Cars from the 1950s were renowned for two things. Many were stylish and glamorous, while many could dissolve like a soluble Aspirin at the merest hint of moisture. This 1955 Chrysler Windsor Hardtop may be stylish, but it has none of the rust problems that can plague cars from this era. It presents superbly and would suit a buyer searching for a classic that is guaranteed to turn heads. If you find that combination too difficult to resist, this Windsor is located in Franklin, Ohio, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has raced to $17,900, but it is yet to reach the reserve.
The word “stunning” springs to mind when I look at this Windsor Hardtop. It makes a bold visual impact in its combination of Porcelain Green and Platinum. The seller says that he believes the previous owner treated the car to a repaint in these original shades around twenty-five years ago. It still shines beautifully today, and I agree with the owner when he says that you will struggle to find any flaws or defects. The panels are as straight as an arrow, with no dings, dents, or evidence of previous repairs. I earlier touched on the topic of rust, but that’s nothing that the buyer will need to worry about. The panels are clean, and the underside shots reveal floors and a frame that are perfect. The glass is as flawless as the paint, while the owner can only find one minute ding on the external trim. The Windsor wears Dodge Lancer hubcaps, but the perfect originals are in the trunk. The owner says that if the buyer doesn’t want the Lancer caps, he will knock $100 off the price and refit the originals. This is a classy-looking car, and the wide whitewall tires add the ideal finishing touch to the exterior.
The immaculate presentation continues when we start to examine this Hardtop’s interior. The owner believes that the carpet has been replaced, but the remaining trim and upholstery is original. There are a couple of faint dirty marks on the front seat cloth and a couple of cracks on the wheel, but those appear to be the only flaws worth mentioning. The dash and painted surfaces present superbly, the remaining upholstered surfaces are well above average for a vehicle of this age, and the headliner appears perfect. I love the way the transmission shifter juts out of the dash. It is a quirky feature, but it still looks cool. The owner says that all of the lights, gauges, and other equipment work as they should. The vehicle isn’t loaded with luxury features, with a heater being the only option. There is no radio, so you’ll either need to talk to your passengers on longer journeys or have a pretty fantastic singing voice!
While the interior may not be loaded, the Chrysler should offer performance to compensate for that perceived shortcoming. The engine bay houses its numbers-matching 301ci V8 that should produce188hp. The original owner also ordered this classic with a two-speed PowerFlite automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. It may not be a muscle car, but the 19.6-second ¼-mile ET and an ability to hit 101mph looked more than respectable in 1955. For potential buyers, there’s plenty of good news with this Windsor. It runs and drives perfectly, and the owner describes it as being a pleasure to drive. It sounds like the buyer may need to tune those vocal cords because I can see some long trips in this car’s future.
I hate to sound like I subscribe to the “they don’t make them like they used to” school, but I’m about to. This 1955 Chrysler Windsor Hardtop is sixty-six years old and can still turn heads wherever it goes. I look at the vehicles that sit on today’s showroom floor, and I can’t help but wonder how many of them will be able to achieve the same feat in 2087. I suspect that there won’t be many. That’s why cars like this Windsor are so special and why I hope that its next owner continues to treat it with the care and respect that it has received so far. It deserves it.
What a magnificent survivor. The lines flow and blend to the style of the fighter jets in the day, with all the interior room of a a B-36 Peacemaker and it’s crew! Well, almost but you get the point..
Great find. GLWTA.
*and ROOM for its crew*
Absolutely gorgeous. As a former owner of a 1954 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe, it’s amazing the transformation these cars were given in one year. I’d take one of these over a 55 Chevy in a heartbeat.
I totally agree with you David. This is worth whatever the owner wants. Would like to see the underside.
I’ll never understand radio delete.
It wasn’t “radio delete”, it was “optional radio” in those days. Same as a heater. If you wanted one you paid extra.
It wasn’t until the mid to late 60s that radios and heaters were standard.
You have to remember back then radios were tube powered and generated some heat. Maybe the owner only wanted to hear the sound of the engine purring and the sound of the wind with the windows down.
And some people didn’t want to be distracted while driving
One in a million girls…dont fall in love…
Nice. I think Chrysler was the nicest of these rounded style cars, kind of a transition of what was to come. I don’t understand why people go with a 8 volt battery. I’ve had many 6 volt vehicles, some in the dead of winter, and had no trouble. I wonder if 6 volt accessories are compatible with 8 volts? In 1955, if you wanted something that rolled like thunder, and didn’t want the Caddy, Lincoln or Imperial route,,yet,, a Chrysler was the finest road car you could buy.
Morning Howard. I echo your words. 8V is a bandaid. A lot of people go to an 8V battery to cover up an anomaly, usually an anemic starter. My philosophy is that if it worked with 6V new, it should work fine today.
I agree with what you said. I also think a lot of the problems with six volt equipped cars was that the owner used battery cables that were intended for twelve volt systems and not heavy enough to supply full voltage to the starter.
I agree that most cars that had 6 volt systems didn’t need 8 volt batteries but there were exceptions. 49-52 Rocket Olds and Cadillac had hot start problems and the only fix was an 8 volt battery. There was a trade off though because the voltage regulator had to be adjusted to 9.2 volts which caused radio tubes and light bulbs to burn out regularly. GM fixed the problem in 53 with the 12 volt system.
Some of those 40s and 50s GM and Chrysler V8s (and even some sixes) lacked starter speed with a hot engine. The way around that was to use a four-pole starter off an industrial engine. A four-pole housing could be adapted to nearly everything and they greatly increased the capacity. I’ve seen a lot of big engines crank over with very little trouble on just a 6V system. And everything else, including the radio, works…
Beautiful car. Don’t remember seeing one with the Lancer hub caps before. The bright multicolor schemes of the era sure outshine the dull black, silver, white, maroon, etc. on the average cars today.
It’s the wall art in the background that is freaking me out. The car is the same color and era as the car for sale.
Awesome background for the photography on the sellers part!!
My Grandparents on both sides all had Chryslers from the 50’s and 60’s. Beautiful cars, loved all the colors!!❤️🚘