Chrysler was known for their engineering prowess in the era of this 1949 Chrysler New Yorker. This car may seem a little stodgy compared to other cars of the time, but it was still one of the best. It can be found here on Craigslist in Lake City, California in the far northeastern part of the state. The seller is asking $9,500 for this beauty. Thanks to rock-solid Rocco B. for sending in this great tip!
I think that the 1949 and 1959 Chrysler New Yorker had the last of the really great grilles. Sure, it ain’t nothin’ like a real grill, know’m sayin’, but as far as a car grille goes, it’s rockin’, or whatever a grill-wearing person would say. Probably not rockin’, I’m assuming unless they’re in their 50s or 60s and then they wouldn’t be wearing a grill, or maybe even have their own teeth. This car looks like it’s in great condition, doesn’t it? It may not be the most exciting design but you know those doors are bank-vault-solid and this would be one nice car to own. Those sweet, three-way-visible tail lights would go away in 1950 so that’s another reason to like the 1949 models.
Chrysler president, K.T. Keller, had a thing for wearing a hat while driving a car, or riding in the back of one. Chrysler products of this era had high roofs which allowed such a thing. I can’t imagine that now, can you? The president of a car company cracking down on the design of millions of vehicles because of a personal whim like that? I wonder what it would have been like if Enzo Ferrari had the same viewpoint.. hmm… (scratching chin)…
GAA!
Ok, enough of that. This car combines my two personal favorite interior schemes: red and plaid. This tartan plaid looks like it’s in great condition. The back seat looks as comfortable as it gets and the front seat passengers get to look at that fantastic dashboard design. This car has Chrysler’s M-6 Fluid Drive Prestomatic semi-automatic transmission. You can see a clutch pedal but the driver doesn’t have to use it to shift from Low to High.
There aren’t any real good overall engine photos but there are a couple of partial photos. Hey, we take what we can get here! This is Chrysler’s Spitfire 323 cubic-inch inline-eight with 135 hp and 270 ft-lb of torque. This 4,400-pound car needs all of that to make to 60 mph in 20 seconds and get 11 mpg. All of a sudden I don’t feel as bad about my new winter vehicle getting 15 mpg. Hagerty is at $9,900 for a #3 good condition 1949 New Yorker, this car sure looks close to that, doesn’t it? Have any of you owned this era of New Yorker?
I will offer the observation that almost all men wore hats until midway through the term of President Kennedy. It was not an idle whim of the company official.
I can recall my Dad looking around for somewhere to store his hat (and complaining) when the rooflines came down on the pickups of the mid 1960s.
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Macvaugh, it’s widely known that at least for Chrysler in this era, K.T. Keller insisted on that roofline for his hat-wearing comfort. Apart from that, I think you’re correct in that great era ending with President Kennedy’s untimely demise. With that, a lot of things changed in this country, including men wearing hats like they were another appendage. I, for one, would like to see hats, actual fedora-like brimmed hats, come back into style someday. There’s something classy about men in long pants, button shirts, and hats. Especially when they’re driving a car like this New Yorker. I’m picturing an owner stepping out of this car with baggy cargo shorts, an oversized black t-shirt with a cussword phrase printed on it, and flip-flops and it just isn’t the same.
Hilarious!!
Great post Scotty! Where can I get me a Ferrari like that? My wife is 7’4″. Without a hat.
Mom bought a ’50 Wndsor in the early ’60’s. Ours was both solid and reliable.
It was our family bus for almost 2 years
’till she traded it for a ’53 Nash 4-door.
The thing I remember most were the
seats–chair high and oh so comfy!
It was like the designers took 2 big
sofas and put them into the car. I like
everything about it except for the tires.
Needs some Coker wide-whites with
a set of period correct Kelsey-Hayes
wire wheels to make it complete.
Other than that, it’s well worth the ask.
Having owned a 47 T & C convertible a few years back with that same engine and that had to be the smoothest engine ever developed. I guess for that matter any straight eight as I have owned a 54 Pontiac, a 49 Packard and a 37 Buick which had their own straight eights that were equally as smooth.
My grandparents had a 49 Chrysler Windsor with the semi automatic transmission. I was born in 1959, and rode many a mile in that car until my grandma gave up driving and sold it in 1972.
Yes it’s rockin’ all right. On a chair on the front porch. The US designers in the late forties early fifties were doing cars as a side job on the weekends. Their daytime gig was toasters, refrigerators, washing machines etc.
I noticed the carpet seems wet over the transmission hump. Leaky heater core?
Neat car.
You will never find another one this good.
Better grab it. Make sure to wear your cuss word T shirt and flop flips 🤣
My Dad had a ’49 Chrysler Highlander 4 door, Spitfire 6 cyl.
fluid drive. It was Thunder Grey with a Maroon Leather & Woolen Scotch plaid interior. The fold down armrest was my perch when we went anyplace , being a little kid I fit just fine. he drove that car until 1959 whem he bought his dream car, a 1959 Southampton Imperial . I remember him giving 1 BRILLO pad to clean 4 wide white walls on that ’49. I remember the window winder handles with their neat dangly ends.
Lots of good memories of that Chrysler ..
Rex,
I see that a spare heater box comes with it. Hmmm…
And I remember that “chair-high seats” and room for your hat were hallmarks of Chrysler advertising back in the day. But I remember that shoebox Fords and Chevys of the day stood pretty high too. I spent a lot of time in these cars – and really loved them. In fact, this car has my name written all over it. It does need help on all the bright metal – inside and outside. That could be very pricey!
‘ Remember the sound of one of these things pulling away from a stoplight. Yes, s-m-o-o-t-h, and seemingly never faster than about 300 rpm. Zero-to-60 is not something associated with a flat-head Chrysler. Even so, it would not require a stop watch to measure; a calendar would do.
My family owns a 50 new Yorker with the same Highland addition interior… It’s been in our family for 45 years now and I remember 8 of us driving in that car to a drive-in movie theater in Jersey To se E.T. it was also used in the godfather movie !!
I remember those big white wall tires and clean them as a kid myself…. It’s been sitting in my father’s garage in Staten Island New York since 1985 seeing these pictures sure make me want To throw on one of grandpa’s old hats and take my family out for a cruise again.
Go for it Heavy C, and if you can still find a drive in, take the Family. And make sure you put one of grandpa’s old hats on. Cool. Take care, Mike.
Lovely looking car. This is my idea of what a car should be. It has a high enough ceiling that you can wear your favourite hat. It’s still attractive to look at. There’s just enough patina to let people know that the car can be a daily driver if one so chooses, but hopefully there’s no serious rust issues to have to deal with.
A neighbor of mine has one of these, sadly languishing in the weeds along with many other cars and trucks. The car seems like it would fire right up. He is one of those people who will: “..get to it later”.
I own one now 49 New Yorker Coupe , just sent it off today for Upholstery and chrome