Carisle, PA – Every summer in Carlisle, the world of MoPar converges at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds for the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals car show. The event bursts with vibrant colors, enthusiastic car owners, passionate parts shoppers, dedicated vendors, and more—all coming together to celebrate the brand they love most. This passion is evident as showfield participation continues to grow, and vendor turnout increases year after year. In short, if you’re a MoPar enthusiast, Carlisle is the place to be each July. For 2025, this annual event will take place from July 11-13.

There are four milestone celebrations planned for 2025: a 100 Years of Chrysler showcase, 30 Years of the Neon, 60 Years of the A-990 Hemi Cars and 55 Years of the AAR ’Cuda/Challenger T/A. Beyond these premier attractions, the event will feature additional must-see collections—all for one low admission price.

Last year, attendees got a preview of what 100 Years of Chrysler will offer. Frank Rhodes, great-grandson of Walter P. Chrysler, partnered with the Walter P. Chrysler Club (WPC Club) to showcase select vintage Chryslers and memorabilia in Building R. Rhodes also participated in an open mic session on stage. His visit wasn’t just about being seen—it was about experiencing what makes the Carlisle Chrysler Nationals so special. During his visit, he met passionate fans and toured the Carlisle Expo Center, which will host a portion of the Chrysler 100th celebration in 2025. This display will include special exhibits, notable guests, military vehicles, and other unique Chrysler productions from over the years. Additionally, through the WPC Club, a special registration package is available, featuring a commemorative license plate, window decal, dash plaque, and a one-year digital membership to the club.

If that’s not enough, consider the sibling celebration of the AAR ’Cuda and Challenger T/A. This display is made possible thanks to Jeff Bangert (AAR ’Cuda Registry) and Barry Washington (Challenger T/A Registry). Expect expert-led seminars, engaging Q&A sessions, and displays of rare, unique, and high-end examples of these iconic cars. Beyond the vehicles, parts and memorabilia will also be featured.

Carlisle Events will have a tent on the showfield to highlight the 30th anniversary of the Neon. It took teaming up with 2GN.org and the entire Neon community to pull this together. The clock winds back a little further with a celebraion the 60th anniversary of the 1965 A-990 Dodge and Plymouth Hemi cars. Plus, a special inclusion of their predecessors, the 1964 A-864 Hemi cars.

Another highlight that consistently impresses is the MoPar Survivor display, organized by Gregg and Ken Major. This multi-vehicle tent, located just west of the stage, features classics that are not only at least 25 years old but also retain 85% or more of their original paint, parts, and presentation. Bring your camera—you’ll want to capture these remarkable vehicles!

Consideration for each display is open now, with applications being accepted through April. Submissions will be evaluated, and selected vehicles will receive additional promotion via social media and the event guide.

Gates open at 7 AM each day and kids 12 and under are admitted FREE, while students 13+ are admitted for just $5 (with valid in-person ID). A military discount is also available with valid ID for in-person purchases only. Complete details about the 2025 Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, including information on how to become a vendor, register for the showfield, apply for display consideration, engage with an event activity, or simply purchase discounted spectator admission tickets can be found at CarlisleEvents.com or by calling 717-243-7855.

Carlisle Events is a partner or producer of over a dozen annual collector car/truck events. Events are held at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds (Carlisle, PA), Allentown Fairgrounds (Allentown, PA), and the SUN ‘n FUN Expo Campus (Lakeland, FL). The season schedule includes automotive flea markets of varying sizes, multiple auctions, as well as individual specialty shows featuring Corvettes, Fords, GMs, Chryslers, trucks, imports, tuners, and performance sport compacts. Founded in 1974 by friends Bill Miller and Chip Miller, events hosted at Carlisle attract enthusiasts annually from all corners of the globe. More information is available at www.CarlisleEvents.com or www.CarlisleAuctions.com.

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John Benz will admit it. He doesn’t really remember the unusual Chrysler TC when it first came out back in 1989. He’s not alone in that admission, as most car folks seemed to miss the TC—it came and went pretty quickly.

“No, I really don’t remember them,” chuckles Benz, a resident of Wautoma, Wis. “There is probably only another four or so in Wisconsin. They made about 7,000 of them and about 3,000 got imported to the States. So whatever is left is left…”

Benz eventually started seeing the handsome convertibles now and then at car shows. He liked the idea of having something unique, and the fact that the TCs—short for “touring convertible”—was part Chrysler and part Maserati certainly made them different. For their time they were expensive, a little exotic, and they were droptops in an era when convertibles were few and far between. They also only lasted for three model years (1989 to ’91), which makes them a little obscure 30-some years later.

When Benz stumbled on a low-mileage example for a reasonable price online, he figured he had nothing to lose. “I had Googled ‘Chrysler TC by Maserati’ and found this one out in Arizona,” says Benz, admiring his pristine 1990 TC. “So I had a friend of mine out there take a look at it, and he said, ‘If you don’t buy it, I’m gonna.’ Se we ended up buying it and flying out to Arizona and driving it all the way home, my wife and I.

“It had only about 14,000 miles on it and there’s 20,000 on it now … A gentleman and his wife had it and they lived in the state of Washington, but they also had a place in Arizona, where they would come for the winters. The only place they really drove it was from Washington down to Arizona. He would take it to parades and stuff like that, and now I take it to car shows.”

Benz’s car was originally ordered by a man named George Shoemaker, an adventurous retired career Army officer. He basically hardly touched the car during the years he owned it. Shoemaker wound up putting only about 500 miles a year on the TC.

“This one has a plaque on it from the original owner. If you did order it, they had the plaque made before they shipped it over [from Italy],” Benz noted. “And it came with all the necessary paperwork and the operating manuals and repair manual … All that stuff came with the car. The tires were brand new. He had just put new tires on it. The top was in great shape, and all the upholstery is great. All in all, it starts good, runs good, stops good. I have no complaints at all!”

An Italian American

The stylish, droptop Chrysler TC by Maserati, its official name, was similar in appearance to the Maserati Spyder. It toured the U.S. auto show circuit in 1986 and 1987 amid promises that it would soon be in showrooms. Some three years passed before it actually went on sale, which may be part of the reason for its short lifespan. The TC rode on a 93-inch wheelbase and carried a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine that produced 160 hp in 1989. It sold for $35,500, but importation came to a halt in the spring of 1990 (all cars sold as 1991s were built in 1990).

