This 1961 Chrysler Newport has been with an enthusiast since 1995 when it was purchased showing 46,000 miles. It now has 62,271 and the seller is “downsizing” to a smaller garage. The car is for sale here on eBay with a starting bid of $7,995. It’s located in Williamstown, West Virginia.
That’s a lot of fin per dollar! The car received an award for best unrestored car at an event back in 1999 and has apparently been carefully taken care of since then.
The slanted dual headlamps on these cars give it what is now a “retro future” look. The car appears very complete and straight although some closeups of rocker and quarter panels and some under car shots would make me feel even better.
We are told that these are the original dealer-installed seat protective covers from 1961. They are certainly very period-looking.
Assuming that this is the original 361 cubic inch V8, it was rated when new at 265 horsepower. Things look pretty clean under here and you can see one of the new stainless steel brake lines the seller fitted on the right of the picture. With a Torque Flite three-speed automatic transmission behind it, the combination should make for easy cruising even with today’s traffic. What do you think about this classic sedan — does the condition and originality make up for the two extra doors? (for some of you)?
I had (4) 61 Newports and a town and country wagon in high school. These were awesome vehicles. Back then, (2000) if you could find them they were cheap. Wouldn’t mind having any of them back.
I laugh a little bit at the “keep up in modern traffic” type comparisons. Many cars built after about 1955 can do just fine, especially with a decent-sized 6 and up. It’s not like all these plastic jellybeans are going 300mph and shooting lasers at the Earl and Exner designs.
This would look high class anywhere it went today.
The speedometer photo on the Ebay add is, well, something else.
Don’t break it. The appropriate repair guys at NASA are long gone!
It’s a bit ostentatious for my tastes, but awesome nonetheless. I’m glad classics like this exist, and this one looks to be a very original example. I like it even more for being a sedan. (And it’s from my home state, no less!)
Back when cars had style and class…
Love the fins on the ’61 but also like my ’62 300 Plucked Chicken.
Glad to see it has an alternator and not a generator. Just how safe are the single chamber master cylinders in a tank like this? They make me a little leery.
Love this submission. Have always been a fan of the “Fins” ..ie 59-60 Caddy’s and all GM’s of this era.
NEVER saw this Newport/Imperial(?) before. Great feature !
Wow! What a deal! Close the deal, fly in,
and drive this rocketship home! Really like it, but can’t afford it. Regardless,
someone’s gonna get a great deal on
this car. Just wish it was me!
This Newport is in great shape for it’s age, and appears to have been well taken care of. Wish there were more interior pics, but overall the inside matches the outside as far as condition goes. However, I feel $7995. as a starting figure is a bit high; this isn’t a New Yorker, nor certainly not a 300G. The Newport pillared sedans were Chrysler’s highest production model that year and there are a few around still. I think closer to $6500. to start bids at would’ve been more realistic.
Batman and Robin could double date with this car.
I’m almost sure I’ve shared this before, but don’t remember when. This is my dad, me on the right and my younger brother on the left, in front of the 1960 Chrysler Windsor that my parents bought used. I learned to drive in it and this picture is from about 1962. It was a pale green color. And I am sure that somewhere there were more pictures of it but who knows where they ended up. The only specific thing I remember about it is the push button transmission on the dash.
LOVE these! Just to see one when they were new or a few years old was very, very unusual in the town I grew up in (northern Texas). Seems like 95% of the cars then were Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and an occasional Oldsmobile or Mercury. These Chryslers were exotic to me, and still are. No one had fins like that in ’61; no one had dashboards like that; no one had angled headlights like that, except ’58-’60 Lincolns, and you never saw those; No one had push-button transmission like that except Rambler and you never saw Ramblers in my town unless it was a stick shift American. The Chrysler dealership in my home town never had much volume. It would change hands every couple of years because owner after owner couldn’t make a go of it. The only way I got to see the new Chryslers was to ride my bicycle halfway across town and go there myself, because the Chrysler dealership was never on my parents’ radar.
This Newport will do 80, 90, or 100 mph all day long, and its engine will last longer, need less maintenance, and use less oil and gas than any of its contemporary Chevrolets, Fords, and so forth. LOVE these! It has twice the style and character of any other ’61 car, and yes, I’m biased.
At this price and condition, its a steal.
A day later and still no bids.
Maybe because it’s a 4 door?
It still looks good to me.
I have a question…which I have asked before and never received a reply. What are these rather disparaging comments that you always make against 4-door cars? As a matter of fact…the top-of-the-line Imperials and Cadillacs..i.e LeBaron and Fleetwood…were only available in 4-door. What are these veiled discourtesies against 4-door cars that you continue to write? I’m really curious! Thank you.
Not sure if your question about 4doors was to me, but I’ve never been against 4doors, and have owned mostly 4doors all my life. The exceptions were a 1997 Sebring Convertible and Mitsubishi Eclipe, 2002. I’ve never been able to afford to be in the car restoration business but if I could, I’d certainly not limit my choice to 4doors or convertibles. If I have any complaints about collectible stuff, it’s the preponderance of Camaros, Firebirds, Mustang etc. Although I sense that changing sort of. I think if I had the money and time to restore a car now, I’d go for mid 60’s Lincoln, with the reverse doors. Or maybe a Chrysler or Plymouth. Just look at this 1959 Crown Victoria! :)
Their a saying when you go to a car lot. Look at all the sporty 2 doors and the 4 doors. The best on the lot will be the 4 door. Because they were or are owned buy a family man and he takes car of it. The sport car was owned buy a young person . Who likes to show off and jerk the car around. Which makes the 4 door car a better choice for a dependable vehicle. I have both. I like the smoother ride in the 4 door . Better then I do in my 2 door makes.
Nice car. My brother bought one. When he came back from Viet Nam. He was used to driving the duece and a halfs. As he start to take off. He went to shove in the clutch . He hit the power brake and it threw me into the windshield. His was black also and blue interior. I think it had the 383. It also had bars going up and down in the grill. He took them out to give it the look he liked better. That was in 1968.