Falls Church (home), Charlottesville (college), Virginia, USA
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Chrysler Newport 1969
Chrysler Newport 1969-1973
In 1969, full-size Chrysler products, from Plymouth up to Imperial, adopted handsome new "fuselage" styling, replacing the squared-off Engel-designed bodies first introduced in 1965. The new styling gave Chrysler-branded full-size cars an additional 5.5 inches of length over their 1968 predecessors (although the 124-inch wheelbase was unchanged) and wider, roomier interiors. Nevertheless, sales dropped 4,000 units, and model-year production for the Chrysler brand fell to 260,773 units. The most popular (and cheapest) model line was the Chrysler Newport, which ranked below the New Yorker and the 300 in the brand hierarchy.
The 1969 Chrysler Newport was offered as a 4-door sedan, a 4-door hardtop, a 2-door hardtop, and as a convertible (dropped after 1970). Prices started at $3414 for the 4-door sedan and at $3823 for the convertible in 1969. The most popular model was the 4-door sedan, which tipped the scales at nearly 2 tons and in 1969 sold more than 55,000 units. For about $170 more, buyers could chose to step up to the Newport Custom trim level, which included a vinyl roof and vertically segmented rear panel (standard Newports had a more conventional rear end). For 1971, a new lower-priced Newport Royal series joined the lineup and in 1972, the entire lineup received a restyling of their "fuselage" bodies, which was modified slightly again with a more conventional front end for 1973.
Standard engine on Newport and Newport Custom was a 383 cubic inch V-8 with 290 horsepower, but optional engines went all the way up to 440 cubic inches and 375 horsepower. The Newport Royal model was fitted with a standard 255 horsepower 360 cubic inch V-8 in 1971 and 1972.
The 1969 Chrysler Newport Custom 4-door sedan pictured here was in attendance at the annual antique car show at Sully Plantation in Chantilly, Virginia, on June 17, 2007.