Developers envisioned the TC as a “grand tourer,” taking on competition such as the $50,000-plus Cadillac Allanté and Buick Reatta. At the time, Chrysler owned a 5 percent stake in Maserati and Chrysler boss Lee Iacooca had forged a working relationship with Alejandro de Tomaso in which they’d build 7,300 TCs. The pair had previously worked together while Iacocca was at Ford where he launched the short-lived De Tamaso Pantera. The second time around, in 1989, they built the TC, which debuted with a slightly de-tuned 160-hp turbo four-cylinder from the Dodge Daytona known as the Turbo II. The Turbo II was then replaced by a Mitsubishi 3.0-liter V-6 with 142 hp for the TC’s 1990 and 1991 model years, with the automatic three-speed transaxle being swapped out for a four-speed A604. There was also an optional Maserati 200-hp, 16-valve 2.2-liter turbo four-cylinder mated to a Getrag five-speed manual. Only 500 TCs were built with this drivetrain.

The TC featured both a manually folding convertible top—either tan or black—and a detachable hardtop with porthole-ish “opera windows” utilizing a six-point latching system. Initially, the cars available in yellow, red or cabernet, but black or white exterior colors were added a year later, along with a new black leather interior.

The TC’s upholstery was all fancied up with hand-stitched Italian leather. There was a storage compartment with goodies such as an umbrella, tool kit and small spare tire. That meant that the trunk was full-sized even with the top down. Standard equipment included anti-lock brakes, 15×6 cast-aluminum wheels, power windows, 6-way power seats, power door and trunk locks, 10-speaker Infinity AM/FM cassette stereo, cruise control and a tilt steering wheel. The only option was a plug-in CD player.

The TC was only sold at 300 select U.S. Chrysler dealerships. A total of 3,764 were built for the debut 1989 year, but that modest number declined quickly to 1,900 in 1990 and just 1,636 in 1991. By that time, the price of the TC had ballooned to $37,000, which was about double the cost of Chrysler’s own LeBaron convertible.

Critics panned the TC as a gloried LeBaron and chirped about its “whatever’s in the parts bin” assembly. In truth, the TC was a very good-looking, nice-riding car with good performance for its time … and hey, it was a convertible with two tops! But the timing when it came to buying tastes was bad, and the American economy wasn’t great, either.

Almost New, 34 Years Later

Benz had a Chrysler dealership in Phoenix check out his TC before he made the long drive back to Wisconsin. The dealer put in a fresh battery and a new fuel filter. That’s the only thing Benz has done to the car. The most work he’s put in on the car is probably rigging up a little holder/hoist for the removable hardtop that now hangs from the rafters above the TC. Benz has just stuck with the folding convertible top so far.

“The hardtop… it is cool, just something different that you don’t see everywhere else. Most cars don’t have removable hardtops,” he says. “I rigged up the hoist here to keep it off the ground and make it easier to take on and off. It’s not real hard to take on and off, but I like of like the convertible top during the summer. It’s pretty tight; you don’t really hear and wind noise. It’s got power steering, power brakes and everything, so it’s pretty smooth and nice on the road.

“It’s great to drive. It’s got the V-6, full-size trunk; the spare is behind the front seats, so there is a little storage there. The radio and stereo and all that works. It’s kind of a joy to bomb around in!”

It’s also easy to see why plenty of folks mistake Benz’s TC for a LeBaron, particularly from a distance. Benz has retold the tale of the TC and where it came from more times than he can remember.

“People really don’t remember them. They look at ’em in awe and say, ‘What is that?’ They see the Chrysler emblem and the Maserati emblem in the middle and they say, ‘What in the world is going on?’ But I have a little placard that I put out at car shows so people can read all about it.”

The TC convertible turned out to be a bad idea for Chrysler. Getting the cars into production, built and shipped was an expensive process, and the company lost millions before pulling the plug on the idea of offering a pseudo-European convertible to Americans. The good news for enthusiasts these days is that the cars are relative bargains. They pop up for sale regularly and can be had for modest prices, considering their original cost was more than $80,000 in current U.S. dollars.

“Truthfully, I just like the appearance of it. I just like the way it looks!” Benz concludes. “I like to take it out and let people see it and let them learn about a car they never knew about.

“And it was different. It was made in Milan and if I go to car shows I can put it in the Import Class, if I need to. All in all, it’s been a really nice car and it doesn’t have many miles on it.” 

Dig cars from the ’80s and ’90s? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment. 

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In the fall of 2002, Robert Huelsman discovered an original, low-mileage 1950 Chrysler New Yorker four-door sedan in the car corral of Fall Carlisle. The seller had recently purchased the car from the Cumberland, Md., estate of the original owner. The New Yorker had clearly been well cared for over the years, but the building in which the car was stored for decades had an old-style heating system that operated on fuel oil. Over the years, the heater caused the New Yorker’s door seals and other rubber components to dry out and deteriorate beyond repair. Although it had been appreciated, there were other signs that time had taken its toll on the New Yorker, making it the perfect example for a body-off-frame restoration in order to make it like new again.

Upon spotting the New Yorker, Robert approached the seller about buying it. 

According to Tom, Robert’s son, “Another person tried to buy it before my father knew it was for sale, but he couldn’t come up with the funds to do it. The [seller] made the statement, ‘The first person who comes up with the asking price, gets it.’ My father overheard the conversation and heard the seller’s bold statement. Dad approached the seller, reached into his pocket, handed him all the money he had, and asked him to give him a couple hours to come up with the rest of the money he was asking for it.”

“My father also told the seller, ‘If I don’t show up with the rest of the money in two hours, you can keep the money I have already given you.’

“The seller agreed, and a short time later, well before the two-hour deadline, Dad had the rest of the money [and] he was the new owner of the ’50 New Yorker.”

Once Robert secured the New Yorker, he was left with just one problem — how to get his surprise purchase home.

“My father didn’t intend to buy a car at the Carlisle event, and wasn’t prepared to take it home at that moment,” Tom recalled. “After making the purchase, he asked a police officer who was standing nearby if he knew someone who would let him store it until he could get back to Ohio, grab his truck and trailer, then make the trip back to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, to retrieve it. The police officer said, ‘Sure, you can store the New Yorker at my place.’”

A New Yorker state of mind

While his 1950 Chrysler New Yorker purchase appeared to be an impulse buy, Robert had long wanted to own such a car. In his youth, he caught sight of a 1950 Chrysler New Yorker as it drove past him while he was working at his shop in Chickasaw, Ohio, and immediately took a liking to it. He hit the books and read up on the car, its eight-cylinder engine and its mechanical drivetrain. After seeing one in person and educating himself on its engine and transmission, he told himself, “One day I’d like to own one.”

Developing a mechanical bend

In 1967, Robert Huelsman purchased Huelsman’s Garage from his father, Charles, and years later named it “Huelsman Automotive.” Back in 1927, Charles started Huelsman’s Garage in a lean-to structure that was attached to the overhang of a local blacksmith’s garage. Over the years, the business evolved, the size of the building expanded and Charles added a business partner. That arrangement lasted until 1947, when Charles bought his partner’s share of the business and went solo. Twenty years later, Charles was ready for retirement and offered the business to Robert, who agreed to take it over from his father.

