Chrysler's Entry Level Luxury Car

        

    When you’re the top of the line, even your lowest priced, introductory model had to have some class. The Chrysler Newport had just that.

            Though the Newport moniker was used in the 1940s on a number of show cars and for the 1950 model year, it wasn’t until the 1961 model year that it became the full sized entry level automobile for Chrysler. It had a base price of $2964 which is equivalent to over $25,000 today. The car came in a number of styles, including a two door convertible and hard top and a four door hard top, sedan, and station wagon.

               Because it was a Chrysler there were a number of things one could count on. First off is that there would be some sharing with the other car models in the company. But as a Chrysler, there was also going to be at least the illusion of class and comfort. Neither were missing with the Newport.

            The base engine was a 365 cubic inch V 8 that rated at 265 horse power but there were optional 383 and 413 cubic inch models also available. The original idea behind the Newport was to attract the customers of and fill the gap left when the company discontinued the DeSoto line. It was hoped that the Newport would become the intermediate step between Plymouth and Chrysler. And for a while, it worked.

            For 1962 the Newport saw minor cosmetic changes, mostly the shunning of the tail fins. The following year saw a more complete re-model and by 1965 the Newport was being built on the new C Platform that it shared with Chrysler’s 300 and New Yorker along with the Dodge Polaris and the Plymouth Fury.

            The Newport continued to see changes through the 1960s and 1970s as it was working to keep pace with competition from Ford and GM. By the end of 1979 production had dropped to under 61,000 units and this marked the beginning of the end. The 1979 model was the Newport’s fifth and last generation. By the end of 1981 fewer than 5500 Newports were produced and Chrysler shuttered the model.

            There were a number of reasons for the Newport’s demise. The oil crisis had put a hurt on all large, full-sized cars. Add to that the beginning of the financial crisis that would see Chrysler almost go out of business and it was easy to see why executives were looking to cut lines and models. While Lee Iococca managed to pull a few automotive rabbits out of his hat and save Chrysler, the Newport went out with a whisper which was not really fitting for a car that was so well received during its heyday.

            Most of the photos in this article are of a 1961 Newport convertible but there are others, including a a 1970 Newport Cordoba.