Lot 64
1950 Chrysler Newport Town & Country Hardtop
OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE

323.5 cid L-head inline eight-cylinder engine, 135 HP, three-speed “Presto-Matic” Fluid Drive semi-automatic transmission, independent coil spring front suspension, live rear axle with leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers, four-wheel Vacua-Ease hydraulic drum brakes; wheelbase: 131.5”


With high hopes for a full line of wood-bodied Town & Country automobiles in the postwar Chrysler lineup, by 1947 the selection had been reduced to the six-cylinder Windsor sedan and the New Yorker-based convertible. Neither of these cars should be dismissed, as they are both beautiful examples of American ingenuity and a display of the “old-world” craftsmanship that Chrysler put into these cars. Designers worked with experts on the selection of just the proper woods to use and the woodworkers at Pekin Wood Products Co., owned by the Chrysler Corporation, knew their stuff. They had perfected methods in which they could steam and form the hardwoods into shapes that conformed with the automotive stylist’s designs. For 1949, Town & Country was restricted to the convertible model, but for 1950 and to celebrate Chrysler’s first production all steel hardtop, Town & Country moved to the new model. Following a lead of other American car makers, Chrysler adopted “Newport” to identify their new pillarless coupes and this year the wood-trimmed Town & Country was considered a sub-series of the New Yorker. Town & Country was also applied to Chrysler’s station wagon line starting this year, with only the Royal series wagon using wood trim at the start of the model year. Nonetheless, the Town & Country Newport hardtop was simply a majestic car with right at 700 copies produced.

Priced at $4,028, the Town & Country was the most expensive Chrysler that year, save for the Imperial Crown limousines. This example is finished in its original Tobacco Brown with the Pearl Tan roof. The interior is done in tan with brown and white striped body cloth. Chrysler’s dashboards seemed to be a work on art in chrome and this car is no exception with full instrumentation, factory radio, heater-defroster controls, and a swivel-out tissue dispenser under the glove box. The odometer is showing just over 39,100 miles but true miles are unknown. It is well-appointed with wide whitewall tires, full wheel covers, front and rear bumper guards plus back-up lights. The doors, hood, and deck lid all fit snug and tight and the “Spitfire” high compression engine is full of life and ready to take on the highway. In a way, this 1950 Town & Country is like a bridge combining old-world crafts with jet-age mechanics and technology; the best of both worlds and you can drive it too!