Robert learned much of his trade while serving in the United States Air Force where he was a highly skilled mechanic. He later passed his mechanical knowledge onto his two sons, Tom and John. Tom joined Huelsman Automotive in 1974 and John joined four years later. Under their father’s mentorship, they built Huelsman Automotive into a team of highly skilled technicians. It’s a family-driven operation that now includes Tom’s son, Kyle, who joined the team in 2001, and John’s son, Brian, who joined the team in 2005. Under the watchful eye of owners Tom and John, and with encouragement from Robert, who continued to work at the shop during the transition, Huelsman Automotive continued to grow. It is regarded as a highly successful, four-generation business that’s a fixture within the community.

A long wait to restoration

More than a decade ago, I met Robert and his wife, Marlene, along with their son, Tom, and his wife, Kathy, at the Motor Muster Car Show at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich., where they were debuting their freshly restored 1959 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan (Old Cars Weekly, May 21, 2015). During the Impala photoshoot, Robert mentioned the restoration of their 1950 Chrysler New Yorker was in the works, and I asked him to call me when its restoration was completed. Years later, Tom called me to ask if I wanted to see the finished ’50 New Yorker. Not long after, I was heading south from Michigan on I-75 to Chickasaw, and once there, Tom told me more about the restoration process and how he and his father worked together for more than a decade on the New Yorker, doing most of the work themselves.

Tom then led me to a garage adjacent to the Huelsman Automotive facility, and when we walked through the front door, I was greeted by a smiling Robert dressed in dark-blue coveralls standing next to the shiny 1950 Chrysler New Yorker. He’d been finishing up some last-minute details before my arrival.

When it came time to restore the 1950 Chrysler New Yorker four-door sedan, Robert and Tom approached the project as an opportunity to work on something classic while showcasing each of their talents. Robert’s area of expertise was rebuilding engines. He took great pride in his work and passed that ethic onto Tom. Both Robert and Tom have an exceptional eye for detail, which I knew from the ’59 Impala photoshoot. And their New Yorker looked just as beautiful as it did when it was new, just like their previously restored Impala.

A Chrysler for comfort

In 1950, Chrysler was in the second model year of its first postwar redesign and had a not new engine in the works, but that engine — the Hemi — wouldn’t be available until the next year. Until it would become Chrysler’s focus, the company relied on its reputation for solid quality, riding comfort and proven inline L-head engines (the 250.6-cid six-cylinder in the Chrysler Royal and Windsor series and the 325.5-cid eight-cylinder in the Saratoga, New Yorker, Imperial and wood-trimmed Town and Country). Factory features such as “Hydra-Lizer” double-acting shock absorbers, “Cyclebonded” brake linings and “Prestomatic Fluid Drive” transmissions made Chrysler automobiles safe and comfortable to drive, and gave the company buzz words to use when advertising them.

Chryslers might have lacked the more-adventurous styling of some of the competing automobiles of the time, but Chrysler still had plenty to boast. Thanks to company president K.T. Keller, Chrysler interior layouts focused on generous headroom (enough to wear a hat), chair-height seats and other creature comforts.

“A car of comfort, class, that’s the New Yorker,” wrote Motor Trend Editor Walt Woron after road testing a 1950 four-door sedan during a private press preview of the 1950 Chrysler.

The six-cylinder Windsor four-door sedan on the 125.5-inch wheelbase was the overall sales leader for Chrysler in 1950 with 78,199 sold. Placing a distant second in sales was the eight-cylinder New Yorker four-door, which rode the model’s 131.5-inch wheelbase and sold 22,633 examples. The New Yorker series also included a club coupe, convertible, station wagon, Town and Country convertible and a Newport two-door hardtop that debuted midway through the 1950 model year. The four-door Chrysler New Yorker four-sedan like the Huelsman car was tagged with a base price of $2,758, and with 22,633 built, it was the most popular New Yorker body type of the total 29,335 New Yorkers produced for the 1950 model year.

The 1950 Chrysler core bodies and chassis were largely the same as in 1949, when the company introduced its first completely new automobile design after World War II. There were many new design features to distinguish the 1950 model, however. For 1950, the front grille became simpler, but was still bold by industry standards. The taillamps were placed lower on the newly squared-off rear fenders to add a sense of greater length, and the rear window was enlarged to give the rear seat occupants a larger view while allowing more light into the interior.

Under the hood, the “Spitfire” eight-cylinder engine — with its 3.25-inch bore and 4.88-inch stroke — was rated at 135 bhp at 3,400 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600 revs.

“It was not noted for its amazing head snapping or amazing acceleration,” noted Woron in his review. The 1950 Chrysler’s lack of tire burning or put-you-against–the-seat-back acceleration really wasn’t the fault of the engine. The Prestomatic Fluid Drive functioned like a four-speed semi-automatic transmission that eased into gear with smoothness and convenience, and without the snappy shifts.

Motor Trend was able to finesse the gearbox between the high and low ranges during their testing process at the track. Acceleration was clocked at 20 seconds from 0-to-60 mph, with their best time getting down to 22.3 seconds in the quarter-mile. Fuel economy was 11.34 mpg in city driving, but improved to the mid-teens during steady highway driving.

Worn reported that he found the New Yorker maneuverable for its size, with “positive stopping” from the vacuum-boosted brakes.

A New Yorker stands tall

Today, the Huelsmans’ Newport Blue 1950 Chrysler New Yorker four-door sedan performs as well as Worn’s test car did back in 1950, and it looks just as good. The paint finish is flawless, the body panels are laser straight and the blue cloth interior is eye-catching. We’ve witnessed the crowds that the car draws wherever it goes, and many are impressed that the car retains much of its original factory-installed interior with only the carpet and seat material replaced.

The New Yorker’s restoration was completed by 2014, so Robert had several years to enjoy the car and the fruit of his labor before he passed away on July 25, 2022, at the age of 90. He was a member of the Chickasaw Volunteer Fire Department, the National De Soto Club, the Chrysler Restorers Club, and the MoPar Village Car Club. No doubt many of his fellow club members were impressed with his dedication for the hobby, and toward the restoration of this 1950 New Yorker that his family continues to cherish. 

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Bonhams – A trans-Atlantic trio of rare mid-century Chrysler Ghia show cars, offered from the prestigious Ramshead Collection, will bring a touch of La Dolce Vita to Bonhams in the New Year as highlights of the Scottsdale Auction on January 26, 2023.

Leading the glamorous group is the unique 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400 concept car which was displayed at that year’s Torino and New York Motor Shows and most recently won a class award at the esteemed Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This striking, futuristic one-off showcased what was to come in automotive design and was equipped with Chrysler’s powerful 400hp Hemi V8 powerplant.

