By Cody Clark
Coming off of his conservative, sleek days at General Motors with the Continental, Elwood Engel had a plan to save the Chrysler New Yorker. He adopted that same less-is-more design language with 1965’s offering and essentially saved the model – Detroit’s red-headed stepchild sold 62% more New Yorkers over the prior year. Available on craigslist in Renton, WA for $4,500, this 1965 Chrysler New Yorker for sale is an example of Engel’s iconic design philosophy without the hefty price tag of the Continental but still brimming with all the retrofuturism your heart desires.
Information is sparse on this example, although the critical parts are at least somewhat visible. The paint looks like a cloudy melange compared to the deep blue this car would have shown in its glory days. The seller offers hubcaps with the sale but it would be hard to justify losing those demolition-derby spec steelies that fit the car so well. Pillarless lines and large hoods steal the show.
1965 Chrysler New Yorker Interior
The interior is a deep cleaning and a few added door cards away from real magic. Those color-matched seats belie the magical palette this car once wore. Nothing else is visible in the interior, yet not much is missing. Seats and a steering wheel are there, not much more is necessary.
The engine looks like it’s about a year away from decomposing into the earth, although the seller notes in passing that this car runs. The radiator and the title are missing, so it would be a long and risky trip to drive this car home. $4,500 is ambitious for a car missing a title, and yet this car is too amazing to fault. Finding a car like this is a rarity these days – and it deserves to be enjoyed as a rumbling Escape from New York set piece or taken down to bare metal and lovingly restored.
