Chrysler has long been a nameplate associated with high-end luxury automobiles. No car embodied this reputation more than the Town & Country did. Introduced in 1940 as a 1941 model, the original Town & Country was a wood-bodied, eight-passenger station wagon with an elegant array of wood paneling that set it apart from anything else on the market. Originally only available as a station wagon until 1942, the model returned after World War II in 1946 in every body style except a station wagon, introducing a four-door sedan and a two-door convertible and eliminating the wagon (a two-door hardtop was produced in 1950). This particular Town & Country, available here on Facebook Marketplace in Franklin, Kentucky, with an asking price of $20,000, represents the first year of the all-steel Town & Country station wagon. Special thanks to Barn Finder Zappenduster for locating this one!
For 1951, Chrysler re-organized their model lineup, dropping the Town & Country as a standalone model and turning it into the sub-model designation for their station wagon line. Available in each of the three Chrysler trim levels, this new version of the Town & Country was an all-steel body, eliminating the wood paneling that made the model famous. However, the lack of wood on the doors did not diminish the level of luxury this longroof oozed out of every pore. Less than 2,000 of each trim level was produced, making this a rare car, no matter the model.
This particular car is a Windsor Town & Country, meaning it is the base trim level available for 1951. As such, it did not get the brand-new for ’51 331 cubic inch FirePower Hemi V8; instead, the Windsor models got the 251 cubic inch iteration of the Chrysler Spitfire flathead-six engine. This engine transmitted power to Chrysler’s nifty M6 Prestomatic “four” speed semi-automatic transmission, which was really a two-speed transmission with an overdrive unit and a fluid coupling and worked in such a fashion that can be described as “dark magic”. While the inner workings may be a mystery to many, operating it wasn’t particularly complicated; use the clutch to select either low or high range (or reverse), and ease off of the accelerator to engage the overdrive. No need to depress the clutch to stop, as the fluid coupling allows you to stop with just the brake and creep forward just like an automatic!
This particular example is in pretty remarkable condition for a car that is 75 years old. There are some chips and scratches and cracks in the paint, and a little bit of rust along the bottom edge of the tailgate, but otherwise the body looks straight and clean. The engine bay looks lived-in, and the underside has what I would consider typical surface rust. The interior is in exceptional condition (though I do spy some Buick floor mats in the back footwells); the brown upholstery looks to be very nice (no word on whether or not the seats have been re-done), the wooden floor in the cargo area is practically spotless, and the dashboard and its large amount of brightwork is in wonderful shape and glistens just as it did in the ’50s. The $20,000 price tag seems in line for a car this rare, in this condition; what do you think about it?
Considering Chrysler beat the competition to market by years with the roll-down rear window, MoPar were innovators in those years. This `51 may be a base model with a 6, but that doesn’t take away from it’s appeal.This would be a fun wagon you can actually drive! Any many people today won’t know what it is because they were born decades later. A beautiful wagon if there ever was one! GLWTA!
This long roof is simply stunning. This car, as stated above by Will, is a base model that had an intro value of about $3,680.00 in 1951 ($47,690.00 today). Just look at the artwork on that dash, the steering wheel, the upholstery, and that fabulous wooden cargo area. Our daily driver is a 2024 Ford Expedition Limited (2nd from the top model) and listed for over twice that of this featured beauty (adjusted for inflation). Our daily driver doesn’t touch a candle to this Chrysler as far as design goes (mechanics may be another story)! It’s just sad that vehicles of today have lost a lot of their predecessors’ individuality, style and flair. I sure hope that this beauty finds a great new home.
It’s a sad commentary when we have to remind people Chrysler was a high end brand. Why Stellantis has let that brand wither is mystifying.
I remember when Chrysler was an engineering powerhouse. How the mighty have fallen.
Personally, I think Stellantis planned to let Chrysler and Dodge die off and just focus on Jeep and Ram (on top of all of their other brands) into the future. If not for the success of the Pacifica, Charger, Durango, (and Challenger and 300 thru 2023) that likely would have already happened. At least, that’s my theory.
The nose on this car reminds me of the car I really want: a 1953 four door Chrysler New Yorker. I wonder why those so seldom.show up, and haven’t for years and years. You see 1954s and 1951s, and I understand the dearth of 1952s. But I wanted a 1953 the moment they came out in 1952: one of the most beautiful cars of all time, in my view. The funny thing is, when Exner modernised the rear in 1953, the station wagon retained the older lines, such that a 1953 wagon would look almost like this 1951. But a near-perfect four door 1953 Chrysler New Yorker sedan survivor, never smoked in, and utterly unmolested, is my “dream car”. Does anyone know why 1953 Chryslers were never all that common on the roads, and why they vanished so quickly? after about 1960, you almost never saw one — lots of ’54s, but no ’53s.
Beautiful car! However, before I bought it I would like to know its zip code and the taxes in the zip code.
looks like it’s got a 5mph bumper on the rear.
A great, reasonably priced, turnkey entry in the classic car world.. At any event do NOT open the hood and let people think what they want about what is under it.
Lovely car.
When I was a kid, my grandmother had a 1951 Chrysler Saratoga. I believe it had the hemi under the hood. The front end of the Town and Country looks identical to what I remember. Brings back fond memories.