This highly original and preserved example has covered just 49,000 miles with three owners from new.

Also displayed at the New York Auto Show was the 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4, which in later life was a Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance entrant. Largely hand built in Italy at Ghia’s Carrozeria, the L6.4 had a limited production run of just 26, with owners including Frank Sinatra. Stunningly preserved, this treasured collector car – one of just 17 surviving – is another low mileage example with just 33,000 miles recorded.

Completing the automotive triptych is the 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé, its striking turquoise over tan livery complementing its lines, inspired by Virgil Exner, the Chrysler designer known for creating the marque’s ‘Forward Look’. The elegant show car was one of nine examples produced, of which only five remain. The subject of an exceptional restoration, the GS-1 is a three-times class winner at Pebble Beach.

The three showstoppers are the headliners of the Ramshead Collection of 14 cars, curated by the late John White of California, a renowned and respected collector and frequent exhibitor at Pebble Beach and other prominent events.

CARS OF THE JOHN WHITE/RAMSHEAD COLLECTION

• 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400
• 1954 Chrysler Ghia GS-1 Coupé
• 1962 Chrysler Ghia L6.4
• 1961 Chrysler 300-G Convertible
• 1948 Dodge D24 Custom Coupé
• 1953 Buick Skylark Convertible
• 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
• 1953 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
• 1992 Wayne Davis Custom Trailer
• 1962 Lincoln Continental Sedan
• 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix Convertible
• 1955 Chrysler Imperial Newport Hard Top
• 1953 Ford Mainline Ranch Wagon
• 1949 Dodge Wayfarer Two-Door Roadster

The son of a Dodge automobile dealer, Mr. White was a ‘petrolhead’ from an early age. His childhood collection of model cars developed into the curated Ramshead collection of mid-century Americana which was kept in a private museum that resembled a showroom of the era.

The impressive collection offers 13 collector cars, representing the great names of the American automobile industry, from Buick and Cadillac to Lincoln and Ford, mostly offered at No Reserve.

The 2023 Bonhams Scottsdale Auction will be the eleventh sale hosted at the prestigious Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Arizona. Further important collector cars are being invited through December 1. Contact motors.us@bonhams.com for more details.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world’s largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, motor cars and a luxury division, including jewelry, watches, wine and whisky. The main salesrooms are in London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Hong Kong, with auctions also held in Knightsbridge, Edinburgh, and Sydney. With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 53 specialist areas. For a full list of forthcoming auctions, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, please visit bonhams.com

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It wasn’t even actually their car, but Kelly and Jack Beaulieu couldn’t let a family treasure get away.

The Appleton, Wis., couple has used a 1948 Chrysler Windsor convertible in their own wedding, and the car had been a prominent member of the clan for nearly three decades, since Jack’s brother Don had purchased it back in the 1980s.

So when Kelly found out two years ago that her brother-in-law was planning to sell the Chrysler, and that it would be heading overseas to a new owner, she put her foot down.

“Don had it up for sale and a guy from Belgium wanted to buy it and he did sell it and was going to ship it over. And before the transaction was complete Jack told me about it, and I said, ‘We can’t let that car go. That’s meant for us!’” Kelly recalls. “So we talked to Don and he sold it us and we’ll keep it forever, as long as we can.”

“It was fairly expensive, so I told her you can’t think about this, the answer is yes or no. We could buy Don’s Chrysler,” added Jack with a laugh. “I didn’t think about it,” replied Kelly. “The answer was yes.”

So the car stayed home in Wisconsin, and will go on being part of happy occasions and weekend car shows. 

“Don had it in his wedding, we had it in our wedding, our daughter had it in her wedding, and now we have another daughter with a wedding coming up, and hopefully it will be there, too,” Kelly adds.

The purchase was easy for the couple, in part, because they knew exactly where the car had been for many years. They didn’t have to do a lot of homework or worry about the Chrysler’s past. Don had picked up the car in South Carolina sometime around 1987, had the car restored, and then kept it in pretty good running shape ever since.

“He’s actually had three of them that he bought during that time,” Jack said. “This is the only one that’s had a complete restoration done on it.”

CHRYSLER CARRIES ON

The 1946-’48 model years are often lumped together when U.S. car building history is revisited. Most of the time, there were few changes during early post-World War II production, and such was the case at Chrysler. As other manufacturers were forced to do, Chrysler served up left-over 1942 designs for three years after hostilities ended, but the buying public didn’t seem to mind.

The Windsor nameplate had actually been unveiled for the 1939 model year at Chrysler, and proved to be a popular seller as the middle child in the company’s lineup. It was difficult to distinguish the ’48 models from the ’46-47 offerings. Front fenders flowed smoothly into newly skinned front doors. All models had Chryslers elegant die-cast eggcrate style grille, new front and rear bumpers and different fender trim.

Some year-to-year running changes also occurred. The body-structure was all steel, a longtime Chrysler hallmark. Separate chassis/frame construction was used. Body insulation included the interior structure of the body, roof, side panels, floor, cowl and trunk. Postwar developments included Safe Guard hydraulic brakes and a permanent Oilite fuel tank filter. Rust-proofing protected the interior body structure. Series identification was provided by nameplates found on the hood sides. Standard equipment included armrests on both front doors; directional signal; entrance light; brake warning light; cigar lighter with illuminated ashtray; rubber floor covering in front compartment (except on the club coupe and eight-passenger sedans, which are carpeted); dual outside front door locks; glovebox light and lock; pile fabric or broadcloth upholstery; luggage compartment light; assist straps and robe cords on sedans and broughams; dual two-speed electric wipers; plastic steering wheel; automatic dome light; white wheel-trim rings and interior door locks.

The Windsor was one step up from the bottom-tier Royal line and included all Royal features, plus: two-tone wool broadcloth upholstery, carpeted front compartment, electric clock, rear seat folding armrest on sedans and exterior ‘goose neck’ mirror on convertibles only. The Windsor offered luxury on par with the New Yorker line, but was powered by the L-head 250.6-cid six-cylinder engine that produced 114 hp. Windsors were identified by nameplates on both sides of the hood. Popular options included: radios; twin heaters with defroster; Deluxe heater; antennas; bumper guards; locking gas caps; windshield washers; sun visors; exhaust extensions; and six-ply tires.

Buyers could chose from a host of configurations: two-door/three-passenger coupe; two-door club coupe (with a back seat); two-door convertible; two-door sedan; four-door sedan; four-door Traveler wagon; Town and Country or two different long-wheelbase limousine-style sedans. Prices ranged from $1,906 for the three-passenger coupe up to $2,880 for the stylish four-door Town and Country. A Windsor convertible like the Beaulieus’ would have carried a base price of $2,434 before add-ons. There were 11,200 of the droptops built for the ’48 model year. A pair of convertibles, including a Town and Country model, were also available in the top-end New Yorker lineup.

