Acres of glistening paint and perfect wood grain draw fans to this specimen of Chrysler’s top wagon, the Town & Country. This 1969 Chrysler Town & Country outside Mission Viejo, California begs the question, “Why did we need mini vans?” Purists might decry the blackwall tires and five-spoke wheels on a luxury wagon while others would say “OK, boomer.” Check out more pictures and a cursory description here on Craigslist, where the nicely presented family shuttle can be yours for $22,500. Thanks to reader numskal for spotting this shiny blue people-mover.
Despite the listing including seven pictures of the never-restored engine compartment, here’s the best shot of the dashboard and interior. The “new interior” in dark blue with a tropical print fabric, while not factory, fits the era and adds some fun above what might have been 27 yards of blue vinyl. My neck hairs stand up when all the listing pictures could have been captured by someone walking around a car show… exactly what a scammer could harvest for a fake post.
A “rebuilt” stock-looking 383 cid (6.3L) V8 should move the T&C with confidence, with myriad aftermarket options available to build crazy power if desired. Hotter 383s propelled muscle cars like the Plymouth Road Runner, Dodge Charger, and many others. A belt on the air conditioning condenser might suggest it works, but this and many other details escaped the two-line description.
At $10,000 to $63,000 cheaper than today’s eight-passenger vehicles, this Town & Country brings plenty of comfort and cargo room. Add excellent modern tires and fresh suspension parts and this Chrysler’s low center of gravity will equal or better the road-holding of today’s high-tech bread box SUVs. It’s unlikely we’ll see this ’69 pushed into daily driving duties, but you could swap in an early non-computer-controlled A518 four-speed automatic, 3.23 gears, and a Holley Sniper carburetor-style EFI system including spark control for 2024 engine management and reliability. Total cost of ownership compared to today’s tech-laden bland-o-blobs overwhelmingly favors the Chrysler. Nobody will look twice at that snooty CEO’s Navigator in the school pickup line when this Town & Country rolls up. Would you consider daily driving this slick ’60s family truckster?
That drop down/swing out tailgate was so cool it was reinvented for $100,000 pickup trucks years later!
Pretty funny that the wheels on this mega-mover are the same as the pretty Road Runner next to it at the car show..
I’d own this in a hot second given the wherewithal to do so.
While I prefer wagons personally, a minivan is taller and easier to get things and people in and out of. They are also shorter so they are easier to park, particularly the initial ones. Like everything else, they’ve grown over time, but they’re still quite a bit shorter than this boat. They also offer a higher driving position.
And ultimately, minivans are now a lot less popular than SUVs and CUVs, the full size versions of which are basically the modern day equivalent of this.
Yeah, maybe, but CUVs will never, ever, be as cool as this T&C.
Outstanding.
This is a work of art.
Nice write up Todd – you bring this T & C to life.
Would love to have this one.
Thanks, TorinoSCJ69!
A nice set of flowmasters and nothing beats the stack music hauling your boat up the summit to Lake Tahoe.
This wagon looks like it might have hauled the Brady Bunch around Hollywood all those years ago.
Happy holidays everyone!
The Bradys had Satellite wagons.
Eight is Enough had a green Town & Country identical to this one the Brady’s had a Brown Plymouth Satellite
I’m not a wagon fan because I grew up riding in the back without a seat and then every seat iteration there after.
I’ll attest to the 383’s power. On ramps at 16yrs in a similar wagon set the hook for me.
This is one sweet looking T&C. There’s not one thing not to love about this car.
Hard to consider w/o more photos/info. But I guess if you live in the neighborhood, you can check it out. Totally ignorant seller.
Interesting.
Two important childhood cars are for sale right now at the same time.
A ’66 200D over on BAT and now this wagon. Ours was a darker blue.
Why must life make me suffer so, I want them so badly.
And Mum just died 2 months ago.
Sorry to hear that, Norma. Peace be with you today.
The color of the car almost matches the house. Personally, I like the rims; adds a sporty to style this, as Rick would say, land yacht.
In the early 70s I worked at a Union 76 service station. A regular customer had a ’68 Town & Country with a 440 in it. Black beauty with wood grain. He had Michelins on it but being an over the road salesman, came in one day and threw out the Michelins in favor of Union 5 Stars. I never asked who made tires for Union Oil but we all remember the early radial tires with their ply separation issues and wobbling & weaving from side to side much like my 25 year old Craftsmen lawn mower does now!
Don’t know how I forgot to say that print interior needs to go. If I bought it, one of the first things is call SMS Interiors and find some Chrysler brocade or paisley cloth or go to leather.
Back when a Chrysler was a CHRYSLER!
IMO the fuselage C-body looks its’ best as a loop-bumpered station wagon.
Give me back my fully loaded winstar any day
YOLO
🤮🤣