The appearance of this 1960 Chrysler sedan, paired with a vintage Aljo camper, gives us an opportunity to consider the waning days of Virgil Exner’s influence. While he didn’t leave the company until 1964, his emphasis on baroque fins and overbearing chrome accents was already out of fashion in favor of cleaner, boxy lines. But before he exited, he dished up a few more years of wild style, including these reverse curve tail lamps, the graceful bubbletop, and a tapered tail. The restored camp trailer is cool in its own right, with a classic “canned ham” profile. Find this pair here on facebook Marketplace, listed at an asking price of $15,000. Retrieve the set from Pueblo, Colorado. We owe thanks to T.J. for the tip!
The seller identifies his car both as a Windsor – Chrysler’s entry-level luxury car on a 122″ wheelbase – and as a New Yorker, which would have sat on a 126″ wheelbase. The engine here is Chrysler’s big 413 cu. in. raised block V8 – the standard offering to New Yorker buyers, but a special order in the Windsor. This engine was plenty powerful, with 340 hp on tap in single-carb trim, ranging up to 380 hp when equipped with dual four-barrels. Chrysler’s three-speed TorqueFlite automatic handles gear changes, this one with pushbutton actuation – said to work perfectly.
The car’s interior is original, thus a couple of tears in the upholstery here and there. Exner did not neglect interiors, instilling his cars with several stylish elements, from the chrome-drenched steering wheel to swanky fabrics and the instrument panel’s brightwork.
But we have two interiors to inspect here – the Aljo has received attention that the car hasn’t. Its checkerboard floors are new, it has a new memory-foam mattress, the benches have been reupholstered. Wrench-shaped handles decorate the cabinets. The seller notes that the kitchen equipment works off propane or electricity, and the trailer is furnished with a window air conditioner. In 1958, Aljos came in sizes ranging from 15′ to 24′ and even today, this make has a reputation for better-than-average quality.
Remnants of the “Forward Look” on this survivor from Exner’s era are still evident – the forward-slanted grill, arrowed side trim, back-sweep of the rear glass, and, of course, those fins. I’m not a fan of wide white walls except for very particular applications, but I think they look good here. The paint is a bit tired, but overall, every element matches every other in a gently-aged way. What do you think of this vintage pair?
Both are very cool, and both outstanding finds. The car was the epitome of a road car, and the trailer was actually quite modern for the time. The motor is more than capable. My parents had a Friendship camper, and it had an icebox like this, I actually remember my dad getting a block of ice from a truckstop, I think, and that water spigot was a hand pump, primitive by todays cushy standards, but it was “self contained”. It opened up a world of travel, I only hope was passed on to the kids. My kids love camping, and because we introduced them to it. $15 grand sounds like a deal to me, but just shows the lack of interest ( sound of squeaking rusty windmill in the distance) and you don’t need a clearer example of what’s happening here.
I grew up with my dad driving a 1960 powder blue Chrysler Windsor with the Golden Lion 383 with four barrel… and a push button 3 speed automatic and a futuristic “dome dashboard ” that glowed in night driving. Twas a very comfortable car for vacation highway travel. My mom couldn’t keep control of her heavy foot on the gas peddle. Occasionally she’d hit 90 mph and my sis or I would tell her to slow down. The fins got dated and mom insisted on something newer. Time flies. Now it’s a bonified antique collectable. :)
When I was one year old, my parents got new cars together. They both chose 1960 Chrysler Windsors. I remember wandering into the garage alone at 2 or 3 and seeing both cars with giant fins when I looked up.
That’s a 383 2-barrel Golden Lion, not a 413. I may have owned that car 20 years ago, looking at the metallic light green on the engine compartment fenderwell.
Love the tail light lens. Wish they could be integrated into a non-fin application. In 1961 they kept the fins, but ditched the lens to make it the backup light location….one more example of Detroit’s insatiable desire to ruin a good thing with bad design replacements. There are so many reprehensible examples, it’s hard to understand how they stay in business (and in some cases didn’t).
it’s neat but not many people will buy them as a pair.
“The engine here is Chrysler’s big 413 cu. in. raised block V8 – the standard offering to New Yorker buyers, but a special order in the Windsor.”
Not so sure that is the case as the 413 wasn’t a ’60 Windsor engine option and I can find nothing that indicates you could “special order” one. Seems more likely this car has the engine ’60 Windsors came with. That would be the RB 383 that was externally identical to the 413 (both engines used the same block). A 413 could have been swapped in later, of course.
This car is in my city! It’s a wonder I’ve never seen it.