PRETTY IN PLAID

The 1946-48 Windsor convertible is probably overshadowed a bit these days by its Town and Country woody sibling, which has been a favorite of collectors and enthusiasts for years. But the Windsor convertible was a very nice car itself and plenty memorable, especially when it was equipped with the optional plaid “Highlander” interior. The red tartan plaid leather and cloth upholstery certainly makes a bold statement and gives the convertible a unique character. If you need a car to take on a picnic, this is the one.

“Yeah, it really gets the car noticed,” Jack said. “It was an option, and the marbeling on the dash, that was only on the Windsor, so that was unique, too. It wasn’t offered on the higher-end New Yorker.” Both features were part of a very interesting and pleasing interior design that complimented the car’s handsome and outgoing exterior design cues. “The radio across the bottom has got ‘Highlander’ written on it to go with the interior,” Jack added. “As far as bells and whistles, it’s got a horn and lights and blinkers and crank-up windows. The spotlight … I think Don added that over the years. It’s actually a MoPar spotlight, so it’s the right vintage. He’s got another one that he wants me to put on, too.”

As far as Jack knows, the six-cylinder engine is the same one that came in the car originally and has propelled the big convertible through all 52,000-plus miles that are on the odometer. Aside from routine maintenance, not much has been done to the ’48 since it was restored back in the ‘90s.

“We’ve just done gaskets and seals … It doesn’t leak now, which is nice,” Jack chuckles. “It’s still the straight six, 6-volt with positive ground. And the thing fires right up and runs very well. Every once in a while you get a little stall, but that’s the only drawback. We were going 70 [mph] down the highway today and it purrs. Seventy is its sweet spot. It’s got a posi rear end with 4.10 gears. It’s kind of strange, but when you drive you take off with the torque converter, then you let off the gas for a second or two, then you can hear the transmission shift into high gear. It’s different.”

We featured this Chrysler in our “Out and About” video segments. Check it out below.

Added Kelly: “It floats. You know when people tell you ‘My car floats down the road, it’s so comfortable.’ Now I know what that feels like. The seats are very springy. It’s just so fun.”

The vast majority of the time, the Beaulieus brave the elements and keep the Chrysler’s top folded down. It’s the same top that has been on the car for the past 30 years.

“The top was done in 1990, 91 maybe, by a guy who was very popular at the time. He did the whole interior at the time,” Jack recalled. “ The top was all hand-stitched, custom-made for the car. It’s showing its age, but it’s very functional. The top is down most of the time. I’ll wear a stocking cap and gloves. It kind of has to have the top down.”

The couple added some seat belts so they could haul grandkids around on ice cream runs and other family outings. The Windsor has room for six, but Jack and Kelly are content to go sight-seeing and joy riding alone, too. It’s easy to strike up conversations in a such sweet old convertible.

“We drive it, we don’t park it,” Kelly says. “We drive it wherever we go. It’s beautiful. It’s fun to talk about. It’s fun to go places and have conversations about it. People love this kind of stuff. We stop in little towns and people talk to us about it.”

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post Car of the Week: 1948 Chrysler Windsor convertible appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Ralph Michaels chuckles because he knew the question was coming. Yes, he remembers Ricardo Montalban. And yes, his 1975 Chrysler Cordoba has “rich Corinthian leather”!

Well, sort of.

“There is no such thing as rich Corinthian leather [laughs]. That was a marketing ploy!” says Michaels, a MoPar-loving car guy from Milwaukee, Wis. “As soon as somebody sees it, the first thing they say is, ‘Does it have the rich Corinthian leather?’ I’m thinking about finding a cardboard cut-out of Ricardo Montalban that I can put up next to the car when we take it to shows.”

For Michaels, the memorable TV commercials from the ‘70s make owning his Cordoba even more fun, and he knows the famous “Corinthian” connection will never go away. What’s more important to him is that he knew Montalban was pitching a darn nice car, and Michaels wanted one almost from the first time he saw one up close.

He was working for a Milwaukee car dealer back in the day when he first laid eyes on his beautiful yellow survivor.

 “I used to change the oil on it and put plugs and things like that in it … and I told the guy I gotta have this someday. If you ever want to sell it, call me.” 

The car had apparently been used for a time by the wife of a car dealer in Milwaukee, then was sold once before Michaels finally got his hands on it.

“It had 3,000 miles on it … 20 years later he called and said the car was for sale, and I’ve had it ever since,” Michaels says with a grin. “I was a young kind, 20-some years old. I’m 60 now so I’ve had it quite some time… At first it was just an ugly car, now it’s one of the coolest cars I have. It drives fantastic. You can set the cruise control and open the sunroof and roll down the freeway.”

Indeed, in hindsight, there was plenty to like in the fully loaded yellow Cordoba for a young car fanatic like Michaels. It carried a 400-cid V-8 in an era of quickly diminishing cubes. It could probably match any Cadillac of the time when it came to amenities, and it had a Monte Carlo-esque design and silhouette that made it when of the most intriguing debut cars of 1975.

“I just thought it was fast. It’s a 400 two-barrel, and when I test drove it after changing the oil and doing some service on it, I thought, ‘This thing’s kinda quick!’ It’s not, but I thought it was at the time… I was driving a 1970 Ford LTD at the time, and a ’70 Coronet wagon, so it was just a cool car, I thought.”

CHRYSLER’S ‘ROOKIE OF THE YEAR’

For many, the Cordoba will be remembered most for Ricardo Montalban’s unintentionally funny punchline, but the car turned out to be a serious hit for Chrysler. Rarely has the right car come along at a more opportune time for a U.S. auto builder. With 150,105 sold, the debut Cordoba was the lone bright spot in an otherwise bleak year for Chrysler and accounted for about 60 percent of all the company’s sales.

The Cordoba was the first new Chrysler car built on the B-body platform — the same used on Dodge Chargers. The Cordoba’s biggest calling card that year was that it was smaller than other Chrysler offerings, using a 115-inch wheelbase that made it shorter and lighter than the company’s 124-inch-wheelbase models, which included the Newport, Imperial and New Yorker. It was clearly designed to fill a niche that had been missing at Chrysler — the personal-luxury market — and compete with the likes of the aforementioned Monte Carlo, Olds Cutlass Supreme, Buick Regal, and Ford’s Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar, among others.

Chrysler decided to give the new model a more exotic, stylish appeal, naming it after a city in Spain and enlisting the sophisticated Montalban as the pitch man.

