This 1950 Chrysler Town and Country Newport seems to prove that the supply of interesting and promising barn finds isn’t drying up. It recently emerged from a Nebraska barn and hasn’t suffered unduly from its prolonged hibernation. It needs a new owner to return it to its former glory, but its complete and solid nature should ensure that the process is relatively straightforward.
The story of this Chrysler is slightly vague beyond the seller’s claim that it spent many years in storage. The conditions must have been quite favorable because this survivor appears to have avoided any significant rust problems. There is surface corrosion requiring attention before it deteriorates, but little evidence of steel penetration. Its Black paint holds a warm glow, rather than an intense shine. It is presentable if the winning bidder pursues the preservation path, but my instinct suggests that a cosmetic restoration will probably be the buyer’s goal. That brings us to the subject of this Chrysler’s defining exterior feature; Its timber. This is intact and doesn’t seem to have any rot that would spoil the party. The varnish is lifting in several spots, so stripping and refinishing is required for long-term protection. A couple of trim pieces are missing, but the glass looks excellent.
This Town and Country’s interior demonstrates why condition assessment is a subjective matter. The seller describes it as “very nice,” and that is undoubtedly true of the Black leather, dash, and carpet. However, the cloth upholstered surfaces exhibit multiple stains and a few very obvious seam separations. Whether the situation is salvageable is debatable, but sourcing the correct cloth would allow an upholsterer to restore the seats while retaining the original leather and padding. The dash and gauge cluster are a model of Art Deco beauty and appear to need nothing. If this interior has a genuine highlight, the dash deserves that honor.
Lifting the hood reveals an engine that isn’t radical. The 323.5ci “Spitfire” flathead straight-eight produced 135hp and 270 ft/lbs of torque when the car rolled off the line. However, the transmission is a point of difference, being the four-speed Presto-Matic unit. The engineering was quite complex, with it technically being a two-speed with overdrive on both ratios. The Presto-Matic proved extremely expensive to produce, and following its introduction in 1946, it found its way into the final production models in 1953. The seller confirms that this Newport doesn’t run, and I suspect it probably hasn’t since being placed into storage. However, the engine turns freely, potentially leading to a cheap and easy revival.
The Chrysler Town and Country Newport is a relatively rare vehicle, with only around 700 rolling off the line in 1950. This one shows promise as a project candidate, with the lack of apparent rust making a hands-on approach viable. The seller has listed the Chrysler here on eBay in Anoka, Minnesota. Two bids have pushed the price to $1,150, which is below the reserve. The seller provides a BIN option of $9,980 for those wishing to bypass the auction process. That figure is probably realistic because spotless examples typically exceed $30,000 on the rare occasions that they come to market. If you have been searching for a Mopar project, is this one you might consider?
Beauty.
The styling and fit of the rear bumper certainly appears to be an after-thought. Having restored a 1949 T&C, I know that the ’49 rear bumpers fit closer to the body and curve around the rear quarter panels almost to the rear wheel openings. I’m not familiar enough with the 1950 Chryslers to know if that is a correct bumper or not. It certainly doesn’t do the car any favors!
I would rather drive this car with NO back bumper and take my chances with having an accident rather than be seen driving this lovely car with it’s current bumper hanging on the rear end!
I totally agree with Pete. I’m not responding from knowledge – simply what I see. My guess is that this is not the original rear bumper. It’s completely straight from left to right – no attempt to match the curve across the trunk at all. I find it hard to believe Chrysler would have done that.
These are really handsome cars and I think they’ve aged well. Condition of the dashboard and steering wheel on this one seems incredible. Is there a piece of molding from grill to front wheel arches, above bright metal area missing on both sides? I’d grab this if I had the time, space, and $$$$.
I Googled pictures of both the ’49 and ’50 T&C’s on Bonham, and the rear bumper appears correct. For whatever reason, the ’49 was larger and more flowing, and did, indeed, wrap around the rear quarter-panels, almost to the wheel wells, whereas the ’50’s were both much stubbier, straighter, and projected out more. If the Bonham examples (valued in the $50-60 k range) are anything to go by, the pictured bumper is correct, even if uglier.
This is a twenty footer. Expanded photos show that it is kind of rough around the edges. To address the flaws will quickly become expensive. Some missing trim pieces will be nearly impossible to find. Correctly restoring the wood will be labor intensive. And who knows what getting it running and roadworthy will take. The interior upholstery will be expensive to do correctly. Despite all this I still like this Chrysler and would love to have it. I am past the project phase. I hope this unique automobile will find a new owner that will be willing to put in the work to make it shine. GLWTS.
This car is a fine example of a time gone by and the reality of time and expense it takes to restore and preserve cars of older vintage. I have a lot of respect and a big thank you for those who do it!
This would be a great project for someone that wants to get into the classic car hobby. The buy in is reasonable and it wouldn’t have to be a frame off project and with a lot of TLC and manual labor it could be a nice