Riding in a 124″ wheelbase, stretching out 18.6 feet in length, and tipping the scales at 4,255 lbs. (I’m surprised it’s not heavier), this 1972 Chrysler Newport Royal two-door hardtop is big, bold, and brown. I marvel today at two-door models like this Newport for two reasons – one is its sheer size and two, there isn’t anything made like it anymore. Perhaps the bias against two-door models would subside if they had a backseat the size of what’s in this baby but then this entire design just isn’t feasible anymore – forget that thought. But consider this Newport if you will, it’s located in Carmel, New York and is available, here on craigslist for $8,000. Thanks to Pat L. for this tip!
While the Imperial was still a separate ChryCo brand in ’72, it still got coverage along with the various iterations of the New Yorker and the Newport in Chrysler’s various sales promotional materials. The Newport came in both Custom and Royal trim lines, such as our subject car, and both were spread across two and four-door hardtop body styles, as well as a four-door sedan. The Chrysler brand came in at an eleventh place finish in the ’72 U.S. production chase, behind tenth place AMC. Even if Imperial’s 15K units were added to Chrysler’s total, eleventh would still be home.
Powering this colossal Chrysler is the new for ’72, 190 net HP, 400 CI V8 “B Block” Mopar engine. The mileage recording is only 45K miles and the seller states, “Starts right up…All original except for a new battery, master cylinder, brake lines, brake hoses, rebuild calipers, plugs, and wires, starter, belts, transmission lines, fuel filter, Oil recently changed“. Of course, a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission gets the go to the rear wheels.
Yes, it’s oh-so brown (Chestnut Metallic in Chrysler parlance) but it was a very in-vogue shade 49 years ago. I must admit, I’m not a fan of brown and have passed on cars so finished but this Newport shows extremely well regardless, and wears the shade as if it was designed to do so. The seller indicates that this Newport has been garaged for the last twenty-seven years and noting the old Empire State license plate, it’s probably been off the road for a lengthy stay too. The seller mentions that the vinyl top is “ripless” though a sizeable piece of stainless trim is missing from both the driver’s and passenger’s side flanks (pesky carwash?) He also slides in the comment that this Newport has, “hardly any rust, frame is Rock Solid as is the entire car“. I’d like to catch a glimpse of what constitutes “hardly” – you know, just to verify.
Another surprise is inside – the vinyl upholstery is parchment (white), I wasn’t expecting to find that shade in an automobile of this stature. It looks fine, there is no sign of yellowing which is a malady frequently afflicting this shade. Other color choices were gold (a more likely selection with the brown exterior), green and black. The instrument panel is more austere than I would have thought for a Chrysler of this era but it appears to totally functional. The dash pad and carpet look sound.
If nothing else, this sucker has a Badda-bing trunk but it clearly has many other, more positive attributes. These big domestic, two-door hardtops are going, going, going…soon to be gone. At $8,000, this ’72 Newport Royal is really worth considering wouldn’t you agree?
Great car! I love these old boats. Chrysler did it right in the chassis department too, these handle great for such a big tank. Priced on the high side of fair.
These old boats/ yachts were amazing !
Missing trim and mismatched paint on both rear quarter panels suggest some type of past mishap/repair. Everything else looks okay. GLWTS!! :-)
You missed the big “DING” in the rear bumper. Looks like the owner has snow tires on the rear axle. The Royal Model was the low line Newport for 1972.
The paint work on the rear quarters scares me quite a bit. Rust never sleeps.
The top side looks nice and clean, but given that it’s wearing snow tires, I would inspect the underside carefully before buying.
If I ran a drive-in theater, no way would I let this in without them popping the trunk.
It’s going to look like a big turd coming down the highway.
I hate brown for a car color.
My dad had a 72 newport royal 4 dr sedan green with a green vinyl top. 400. I was 13. I remember the dealer telling us that the 400 was a bored out 383. While waiting for the car I remember sitting in an imperial that was in the showroom and my dad saying the imperial would kill a cadillac. He got newports every 4 years through the 60s and 70s.
When I was 18 years old my girlfriends father ask me to wax one just like this. I did it once and never again. I would rather of waxed a semi.
I had a 72 gran fury with the same Brown paint with a white vinyl top and white interior. Power everything hide away headlights with a 400 and that was a sweet ride. Great riding car just seemed to float down the highway.
My old ’41 Dodge rat truck has a 440 out of a ’71 New Yorker. I’ve read that it was the last of the steel crank high H.P. rated engines ( 335 and 370 that year). In ’72 a slew of smog laws hit and the ratings of most American engines went off a cliff. Input anybody? :-) Terry J
I can’t believe that land yacht only weights 4,200lbs…..mistake maybe?
My 2005 Poncho Grand Prix weighs in at 4,400!! And it’s smaller.
More heavy safety features on the Poncho maybe?
Bad thing about the boats from the 60s 70s is they were one dimensional cars.
BIG comfy rides but u better hold on if you’re on a curvy road.
I was amazed the first time I pushed the 2014 Challenger I bought at how well it handled compared to the last 4,000lb car I bought years before.
Like night and day in the handling department and that was a Base model SXT Challenger!!
What makes the newer large cars handle so well suspension gurus??
My dad had one. Fuel gauge was intermittent. One day while driving on a divided highway, it flamed out and I quickly shifted into neutral. Up and down a few little hills and around a bend across the other side of the divided highway and into a grocery store parking lot connected to a gas station and into the pump area to a perfect stop. The guy refueling next to me couldn’t believe it and neither could I.
HA! Same thing happened to me one day on the way to a car show in San Diego with my teen daughter.
My 76 Trans Am I bought in 2000 has a inaccurate fuel guage I found out.
I was going to get off the freeway for a bite and I was in the right lane and she started to sputter showing about a 1/8 of a tank left.
I coasted down the ramp and there was a gas station RIGHT THERE on my right……had the green light Thank God and coasted right up to the pump!
I won First Place for 70s Trans Ams, was a good POCI show (Pontiac Oakland Club International)
That’s not a trunk……..its a Studio apartment! 😄
With full bathroom.
This car, in this color, just epitomizes early ’70’s luxo barge styling to me.
While the Imperial was still a separate ChryCo brand in ’70, it became known as the Imperial by Chrysler in ’71.
Motorcityman. We towed my brother in laws broken Windstar back from FL to Ohio with a Chevy van, three adults and four kids. Talking and no paying attention going up a rather long hill it starts to sputter, brother in law starts going side to side in our lane to get fuel into the pump. Got to the top of the hill and thank God there was a gas station at the bottom. We also coasted down the hill, hit the light just right and rolled right up to the pump.
Cool Gar!
I had a baby blue 1972 newport it was big,my girl friend wouldn’t ride in it,so I found another girl friend they were scarcy around a corner when your going to fast.