The new hardtop was truly a luxurious ride and had classy looks from any angle. The front grille was mostly similar in appearance to the other Chryslers of 1975. However, there were two horizontal bars, which divided numerous fine vertical bars. Single headlamps were located in pods and smaller pods contained the parking lamps. The hood and deck lids were highly sculptured and vertical rectangular tail lamps were suggestive of the Newport-type. A Cordoba nameplate graced the front fenders and distinctive medallions were set into the tail lamps and the stand-up hood ornament. Cordoba seats were upholstered in brocade trim. One optional interior was a combination of leather and vinyl. Opera windows were seen in the rear quarter roof pillars.

The 400-cid (6.6-liter) V-8 with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor was standard, with the 360-cid (5.9L) and 318 (5.2L) both optional. All of the cars carried a three-speed automatic transmission, either on the column or a console. Buyers could choose either bench or bucket seats. In addition, there was a long list of options, including a manual sunroof, tinted glass, AM/FM radio, heavy-duty suspension, remote trunk release, air conditioning and power seats and windows. Upholstery came in a variety of materials and colors. Two different vinyl roof options were offered. The “halo” covered the entire roof, while the more popular Landau style was often sold as part of a luxury package that included air conditioning, tinted glass, remote driver’s side mirror and other goodies.

The big 25.5-gallon gas tank could get you a long way down the highway, especially if you had the 2.45:1 standard axle ratio, which was standard on the 360 V-8. The 2.71 axle came standard with the 400 and 318. Stopping was done by 11-inch rear drums and 11.6-inch front discs.

Ultimately, the Cordoba is credited with helping saving the ‘70s for Chrysler Corp., but it didn’t survive the ‘80s. The nameplate was redesigned for the 1980 model year on the new J-body chassis, and became shorter and lighter than any of the first-gen cars. After the 1983 year, Chrysler pulled the plug on the Cordoba and basically withdrew altogether from the personal-luxury car business.

‘I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT IT’

Michaels uses his fabulous coupe as both a weekend driver and a show car. He insists he’s as happy driving the big yellow Chrysler as he is behind the wheel of any of his impressive fleet of collector cars. And he doesn’t mind taking the Cordoba to big shows either, such as last summer’s Iola Car Show in Wisconsin, where it was right at home in the Blue Ribbon Corral.

The Cordoba has 41,000 miles on the clock these days, and Michaels is happily adding as many to that number as he can.

“I love it. I’ve got Chargers and Roadrunners and Dusters, and I’ve got some Pontiacs. This is just a driver. It’s got weird options and just a nice car. I can’t say enough about it. It’s super clean underneath. Never been restored. Everything works on the car but the air conditioning, and I’m a mechanic so that will work soon. I’ve serviced the differential and the trans, put some new exhaust on it. Tune-up, carb rebuild, radiator, belts, hoses, things like that. I kept all the original clamps on there. I’m in the process of restoring the air conditioner.”

“It’s got the 400 two-barrel. It’s got the Fuel Pacer system, sunroof, power seat, power windows, TUF wheel, clock, trunk dress-up package… cruise control.”

“The Fuel Pacer is kind of cool. When you turned the key on, fuel mileage back in the ‘70s was an issue, so the left front turn signal lights up. If you step on the gas too hard while you are driving the left front turn signal lights up to tell you are driving aggressive or using too much fuel.”

Not only is Michaels’ Cordoba ritzy, it’s in fantastic shape. The white interior leather still looks great, and all the fancy stuff on the outside — pinstriping, bodyside moldings, vinyl roof, hood ornament — all look like they belong on a restored car. A restoration, however, is not in the plans.

“I’m leaving it the way it is. I have some things I need to do to other cars. I have five kids, and they can decided what they want to do with it,” laughs Michaels. “I’ve got a ’66 Charger …. In 34 years I have not driven that car, so that needs my attention. This one, it’s so original. Not that I think about what’s the car worth, but I think [a restoration] would hurt the car’s value. Not that I’d ever sell it. I always said I would sell it, but I enjoy the car too much and it’s just fun to have.”

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post Car of the Week: 1975 Chrysler Cordoba appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

By Terry Golda

My quest for this 1984 Chrysler LeBaron Town and Country convertible started in the summer of 1985, when my wife and I went to the Chrysler dealer in Hamilton Township, outside of Trenton, N.J., one evening to look at what they had in stock. We thought a convertible would be fun, and the dealer had one on the showroom floor. We looked at it and sat in it, but no one came to help us, so we walked out. As we left, we saw the sales people looking out the window at us.

Late the same evening, we went to the dealer in Flemington, N.J., which was then housed in an old gas station on the highway. Salesmen were scurrying about the lot, moving cars, etc. Again, no one helped us. My wife said, “That’s it — we’re not buying a new car.” We went home.

At the time, I had recently read Lee Iacocca’s book “Iacocca.” My wife was now reading it. In the book, she found an incident similar to the one we one we had experienced. She wrote a letter to Lee Iacocca and quoted the passage from his book, and in her letter she added, “Guess nothing’s changed.” She put the letter in the mail and we went off on vacation for a week. When we returned home at the end of August, we discovered we had received a phone call from Chrysler’s District Zone Manager, Blasé DeLeo. He said the letter got to the front office and caused quite a stir, and so he asked, “How can I help you?” By that time, I knew what I wanted: not just a convertible, but a Chrysler LeBaron convertible with the Town and Country option of woodgrain paneling on the sides, reminiscent of the Chrysler woodie convertibles of the ’40s.

Chrysler manufactured “new era” convertibles from 1983 through 1986, with only a total of 3,721 made in those years. DeLeo said he would look through his computer for one and get back to me.

In a few days, I received a call from DeLeo that a dealer in Lansdale, Pa., had one. I made an appointment with the dealer to see it. It was a white 1985 and not very clean, with almost 10,000 miles on it. The dealer said his wife had used it as a demonstrator, and he wasn’t offering it to me for a decent price. Mind you, other than the Chrysler limousine, the Town and Country convertible was Chrysler’s most expensive car of the time, with a window sticker price of almost $19,000.

I called the district zone manager and said, “Keep looking.” He said he could get me a new 1986 model, and I said I was not interested. For 1986, Chrysler had eliminated the luggage rack to accommodate the federally mandated third stop lamp; the “waterfall grille” stopped at the bumper line; and the parking lights were moved to the side, cutting off the angular beauty of the wood trim. To me, those changes took away some of car’s charm.

One day, on a hunch, I stopped at Autoland on Route 22 in Springfield, N.J. Almost a year and a half earlier, I’d looked at cars this dealership had on the lot. They had five Town and Country convertibles at that time. To my surprise, they still had three on the lot, all 1984s. The cars had been on the lot for nearly a year and a half! I took a test drive in one, and said I would think about it. That was a Wednesday. On Friday, the Star Ledger newspaper had a huge ad for Autoland, and one of the highlighted sales items was a gray 1985 Town and Country convertible at a really great price of $13,500. I know this car did not exist, because I wrote down all the serial numbers of the cars I had seen on the lot, and Chrysler never painted them in gray (just white, black and chocolate brown).

