We’ve seen a few examples of this unique and/or unusual model in the past here on Barn Finds, but none in this bright color of Scorch Red. One account is that there were 965 two-door hardtop cars and 175 convertibles that had the Sportsgrain option, which was reportedly $126. They were only made for two years (1968 and 1969), so this 1968 Chrysler Newport Sportsgrain Convertible is a very rare model. Even rarer is the last gasp for this model in 1969, and sales numbers were said to be so low that they didn’t even keep a record of them.
You can see some bubbling or lifting of the woodgrain on the passenger door. We know that this car has one at least one repaint but we don’t know if the woodgrain is new or original. Some thin whitewall tires would help the look a lot, in my opinion, and I really like the look with the rear fender skirts in place. I know they aren’t everyone’s favorite feature, but I really like the sleek look. Not sleek is the underside, which shows heavy surface rust. Kudos to the seller for including so many great photos.
A Code 302 White convertible top provided the shade and weather protection for this unique, bright, eye-catching, and almost loaded car. The seller says this Newport Sportsgrain Convertible has been part of a collection for years but isn’t in show condition. They mention it having had one repaint and it sure is a unique combination to have a red car with woodgrain trim. I think that other colors may have worked better, contrast-wise, but this car would have a crowd around it at any car show, grocery store, or gas station, especially with the top down.
This car has what Chrysler coded as E5R, a front all-vinyl bench seat – standard on convertibles – and this one is in red. The back seat looks good but oddly enough, has a few seam separations whereas the front seat looks like new. It’s usually the opposite. The ribbed vinyl in front appears to be a different texture so maybe it’s been replaced? This car has optional power windows, what the seller refers to as “factory” air-conditioning, which may be a dealer add-on. One of you will know, but by 1968, I would assume that Chryslers had integrated AC if it was a factory option.
The engine is Chrysler’s 383-cu.in. OHV V8, this one in two-barrel form, which had 290 (gross) horsepower and 390 (gross) lb-ft of torque when new. It sends power through a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission to the rear wheels and this one has AC, although it isn’t cold at the present time. This example runs and drives well and the familiar seller has it listed here on eBay in Ocoee, Florida, and they have a $20,968 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer. As a reference, Hagerty is at $17,100 for a #3 good-condition car, but without the Sportsgrain option. Any thoughts on this model?
What a cool car. It’s such a weird idea to put the woodgrain on a convertible. But that’s what makes it interesting, and obviously so rare, as Scotty mentions.
Unfortunately the condition of this car really holds it back; but, maybe there is buyer out there willing to drop 21K for something this rare, what do I know?
I do know that the 67/68 Chryslers are all really nice automobiles. They have excellent build quality, reliable and powerful drivetrains, and great ride and handling. My 67 Newport is my favorite…I like it better than my Riviera. And I paid $1250 for it 5 years ago.
Is that Scorch Red beauty yours, Rex?! That is one gorgeous example of design perfection!
Scotty, when is the thumbs up button going to be fully functional? I am getting around 20% success with it.
I am not used to having a raised finger not being acknowledged.
Ha, I’m not sure, it doesn’t work for me either. I miss it and feel guilty when I can’t give a thumbs-up to folks commenting.
I wish there were more classics that nice for that price… sweet car :)
I owned a white 68′ same as your Rex!
Nice car Rex. Not sure but didn’t Chrysler slap wood grain on a Sebring convertible during its nineties renaissance?
It’s worth re-telling this story. I was visiting up in Columbus, Ohio, and doing some work up there in the summer of 2018. I saw this Newport on a busy street up there, and thought it was interesting. But, at that time I had bought a ’66 Volvo 122 out of West Virginia, and was re-commissioning that car (in Columbus) to run in the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Kickoff Rallye that year. So, I didn’t give the Newport a second thought.
My wife and I successfully ran the Rallye (our third time), and I sold the Volvo and returned to Tampa. Came the summer of 2019, and lo and behold the Newport was still on the street. So, I left a note on the car, and the owner contacted me almost immediately, saying he had to move, and the car wouldn’t start, everything was dead. I met him at the car, looked it over, and saw what a nice car it was. But electrically it was stone dead. So I asked him “How much do you want?”. He says “I don’t want no lowball stuff”. “OK, OK”, I said, “Tell me how much”. He says: “$1500”.
