The Shitty Cars of Englewood #19: 1960 Chrysler New Yorker station wagon
This week we spy a 1960 Chrysler New Yorker station wagon
Not all Shitty Cars of Englewood were created equal. Some are samples from the embarrassing 1980’s, when the quality of American cars dipped to an all-time low. Others are refugees from the 1970’s, when bigger was better. Still others reflect the faded luxury of the 50’s and 60’s. This week’s Shitty Car fits into that category. What it doesn’t fit into is most garages.
While it’s faded, patina-ed and unrestored, this 1960 Chrysler station wagon is remarkable straight and rust-free for its age. It might look “beaten up” to the average person but to a collector with a trained eye it’s actually in beautiful shape. It could easily be brought back to its original luster with the investment of time, elbow grease and a few thousand dollars. It’s pretty cool just the way it is, though.
This Chrysler is a real eye-grabber. It’s bathing in chrome. It was built in an era when auto makers took a great deal of pride in their designs. Subtlety was not the order of the day. Instead, great big tail fins and other features that harkened to the space program were standard. This Chrysler boasts twin headlamps on both sides of its massive slotted trapezoid grill, each arranged diagonally. The rear of the car is highlighted by fins, each of which houses a massive tail lamp.
Everywhere your eye wanders across this car there are chrome accents of one kind or another. It’s a wonderful example of late 1950’s American automotive design.
Station wagons are not typically considered to be the most desirable cars in collector’s circles. But, with 2-door Chryslers of this era having become quite valuable, they are unattainable by most people. A 1960 Chrysler 300 is a $100,000 plus automobile these days. For that reason more and more people are seeking out wagons like this one, which is a more interesting and practical car than a four-door sedan.
This wagon is likely powered by a 413 cubic inch Chrysler “wedge” V-8 rather than the more powerful “Hemi” popularized in the 300. Still, it should make about 350 horsepower. That’s a good thing since the curb weight of the wagon is probably somewhere this side of aircraft carrier.
It appears as though the wagon has not been started in while. The tires remain inflated and the plates are current but it shows signs of having not moved. It’s difficult to say whether the car is a “runner” or not. There’s little doubt, however, that, even though it’s a pretty collectable automobile, it’s a Shitty Car of Englewood.
