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17.5K Miles and Mark Cross Leather: 1988 New Yorker

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By the time you read this, a very fine and well-equipped Chrysler New Yorker will be nearing the end of its auction, which does have a reserve and a Buy-It-Now of $6,500. The New Yorker, as you might recall, was not the most desirable luxury car ever made and many have ended up in the scrap pile over the years. This 1988 model here on eBay has only 17,500 original miles and is as loaded as it got for a malaise-era Mopar. 

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Although the New Yorker nameplate has a storied history with the Chrysler brand, this era of the luxury liner wasn’t part of the highlight reel. Chrysler was coming off an era of flagship-building on the K-Car platform, which resulted in shorter wheelbases and lower power output. This generation tried to make improvements in the user experience, including features like a digital dash cluster.

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The multi-buttoned Mark Cross leather interior was the big story in models like this one, and the low mileage helps ensure this New Yorker’s accommodations remain in like-new condition. Whether the Mark Cross association helped move cars, I don’t know – but I can certainly see how riding on what amounted to a high-grade leather sofa could entice you to bring one home if comfort was a priority while driving.

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Although there may not be many left in this kind of condition, I don’t think the seller will reach the Buy-It-Now he’s asking for. This New Yorker is likely one of the last ones left in such impressive condition, but the luxury cars that preceded and followed this era are typically more desired for either collecting or daily use.  However, if you’re building a collection of iconic Mopar nameplates, this could be the car for you.

Comments

  1. Avatar m power

    I know most here might not be a fan of these type of cars, but being a product of the 80’s myself, this was one of the cars I dreamed of having. My cousin had 2 of these, a white one and one this same color. Nice cars, did well in road trips and got great gas mileage. And those 2 couches they called seats was probably the best thing I remember about them.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar grant

    It’s a nice example of a used car, and it does look absolutely comfortable. The problem is, these weren’t very good cars to begin with. For 3k or so, you could roll the miles up on it for the next ten years and not worry about running something special into the ground. Alas, the auction is ended, unsold.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Rock On Member

    Man, I would love to have those seats in my den!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bobsmyuncle

      I was just going to post the same but for my garage sitting area.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar geezerglide85

    Good friend of mine had one of these about 12 or so years ago. I think he paid $300. for it. I used it one cold winter day to drive into NYC from Pa. With five of us in it this car rode like a dream. I was really amazed at how quiet it was, handled great, ran great, no problems. I was never a fan of the looks of these cars, but after driving one I could see why someone would buy one.

    Like 1
  5. Avatar Todd Zuercher

    I question whether the ‘malaise era’ is a fair descriptor for the model year 1988. I would postulate that it was more from about ’74-’75 until about ’82-’83. By then cars were getting more power and better quality (relatively speaking) and by ’88 there were a lot of good cars being produced again. I was a Ford kid and really chart the return of decent cars on the rebirth of the Mustang with the GT’s introduction in ’82 and then successively getting better each year. By ’88 (my first year in college), we had EFI, more 4 wheel discs, etc. under a lot of vehicles.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bobsmyuncle

      I fully agree.

      Like 0
    • Avatar RNR

      Agreed – 1988 is too late; I always thought the ‘malaise era’ coincided with the Jimmy Carter presidency, the era so named because of his 1979 “Crisis in Confidence” speech, which became known as the ‘Malaise Speech’ (even though he never used the word).

      Like 0
  6. Avatar Pfk1106

    I had the cousin, dodge dynasty as a company car. It was one of the quietest, most comfortable car I had as a salesman. I really liked the car.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ralph R.

      I’ve had two of these, a 1992 Dynasty, silvery blue with a mid blue interior, .3.3 L V-6;bought from dealer as a demo. at the time I was managing two offices 180 miles apart.I racked up the miles Two round trips most weeks,sometimes three. Very comfortable,good handling, quiet, reliable, ad fantastic traction in snow. sold it to a cabbie with @ 300K., and just about three years old. The second was a ’93 Chrysler New Yorker Salon, Arctic white with red velour interior.
      I got this one used with just under 100K, it too had the 3.3 L engine, and it was a flawless daily driverfor about. 4 years. Always thought these were fantastic, no nonsense, comfy modes of transportation.

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  7. Gary Gary

    I currently drive a 1990 ‘Die-Nasty ‘ as a daily driver. I despise front wheel drive, but, to save the classics (anything rear wheel drive), I’ll tolerate it. And, I have to admit, it really is a comfortable & somewhat roomy driver. With the 3.3 Mopar-built engine, it’s not so bad since these engines have good torque, and can easily keep up with most other vehicles on the road; forget it if it’s anything less with the two 4-cylinder options of that time. I can pull down 26 mpg on the highway and, so far, have had a top speed of 118! Not too shabby for a ‘No-power’, or should I say Mopar?

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Aaron

    I love that paint. It was Chrysler’s Black Cherry and my parents almost bought a Caravan in that color when I was about 12.

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  9. Avatar DrinkinGasoline

    Nice car but I prefer the 80’s Chrysler M-body offerings. That color on a 80’s 5th Ave. or Diplomat….classy.

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  10. Avatar Doc

    I had an1980 Imperial. 1st EFI car. What a POS! In order to drive it I had to disconnect the battery about every 500 miles and reset the computer. It literally fried spark plugs. When it ran, it ran well. Same cushy leather interior. We brought our second child home from the hospital in this one. On the way my wife was saying hurry up! I said, not on the leather, please!.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Alan (Michigan)

    Relisted.

    No bids yet at a starting point of $4K, BiN is $6K.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrysler-New-Yorker-Mark-Cross-Edition-/201656472961?vxp=mtr

    First auction bidding got to $3450, before it fizzled.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Prowler

    A classy ride of the day
    But you could lose the Tokyo by night dash

    Like 0
  13. Avatar Ed P

    I had an ’88 Dodge Caravan with the 3.0 v6 by Mitsubishi, the same engine this New Yorker has. I can tell you, this engine has lots of grunt and can move this car with authority. The 3.0 is long lasting and durable. The only short coming I found in 165k miles is a tendency to leak oil.

    Like 0

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