The following Monday morning, I went to the dealership and said, “I would like to buy the car in the ad.” They said it was sold. “Well,” I said, “I will offer you the same price for the black 1984 you have on the lot.” The salesman said the black car was turbocharged, and the car in the ad was not. “I’ll have to talk to the owner,” he said. “The owner said I can give you that car for $300 more than the one in the ad.” I said, “Sold.”

A few days later, Blasé DeLeo called back. I told him I had found a car. He said, “You did?” Apparently, he had been looking for 1985s and had never tried looking for a 1984. Who would have thought that a car would be on the lot of a high-volume dealer for a year and a half? I did ask him if he could arrange for me to have all the warranty service work done at Flemington since this was much closer to my home, and at that time, dealers were very fussy about who serviced a new car. He arranged that and I was happy.

I have since joined the Antique Automobile Club of America and entered the car in competition as soon as it was eligible. It is now a repeat First Place Senior-winning car.

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Have you ever wondered what your classic ride is worth? Old Cars has you covered with the Old Cars Report Price Guide. We are your source for unbiased and real-world pricing. Subscribe today and find out what your car is really worth! CLICK HERE to subscribe.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post Car of the Week: 1984 Chrysler LeBaron Town and Country convertible appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

I had been jonesing for a classic for years and had read numerous old cars “for sale” sites and visited museums and car shows regularly.

My first car had been a ’66 Cutlass Convertible and I had looked far and wide for one at a reasonable price, but everyone I saw was either a rusted hulk for too much money (and a future money pit project), or a show car already at the top of value.

While walking the beach in Siesta Key with my wife I said something about some car I had seen , or the recent visit to the Sarasota museum, and she said;
“if you want to buy an old car, just do it”…

Looking shocked I replied ”really? If you’re serious there is one locally at home that I’ve been looking at on Craigs List.” She replied- “Go ahead and do it!”

A few weeks later in late April 2018 we drove out to Owensville, Ohio and took home the “Miller High Life” Gold ’67 Newport Convertible. The seller had advertised it as green, and it had sat on Craigs list for least 6 months…

Here is the first pict of it at home:

It’s a far cry from a from a show car. It’s been scratched and banged. Between the time I first looked at it and the second time, the seller’s daughter had rubbed both rear fenders against the garage taking it in and out.

But it seems to be all original.

My primary retirement activity is acting as the Event Coordinator for the Dave Parker 39 Foundation, running the annual Cobra Classic Celebrity Golf Outing and various Parkinson’s Educational Events and other fund raisers.

An all-volunteer group, with minimal administrative costs, we donate almost all the money we raise each year to the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute. Dave is a 19-year MLB veteran, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2014. He and wife Kellye created the Foundation, later that year with the express purpose of providing education and help for Caregivers of PD patients and raising money for research for a cure.

Always looking for a way to raise money and reasons to drive the car, I thought a road trip would work for both.

Utilizing Go Fund Me, I started a fund to raise money for the Foundation by undertaking a “Newport to Newport” Road trip in the Newport!

My buddy Bill Roebel and I, left Newport KY. (a Cincinnati Suburb across the Ohio) in early Oct. 2018 and took the Newport on a 2900 mile road trip to Newport RI, stopping at other Newport towns and villages along the way.

Ultimately, we raised $4,000 for the foundation, (we funded the trip ourselves) and had a hell of a good time. We included stops at the National Road – Zane Grey Museum in Norwich OH. (https://www.visitzanesville.com/Explore/Destinations/167/National-Road-%E2%80%93-Zane-Grey-Museum/ ) A must stop for any road tripper interested in US RTE 40- The National Road, or the legendary Zane Grey!

We spent a wonderful half day in Gettysburg PA. ( a delightful college town where I spent 2 wonderful years enjoying the battlefield but not going to class) and a great half day at the US Military Academy at West Point- which every American should do!

In Newport RI we ran into Evan Smith the Pres. & CEO. Of “Discover Newport: who saw the signs on the car and came and ask if he could take a picture of it. He ended up treating us to a tour of The Breakers and comping us a hotel room. Wonderful Guy, such a providential meeting!

If you are a car guy, and even if you don’t appreciate Jay Leno’s 200+ cars in California, did you know he bought a mansion on the scenic Ocean Drive in Newport RI? And of course, it has a 6-car garage! He obviously has some connection to the Audrain Museum in Newport and I wish time had allowed us a visit- But-we did get a picture of the Newport in front of Jay’s House!

Leaving Newport on Saturday morning, we were only a few miles from Portland CT. Home of Wayne Carini’s F40 Motors and Chasing Classic Cars. I had to stop- just to get a picture of the Newport in front of the building.

Surprise! They were open, holding an open house for Wayne’s favorite charity- Autism Speaks, and he was there!  Not only did we get to meet Wayne and get a picture with him in front of the sign but also got to see the infamous Rain Man car, from the movie- much of which was shot here in Cincinnati.

The road home included a visit with friends in NJ. A stop at Newport DE. A visit to Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philly and a night with friends in Richmond where we also cruised Monument Drive (the monuments were still there then) and a visit to the University of Richmond Football Coach Russ Huesman another Cincinnatian.

Since 2018, the Newport stayed pretty much at home until 2021. This summer it traveled West to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville IA for a Parkinson’s event carrying buddy Bill again along with his brother Mike. We also visited an eclectic variety of stops including: The Hoosiers (movie) Museum in Milan IN, Bobby Plump’s Last Shot (bar & restaurant in Indianapolis); The University of IL.; RTE 66  from Bloomington to Pontiac IL; Ronald Reagan’s hometown and boyhood home; Herbert Hoover’s boyhood home; The University of Iowa; John Wayne’s birthplace & Museum; friends in Yankton SD; and the TD Ameritrade Field (Home of the College World Series) in Omaha.

In addition, the Newport is now starring in its second movie of 2021- Shirley- a film about Shirley Chisholm, the black Congresswoman from NY and the first black woman to run for the presidency in the Democratic primaries.

Here is a shot of the Newport on a Cincinnati Street reenacting 1968 in NYC.

The Newport isn’t done- we would love to take it out to Newport Beach CA!  we again would do it as a fund raiser for the Dave Parker 39 Foundation. Just need a sponsor to cover the gas! Any offers?

If you would like your car featured in Reader Wheels click on the link below and tell us a little bit about your ride.

CLICK HERE

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

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The post Old Cars Reader Wheels: 1967 Chrysler Newport convertible appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Old Cars is turning 50. In honor of 50 years of the privilege of bringing the old cars hobby to our valued and faithful readers, Old Cars will revisit 50 of our past featured cars in 50 days, to commemorate the half-century of Old Cars. Here’s to fifty more years of Old Cars!

