This! This is, unfortunately, a rapidly disappearing component of the domestic automotive scene, a full-size, actual passenger sedan/hardtop. The big full-size cars started a disappearing act years ago and were replaced by big SUV’s so the size component just moved from one body style to another. But passenger cars like this 1963 Chrylser New Yorker? They may as well be passenger pigeons. Let’s look this one over while we still can. This big whammer-jammer of Detroit Iron is located in Redmond, Washington and is available, here on craigslist for $9,500. Thanks to Matt R for this tip!
Chrysler’s line-up in ’63 consisted of the New Yorker at the top, followed by the 300 – including the “J” letter car performance variant, and then the Newport. There was an Imperial also, but technically that was a separate brand and not really a Chrysler even though colloquially, the Imperial is often referred to as a “Chrysler Imperial”. Anyway, long ago, I thought New Yorker was an unusual name for a large polished sedan – most New Yorker’s that I spied were impressive looking while most of the cars that I saw on trips to NYC were anything but. They may have been at one time, but the city, with real tight curb parking, brake-light bingo, cab driver craziness, the weather, and just general metro mayhem took its toll on every car quickly, New Yorker branded or not. To put things in perspective, Chrysler came in at eleventh place in the ’63 sales sweepstakes posting an output of 128K copies. For comparison purposes, Cadillac was tenth with 163K units and Lincoln was lucky thirteenth with only 31K builds to show for their effort. And Imperial? Fourteen for fourteen, right behind Lincoln in fourteenth place and 14K in sales.
The seller tells us that this New Yorker is a 99 and a 99, with 99K miles and 99% stock. He also adds, ” Exterior Painted(original color) at some point, All chrome work redone and in excellent condition. Bumpers re-chromed…” so if he’s using the descriptor “stock” to mean original, we’re going to have to do some ciphering on that 99% figure. Nevertheless, this airy four-door hardtop (no roof support) looks great minus what appears to be a scrape in the passenger side rear door. The seller claims that this New Yorker is really from New Mexico and is a driver-quality car – that’s a fair assessment.
Under that Ponderosa flat hood is a 340 gross HP, 413 CI V8 engine sporting a 10:1 compression ratio and a four-barrel carburetor. The motor is surprisingly clean, and stock-looking, for a 99K mile example. It is claimed to “run and drive great“. It even still has its original rubber fender wells!
“This car is a looker with the black exterior and burgundy interior“, exclaims the seller. You’ll get no argument from me on that front. There is some expected interior wear such as the driver’s side of the split-bench seat, and faded carpet but overall, it really does show well. I dig those huge ashtrays mounted on the back of the front seat, each one looks like it could swallow a couple of Cohibas and then some. And of course, how can you deny the neatness factor of the pushbutton actuated TorqueFlight automatic transmission? The only thing that really throws me off is that goofy-looking steering wheel, I’d have to go back to Geometry class to define that thing, it’s a sorta rounded oval.
There you have it, a dying breed. It is interesting that Chrysler, with its current lineup consisting of only two vehicles, does continue to stamp out a four-door sedan. But it’s long in the tooth and unlikely to continue on unless the new Chrysler overlord, Stellantis sees continuing, or a renewed interest in building such cars. I for one certainly hope they do, but if they decide to punt, here’s your chance to acquire the old-school, genuine article, right?
WOW!!!And close by (by western standards-10 hr drive)!!!
Link?
Just put it back in.
Thx,
JO
My dad’s last car before he passed away in 1969 was a 62 black Chrysler Saratoga (Canada only model, but similar to the New Yorker). This car speaks to me from the Sixties. The steering wheel is the same and also the push button transmission. Dad’s was the 383. As I am about a 24-hour drive to Washington (and I would have to fly in anyway as the land border is closed to anyone but Americans returning home) and my wallet is extra thin these days, all I can do is buy a lottery ticket and pray (and I’m an atheist).
Oh, and I forgot to mention that it had a black exterior as well.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but I was under the impression that a car with four doors and no post between was considered a hard time and a car with four doors and a post between was considered a sedan. I would just like to be enlightened on the facts.I have found both types from the early to mid 70s and then straight to West Virginia they were titled as a four-door hardtop for a four-door sedan.
I believe that when a post was present, or if the windows were surrounded by door frame, it was called a sedan. Sometime in the 50s they came out with the style you see on this Chrysler, no post and no door frame, and it was called a hardtop. Same holds true for 2 dr cars.
@AnthonyD, you are correct, and I’m old enough to remember. Two-door and four-door hardtops were the pillarless ones. It was a high fashion look back then. You paid more for hardtops too.
Ok, thats a hot argument. How about some opinions regarding certain “new” 4 door cars being called coupes?
IIRC Junior Johnson said one of his favorite “shine” cars was a New Yorker of around this vintage. He still owned it when he passed not too long ago. Said it would do the deal.
When I see a car like this for 9.5K I can’t help comparing this to the 63 Tempest that supposedly brought 9K on eBay the other day. The Tempest was a cool and unique car but needed a lot of work to bring it back. This one is already to enjoy while you perform small things to improve a nice car. Plus the interior is killer on this one and it’s got a 413! Styling like all the early Chrysler’s is polarizing but the company was definitely on its game making a well engineered product.
This is a 4dr. hard TOP, Deano. Not “hard time”!
The `63-`64 Chryslers weren’t my favorites. Bulky, with a beltline way too high, and probably THE worst looking instrument panel of the decade. A huge departure from the `62s, it would be `65 before Chryslers got their styling mojo back courtesy of Elwood Engle. My grandfather drove a metallic turquoise sedan I always hated. But….having said all that, this is probably the cleanest, nicest looking `63 New Yorker i’ve seen in years. It’s not the “Salon” model with the vinyl top, but being black makes up for that. Nice and loaded too, with power windows, seats and AC.
Worth every penny!
LOVE it! Growing up my aunt had a ’63 300; same body but IMO better looking. Hers had four bucket seats and the push button trans. At first I thought it looked weird but it grew on me over the years and when I drove it I really grew to like it. Like alphasud said they were definitely on their “engineering game” then.
California Highway Patrol (state police) use a lot of those Charger sedans, I assume with the hot pursuit engines. I’ve never been a big Chrysler fan, but this is one nice “survivor.”
This New Yorker appears to be in really good shape for its age. A ‘grandfather’ to my 2020 Chrysler 300S.
A lot of car for the money. Drivetrain is indestructible.And the car is nice. Will last a long time with proper care. Everything is heavy duty. From the time when we had real cars that could haul people and luggage. Tioday;s SUV’s are really minivans except for a few holdouts like Suburbans and ford Expedition. Others are small front drive minicars.
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My parents were friends with an older couple who lived in a collar community in Chicago suburbs and he drove a “64 quite similar to this car…
lit up the tires leaving every stoplight.
This is a very well preserved and obviously well maintained and loved Chrysler. The price is a steal! I own a 64 Newport sedan, recently purchased from the original owners estate with 45k miles….not as well equipped as this NewYorker but these are well built cars . Best of luck with the sale and I hope its new owner cares for it as well as its past owners did!
And I think the ’63’s and 64’s were the best looking of the several decades – chacun a son cout, as the French would say, mabye spelling it better, the last French class I had was in ’63. And the convetible and the 4 door hardtop, as they were called back then, were my favorites. I almost bought a ’63 in ’69, price was right, but rust was already eating at it, and it was a 4 door sedan. Not so cool.
What’s going on with the Home Depot ball shut off valve that you can see on one of the heater hoses on the left in the engine pic? Maybe a leaking heater core or bad internal valve? Maybe that’s the 1% not original!