire about the rear ones, as the car appears to have had floor mats in the back seat area at one point or another). Factory air conditioning is a huge plus, and this car is equipped with power windows, power steering, power brakes, AM/FM radio (believe or not, an AM radio was still available in the early 1980s; my 1981 Chrysler LeBaron is equipped with one), and rear window defroster. Much like the rest of the car, the interior is clean and in perfect condition. Overall, this may be the lowest-mile R-body Chrysler I’ve ever seen, and I doubt you’ll ever find another one in nice, original condition. What are your thoughts on this all-original, low mile Chrysler Newport?
Nice find! These are really the forgotten Mopars, aren’t they. In the early seasons of “Murder, She Wrote,” Sheriff Amos Tupper, played by Tom Bosley, drove an R-body Dodge St. Regis police cruiser—the only place I really ever remember seeing one of these cars! What’s always stood out to me about them is the frameless glass with fixed rear quarter windows; really looks weird when the door’s open and the window’s down.
Beautiful car and nice write-up! I love big beautiful MoPars, and the interior on this Newport is gorgeous. I also love 318s, and I sort of hoard them. My roommate removed the Lean-Burn system on his ’88 Diplomat and switched it over to a traditional carburetor and distributor setup and has been loving it! Of course, Slant 6s are great engines too and many of my friends swear by them. This is a nice looking car and will surely go to a loving home!
I love Slant Sixes as well. My 1981 Chrysler Lebaron Salon sedan is powered by a 225 Slant Six, and I recently read an article on building up a 1962 aluminum 225 Slant Six that made almost 200 horsepower naturally aspirated. I’ve never seen a R-body powered by a 225 slant six, so if anybody knows of a clean car nearby let me know.
I recently purchased a 1980 cream color New Yorker Fifth Avenue 360 V8 with 15K original miles. I personally Not a fan of Chrysler products but the car is Not bad as classic collector cars goes.
I managed a fleet back then
Cars had poor resale and awful gas mileage to say nothing of the lack of overdrive
GM’s full sized cars did not get overdrive until 1981…
I worked for dealer, we couldn’t sell them partly due to the poor quality and also the gas shortages that year. The first cars that came off the truck had door handles breaking off and glove box doors breaking when opened. The aluminum trim also was of very poor quality and was oxidizing on one week old cars. I remember how dissapointed our salesmen were with these cars. By Summer of 79, we were giving them away at way below cost and still had a hard time moving them. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and own a St Regis myself.
I live near Chester if anyone would like me to go check this out for them.
A friends Dad had a red 1980 just like this one.It was a really good car and actually lasted over 10 years here in the rustbelt. I had a Aspen with the 318 lean burn as well and had great luck with it.
Nice find! These cars were built during a period where quality control was non-existent at Chrysler. I recall seeing a Plymouth Horizon TC3 on a dealer’s lot with a Dodge Omni 024 nose, and a Newport with one St. Regis taillight. There were design issues, too. The early ’79s had a two-inch gap between the weatherstrip and door jamb.
The owner of a brown ’79 Newport in my neighborhood went as far as to tape a note in the rear window that read “This car is a lemon” and proceeded to list the issues. The list covered most of the rear window.
It’s amazing that any of these survived at all!
Couple things, Chrysler Never went Bankrupt in 1979. They avoided Bankruptcy by negotiating with a group of Banks for a Line of Credit. That line of Credit was Guaranteed by an act of Congress. It’s known as “The Bail Out”. No investor lost money, no bank lost money and the government didn’t lose money either.
Additionally, you failed to recognise that the car had a larger size than the 79 Ford or 79 GM cars but achieved about the same MPG ratings due to it’s low weight, Chrysler’s approach was “weight reduction” not “size reduction”. This resulted in quality issues to the R body, too much cheap plastic and too much weak aluminum. Buyers were turned off. The R body was a flop in the market place. Finally, the introduction of the 1974 models wasn’t a flop. They sold significant numbers of those cars. The c body was a gas guzzler and all large American cars at the time didn’t sell well. But Chrysler Corp Dealers also had Darts and Valiants and mid-sized cars and imports to sell. Chrysler Financial Condition was more of the effect of heavy R&D spending on Horizon/Omni and K Cars as well as Aspen and Volare Recall costs. You significantly overate the lower than anticipated sales of C body cars. (I own a St Regis and Royal Monaco btw, love these cars)
Just a comment about saving old tires to add value on resale. If I was buying a car, and someone had the old tires, I would say no thanks to them. You will never use them, and even if you wanted to mount them, it would prove just about impossible. Most tire places would not touch them, and even if they did, the tires would fall apart getting mounted. Had a set of Goodyear wing foots that looked like new, but big chunks of them started breaking off on the tire machine.
Growing up my parents had a tan one – 76 I think? Anyway, it was the same color police used for unmarked cars. Going down a highway with the car was horrible. Everyone around us would slow down thinking we were an unmarked car – or I guess to keep the vernacular of the day ‘A smoky in a plain brown wrapper.’
Where is Ricardo Montalban I’m sure he would want to be informed
Deceased, isn’t he?
I was never a Chrysler fan, but felt they did a great job hiding the fact that this was the old intermediate frame with a new body. I especially like the Dodge St. Regis and Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenues of 1979-1980. I also like the fact they still kept frameless door glass like a hardtop where GM and Ford went to full frame sedans. Such a shame that Chrysler came out with two new full size models in the 70’s, just at the wrong time (1974 & 1979 model years)
Sledgehammer drove a green St Regis in the two seasons that the show was on in I think 1986, 1987. Also I went on a police ride along in December 1981 in San Jose, California and the officer had a 1980 or 81 St Regis with the 318. This thing was a slug. His partner had a 79 St Regis with a 360. We decided to have a little race back to headquarters. His partner gave us a four car lead. On takeoff, we just poked along as his partner flew past us. This poor officer had his foot in it and this car was just too slow. Loved his partners 360 St. Regis though.
You can buy both seasons on DVD at Wal-Mart for $10!
These cars were every bit as good, if not better than the downsized cars from GM and Ford. I had one, 1980, it was red over burgundy. With red leather. I put almost 130k on it with no problems, but being in the NE, tin worm took it prematurely. I think the major reason these didn’t sell better was Chryslers financial condition. Seen it several times before. Remember the last several years of Studebaker? They were building some of the best looking, and best engineered cars, but couldn’t give them away because the public feared they wouldn’t be around to honor warranty claims, or for parts support. I’d love to have this!
You really have to watch for these old cars with low miles. They will need a LOT of work, including all rubber bits to maintain their road worthiness.
Got my first speeding ticket from a cop in one of these. Yes, it was a Newport, not a St Regis. For some reason Nassau County (NY) police used the Newport. NY State police used St Regis.. This was in ’80 and my friends an I were late to a showing of the Steve Martin move, The Jerk.
This was my first car i owned and learned to drive. I would love to own this car!!! I cried when i had to sell mine when it broke down to buy another that ran. And my next car was a 1984 Honda accord…waaaay smaller…i hated it!!!