Chrysler New Yorker 1965

[Timothy (in VA)]

Chrysler New Yorker 1965-1968

The New Yorker name has traditionally been applied to the flagship model of the Chrysler lineup. In 1965, the New Yorker sat above the 300 and the Newport (but below the Imperial brand) in the Chrysler hierarchy. The New Yorker rode a 124-inch wheelbase (3.15 meters) and was offered in 4 bodystyles: 4-door sedan, 2-door hardtop, 4-door hardtop (the most popular), and station wagon (the New Yorker Town & Country).

The new Chrysler full-size* models introduced in 1965 featured squared-off lines penned by Elwood Engel, the designer perhaps most famous for the 1961 Lincoln Continental. The 1965 models' modern looks struck a chord with the buying public, pushing the Chrysler brand to its first ever year of 200,000+ sales and allowing Chrysler to outsell Cadillac for the first time since the mid-1950s.

In 1965, the base engine on the New Yorker was a 413 cubic inch (6.8 liter) V-8. In 1966, Chrysler introduced the largest V-8 engine then available from any American manufacturer, coming in at a whopping 440 cubic inches (7.2 liters) and putting out 350 horsepower. Initially offered only in Imperials and the New Yorker, the 440 later became an option for lesser Chryslers.

The squared-off styling persisted through 1968 with minor annual revisions, and was replaced by the "fuselage" Chryslers in 1969.

The 1965 Chrysler New Yorker 4-door sedan pictured here was in attendance at the annual antique car show at Sully Plantation in Chantilly, Virginia, on June 17, 2007.

*For many years after World War II, the terms "Chrysler" and "full-size" were redundant, as the company clung to a policy of "no junior editions" for the Chrysler brand, a policy that lasted until the introduction of the mid-size Chrysler Cordoba in 1975.*

An example of the 1969 “fuselage” Chryslers: Chrysler Newport 1969