DAY FORTY-EIGHT: 1955 Chrysler New Yorker

Joe Gloudemans has owned and lovingly cared for his grandparents’ 1955 Chrysler New Yorker Deluxe for more than 50 years now, but he swears it’s all sort of happened by accident. The semi-retired Little Chute, Wis., resident insists he wasn’t angling to wind up with Grandpa’s prized sedan. It just sort of happened that way. Even though he has 16 brothers and sisters, he says he almost got the car by default.

“I figured somebody’s gotta take care of it. So I took responsibility, even though I needed two cars like I needed a hole in the head,” says Gloudemans, who will celebrate a half-century of owning the Chrysler next April.

The big sedan looks absolutely fabulous today with its wonderful two-tone blue-and-white paint job and rivers of chrome. The truth is, it has never NOT looked good. It was a low-mileage original when Gloudemans got it in 1970, and he had the car repainted and almost all the chrome redone within the first three or four years he owned it. He’s been a wonderful caretaker ever since, carefully documenting all the work he’s had done to the car over the years in a notebook, including the engine and transmission rebuild he had taken care of when the car was getting painted.

To learn more about Gloudemans’ New Yorker <CLICK HERE>

CHECK OUT DAY FORTY-SEVEN OF 50 CARS IN 50 DAYS, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF OLD CARS HERE

– 50 days of cars celebrating 50 years of Old Cars is brought to you by our friends over at Camaro Central, Modine and sonicbidder.com.  If you are looking for parts for your classic Camaro, HVAC for your garage or a place to sell your classic car, check out these trustworthy establishments.

Check out these fine friends of Old Cars

Camaro Central offers thousands of products from only the best manufacturers representing the highest quality in restoration and restyling components available. They are the source for all your classic Camaro car needs. Their goal at Camaro Central is to give their customers the best buying experience possible. 

Camaro Central 1967-2020 Camaro Restoration Parts Source
3329 Colonel Road
Richmond, KY 40475
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST, Saturday 9am-2pm EST
www.camarocentral.com
Local and outside the USA: 1-859-408-2000
Fax: 1-859-408-2007
– After normal business hours please email : info@camarocentral.com

With over 100 years of experience, Modine is one of the most trusted names in the HVAC manufacturing industry. No matter what your heating and air conditioning need is, their mission is to ensure that they provide you with the right solution.

Modine serves a variety of markets, providing residential unit and patio heaters, commercial rooftop HVAC systems, classroom HVAC, and more. Along with these heating and cooling systems, their Hot Dawg® unit heater remains one of the top-selling unit heaters in the world. The Hot Dawg® unit heater is the perfect solution for keeping your garage or shop warm and comfortable. Visit www.modinehvac.com to find out more.

Modine Headquarters
1500 De Koven Ave.
 Racine WI 53403-2552
www.modinehvac.com
1-800-828-HEAT (4328)

SonicBidder.com brings proven buying power to a world stage. The unique action experience consolidates the thrill of live auctions with an exhilarating 4-D sensory experience that keeps customers delighted as they participate in sales.

SonicBidder.com’s global automotive auctions bring thousands of bidders and millions of dollars in buying power to your event, internationally. Your sell will reach an audience at home and all over the world!

Visit www.sonicbidder.com to find your buyer today!

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post 50 cars in 50 days, celebrating 50 years of Old Cars: Day Forty-Eight appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Old Cars is turning 50. In honor of 50 years of the privilege of bringing the old cars hobby to our valued and faithful readers, Old Cars will revisit 50 of our past featured cars in 50 days, to commemorate the half-century of Old Cars. Here’s to fifty more years of Old Cars!

 DAY TWENTY-TWO: 1948 Chrysler Windsor

Randy Lutz doesn’t really remember his grandfather. His recollections are hazy at best. But there is no mistaking his connection to his granddad’s favorite car. Lutz figures he and the car are permanently attached, even if he’s not sure when — or why — the connection started.

“My grandpa bought this car in 1959,” he says scanning over his gorgeous 1948 Chrysler Windsor coupe. “His name was Adolph Lutz. He traded in a 1946 Plymouth four-door. They gave him 100 bucks for that, and he booted in another hundred bucks and he got this for $200. I got the paperwork from that. At that time [the car was] 11 years old. He lived on a farm and drove around the countryside with it. “

Somewhere along the line, Randy decided the car would make a worthy first auto restoration project. He was interested in working on cars for a living, and he figured Grandpa’s old Chrysler would be a fun first test subject.

“When I graduated from high school in ’86, I brought it home. My dad was always going to fix it up with my other brothers,” he recalls. “My dad was a mechanic and he had a shop in town, too. He never got around to it. [I was] young and ambitious. I was going to tech school for auto mechanics, I decided to [restore it].”

To learn more about Lutz’s Windsor <CLICK HERE>

CHECK OUT DAY TWENTY-ONE OF 50 CARS IN 50 DAYS, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF OLD CARS HERE

– 50 days of cars celebrating 50 years of Old Cars is brought to you by our friends over at Camaro Central, Modine and sonicbidder.com.  If you are looking for parts for your classic Camaro, HVAC for your garage or a place to sell your classic car, check out these trustworthy establishments.

Check out these fine friends of Old Cars

Camaro Central offers thousands of products from only the best manufacturers representing the highest quality in restoration and restyling components available. They are the source for all your classic Camaro car needs. Their goal at Camaro Central is to give their customers the best buying experience possible. 

Camaro Central 1967-2020 Camaro Restoration Parts Source
3329 Colonel Road
Richmond, KY 40475
Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST, Saturday 9am-2pm EST
www.camarocentral.com
Local and outside the USA: 1-859-408-2000
Fax: 1-859-408-2007
– After normal business hours please email : info@camarocentral.com

With over 100 years of experience, Modine is one of the most trusted names in the HVAC manufacturing industry. No matter what your heating and air conditioning need is, their mission is to ensure that they provide you with the right solution.

Modine serves a variety of markets, providing residential unit and patio heaters, commercial rooftop HVAC systems, classroom HVAC, and more. Along with these heating and cooling systems, their Hot Dawg® unit heater remains one of the top-selling unit heaters in the world. The Hot Dawg® unit heater is the perfect solution for keeping your garage or shop warm and comfortable. Visit www.modinehvac.com to find out more.

Modine Headquarters
1500 De Koven Ave.
 Racine WI 53403-2552
www.modinehvac.com
1-800-828-HEAT (4328)

SonicBidder.com brings proven buying power to a world stage. The unique action experience consolidates the thrill of live auctions with an exhilarating 4-D sensory experience that keeps customers delighted as they participate in sales.

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The post 50 cars in 50 days, celebrating 50 years of Old Cars: Day Twenty-Two appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.