Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Newport was Chrysler’s entry-level car. But it was far from being austere, representing nearly 60% of Chrysler-branded sales in 1964 alone. Wearing all-new sheet metal in 1963, the Newport was little changed going into 1964, the year the seller’s 4-door sedan was built. While it looks to have been sitting outside for years, the seller says it does run and has some new parts. Located in Hemet, California, this faded big boy is available here on craigslist for $2,500. A bravo goes to Tony Primo for the tip!
Chrysler built more than 146,000 automobiles in 1964 (exclusive of Dodge and Plymouth). The four nameplates were the Newport, 300 Sport Series, 300K, and New Yorker, in that order. Some 56,000 copies were of the Newport 4-door sedan, strictly a family car, though it did come with a 361 cubic inch V8 as standard equipment. This example also has the push-button automatic transmission, in its last year before the shifter followed the rest of the industry on the steering column.
We told this Chrysler wears license plates from 2004, so we assume that’s the last time the big Mopar was on the road. The odometer reads 97,000 miles, so it served its masters well for about 40 years. We’re told it runs (doesn’t look like it’s moved much, though), but the brakes will need bleeding. The bushings on the front end have been replaced, but that was eight years ago. The radiator is said to be new, along with the fuel pump (electric, not mechanical). All the tires need replacement before venturing out on the highway.
The body looks okay except for a dent in the right front fender. The grey paint is faded and likely beyond making a comeback. There is no VIN in the front window, but it is on the door frame. However, the title is MIA after all these years, so the buyer will have to make do with a bill of sale. And the seller says delivery is possible, which we assume means locally. But does it have too many doors to bother with?
Equipped with air conditioning and the not often ordered adjustable steering wheel which was new to the options list for 1964. Even more uncommon to find this option on a Newport, and not a Three Hundred or New Yorker!
Yep….have that tilt column I pulled out of a 1964 Station Wagon along with the buddy seat it had between the buckets….
I guess it isn’t overpriced, but it would take some money and time to make it roadworthy. Not to go all Howard on the car, but yeah, who’s gonna revive this one?
doesn’t look like it runs nor has in a long time
Four doors on this one are PERFECT! I like family sedans! But, seeing as it’s all the way out in California, and I am in the Northeast, that precludes this one for me. And while at least Chrysler had returned to full size in 1963, they did not lose the UGLY, until 1965. Also, sitting outdoors for decades, I’ll bet that the brake lines are rotted also (among other things). But if this were in Vermont or New York, I might go and LOOK at it, at least. You cannot tell if a car runs by simply looking under the hood: if the seller says that it runs, I’ll believe that it does, regardless of appearances (unless I were to try it and find that it doesn’t)..
That radiator certainly doesn’t look very new, and it doesn’t even have a cap on it. Says it, “runs good”. I think it’s more of a, ran well before parked, and who knows how long that’s been? If it’s been a CA vehicle it’s whole life the rust might be pretty minimal. If you’re into these cars and close, why not check it out?