Here’s quite a find, courtesy of Rocco B., it’s a 1956 Chrysler New Yorker “St. Regis,” a top drawer two-door hardtop, and one of only 6,600 copies assembled 69 long years ago. It looks like a huge Good & Plenty with its oh-so-fifties two-tone pink and white paint job, but all in all, it presents well. Those with an interest will find this impressive hardtop residing in San Andreas, California, where it’s available here on craigslist for $12,900.
Chryslers basically fell into two categories in ’56, the New Yorker on top and the Windsor residing just below. The hardtop models within the New Yorker line were referred to as Newports, but the St. Regis eschewed that moniker as it was special, owing to its “breathtaking beauty of incomparable style and elegance, and capable of thrilling performance that lives up to its low, road hugging fleet and powerful good looks,” so opined Chrysler’s 1956 sales brochure. The seller states, “Great pink with patina, the car has no rust problems.” Well, maybe it’s just surface rust, but there’s quite a bloom arising on the hood and header panel. Beyond that, no big issues. The paint is a bit faded, and the rear bumper is losing its depth and luster, but there’s no egregious detraction beyond that. The chrome wheels and moon hubcaps are a subjective choice, but one that doesn’t seem to be the most appropriate choice for such an exalted model. Oh, and tail fins? Of course! We’re not into stratospheric heights, yet; stay tuned to the future, they were on their way.
Got a Hemi? You bet, a 280 gross HP 354 CI V8 attached to a pushbutton-activated Powerflite automatic transmission. The seller adds, “Original number match 354 HEMI, push button auto transmission, new exhaust, new spark plugs and wires, fresh oil change, new battery, starter rebuilt. She drives amazingly well – Floats down the road.”
So, what goes with a pink and white exterior? Why a pink and white interior, of course! The entire inside is not comprehensively photographed, but what’s presented looks fair. The upholstery shows some discoloration and wear, but nothing major. The black carpet, however, looks like it may be newish. The instrument panel is a rather basic affair, while the gauges show as being clear and legible. The steering wheel horn ring (remember those?) is broken, but that’s a common problem with cars of this era (my father took out a bunch in his ’68 Mercury Monterey).
So, what to think here? This is a cool car, and if I were to step up to the plate, take a swing and be successful, I think I’d leave this St. Regis as is, though I’d repair the hood/header’s acne. It’s unsightly and will only get worse. Beyond that, buy, cruise, and enjoy! That would be my plan, what’s yours?
280hp in 56′. Sweet. ☁️
I don’t know what that color is, it ain’t Desert Rose. Pepto-Bismol pink, I guess. Sad.
If it’s original or an old repaint, it could easily be faded Desert Rose.
It’s a MUCH OLDER repaint, and Pepto-Bismal pretty much describes the shade. It’s not the factory rose color Chrysler offered. Take it down to bare metal and give it a decent respray in the factory shade.
Mary Kay Special.
Beautiful car and color. Plus has Power. Would love to have this.
I like your proposed approach. Paint color doesn’t look right to me: too bright for that era. There’s nothing like a real (1950s) hemi!
According to the brochure for the New Yorker, two tone paint wasn’t available for the St. Regis.
Note the attached, from the 1956 Chrysler brochure. It’s a St. Regis in two-tone.
JO
It’s a St. Regis 3-tone in the brochure, not a 2-tone. All the St. Regis cars were 3-tone, supposedly, as the St. Regis trim level included tri-color paint. If you wanted a NYer 2-dr HT with 2-tone paint, you bought the Newport. The car listed needs a third color, most likely a contrasting roof.
I’m aware of that, the image is plainly obvious. I was referring to the body work divided by the stainless trim.
JO
Vintage Mary Kay cosmetics? Not quite, her 1st car was a ’67 pink Cadillac, and became her signature color. The 354 was without question, the most popular motor for racing. Before the 392 in 1957, the 354 was the motor of choice. Those vintage drag racing clips on tele, I bet all the hemis, and there were a lot of them, were all 354s.
In the real world, I don’t remember many with chrome doo-dads, most looked like this, only covered with oil. In Grouchos DeSoto, they were nothing special. A remarkable find, no doubt you’ll stand out in a crowd, if you dare.
In a related sidebar to Jims great post(s), it’s a little known fact( Cliff Klavan) that Good and Plenty candy claims to be the oldest candy still being produced.
And that candy uses the same color pink.
I remember a high school buddy and nearby neighbor shoe-horned a 392 into his ’57 Ford Wagon then jacked up its rear. That car looked as front heavy as it probably was, but the dude kept going through rear tires. I wonder why.
Original or not I like that color. And what are the chances of the interior being redone in the same colors? Yeah fix the hood acne and cruise. It needs vintage air, are those power windows? You would have people following you down the road to get a closer look.
Thank God it needs a repaint, but then you’re still stuck with the interior color. If you choose a color like this you narrow your resale market drastically.
I don’t care what you call the color, that styling, fins, power accessories, Hemi engine, pushbutton (powerflite/torqueflite?) topline St. Regis hardtop, etc.
If anything is amiss are the baby-moons.
It kind of looks like it followed a manure truck a little too closely. And the color? It’s a matter of taste or lack thereof..Ouch my eyes! Still, the rest of the car is nice, and with that 354 hemi it could easily get out of its own way, just make sure a gas station is nearby.
Maybe FL – love bug damage.
It’s sharp. I think the pink makes it stand out. Definitely fix the ‘acne’ & go bombing around. Do the rest as funds permit.
When I was getting into my teenage years, I began to believe my s*#t didn’t stink and that I was bulletproof. A common malady among young men. My Dad sent me out to prepare a Hemi equipped car for the used lot. I changed the oil like normal – I think this had a cartridge filter, if it had one at all. I would guess a top line model had to be so equipped. Anyway, I took one look at the spark plug wires and immediately assumed the valve covers needed to come off to change the plugs. They laughed at me for a week.
That transmission is TorqueFlite. First year for TorqueFlite and pushbuttons for gear selection.
No, It’s a Powerflite (2 speeds). Look at the 4 buttons, Torqueflite had five and wasn’t available before the middle of the model year and only on the Imperial and 300B (maybe NY? But not in these car).
Whoever owned it may have been a Mary Kay dealer. I think that body is one best Chrysler ever made. It even looks cool in pink. It would look best in jet black. Super cool even with rust.
Growing up my family had a hoard of these. My dad (and my uncle) each drove a 56 St Regis in the Black Red White color scheme! I remember the soft ride, the power windows (that could cut your finger off!), the push button shift and the cold A/C! It was a cruiser. They rusted very badly though!! My aunt had the Pink Black paint combo! Big finned Chryslers of the day!!
The A/C in these Chryslers would literally freeze you. And yes, the power windows were fast.
I feel compelled to post this link to the venerable B-52 song, “Love Shack.”
it’s totally relevant.
https://youtu.be/9SOryJvTAGs?si=DhZMw66H44xmrOMw
The color show up on my screen as more of a Lavender than Pink.
I like this and I think the price is reasonable.
Have to agree the color is too bright for the era and probably an old respray.
Had a friend back in the ’90s with a 71 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in a pretty but faded light blue mist. Had a cheap Earl Shieve repaint and the blue although metallic was darker. Ruined the whole car. Plus they just taped off the chrome instead of removing it. It WAS a nice Cadillac before
Panther Pink OH YEA!
Them 1951- and later Hemi’s were huge iron elephants. And the trans weighed just as much. Worth every Cent of the 13K!