In an uncharacteristically lucid moment, I reply “Well, it doesn’t run, and we don’t know what’s wrong with it. How about $1250?”. “OK, that’s fine” he replies. I went back to my AirBNB, and looked for a website/forum on the car, which led me to the FCBO (For C Bodies Only forum). I got a username and password, and posted “NO JUICE AT THE KEY”. 5 minutes later I had six gents posting the answer: the ammeter in the dashboard had fried, and that knocks out all the juice to the car. A quick by-pass tutorial and all will be well again. The next day, I performed the easy bypass, and VOILA! the mighty 383 fired right up.
Once back in Tampa, I re-commissioned the car, ran it 100 MPH down 528 out of Cocoa Beach, and have enjoyed the car ever since. Every classic car guy should get one!
Same here Scotty I miss the thumbs up!!!
And as for Rex, he has a couple of very nice vintage Mopars. Buy I agree, the red two door hardtop has some beautiful lines. These are amongst my favorite generation of Chryslers.
Thank you gents for the kind words. Yes, that is my Newport Custom. It came out of the factory in that celery green color, but underwent a color change at some point before I acquired it. I like the red.
I really like this. The rust underneath looks like mostly surface rust to me. This car looks like an “almost” survivor, except it’s been repainted. If I could get it for about 4 times what Rex paid for his, I’d be interested. I’d just cruise it mostly as it is, although for some reason I get the urge to put dual glasspacks on it.
I’d want to get the air working too, mostly as a novelty – “Wow, the AC works!”. That big old cast iron AC compressor looks like a beast. What do you think that compressor weighs? 50 lbs?
Side note, I was an 80’s kid and did not know Newport’s existed until I saw one in the scrap yard that I was working at about 10 years ago. It was the green color Rex mentioned and looked like it may have been in decent shape before the crane grapple caved in the top when it lifted it off the guy’s trailer. I bet all it needed was a transmission and some tinkering, but that’s just a guess based on my own personal Chrysler ownership experiences.
Back in the very early 1980s a buddy of mine bought a teal green woody 2dr hardtop for $100 ; it was in nice shape, but it had a broken torsion bar – he pulled the 383 to put in his 66 Charger that had a blown engine , and promptly junked the Newport- If only we had known how rare they were ! .
RARE Chrysler and even the 383 2bbl had lots of punch!
That York-style compressor is the hallmark of add-on A/C. A ’68 Chrysler product with original equipment air conditioning would have had their familiar V2 compressor on it, so this is most definitely NOT a “factory air” car.
Thank you, sir. I thought it would have been the V2 compressor in this era.
When i was born in 1975 i came home from the hospital in a dark blue 2 door hardtop. We had that car till i was 5. I loved it!
Wow, I don’t remember ever seeing this unusual woodgrain/red/convertible combo. Not sure what to think about it, but I am sure there are plenty who love it!
I want to be careful not to offend anyone here. To me this asking price is to high. I think 8-10 grand is more like it. It’s going to need considerable refurbishment at high dollar cost. Now as gas was about .35 cents per U.S. gallon in those days people who bought these cars weren’t concerned with 8 miles per gallon that these cars consumed. My oldest brother (RIP) was a Mopar lover since he bought his first new car a 56 Plymouth Belvedere in a flashy shade of green. In 1960 he bought his first Imperial and again in 65. He loved the Jack rabbit take offs from red lights. For him there was only 2 speeds; wide open and stopped. For me I worked many years turning wrenches at Ford dealerships and have been a Ford man for the most part but I have owned a few G.M. and Mopar cars over my 77 years. One of which is my beloved 1964 Buick Riviera.
God Bless America
P.s. Rex (Rich) keep getting those great buys and sharing with us lesser morals.
My grade school teacher had a 1968 Newport 2 door hardtop with the sportsgrain trim. Hers was avocado green.
I have seen two of these in person, and I almost bought on in the mid 90’s. I was not a fan of the woodgrain on the convertibles in the 60’s or the 80’s when the K-car LeBaron had wood trim as well. Imagine a car rolling off the truck with power windows and no A/C from the factory. I wonder where it was originally delivered.
Now that’s a land yacht!
The mid to late 60s was a perfect time in car design and manufacturing. All 3, Mopar, Ford, GM all had big beautiful cars with style. Chrysler had a very sexy roofline, as did Plymouth and Dodge.
Chrysler would take one car, like this Newport, change the taillights and grill and viola! A completely different model. Guess it saved on manufacturing costs.
These Chryslers of the 60s were big and powerful and you could order it luxury or sporty or a combo of the two. Can’t do that now.
Auction update: this auction ended with no sale and no bids.