1964 Chrysler New Yorker

The Chrysler New Yorker was produced from 1940 to 1996, representing the top-of-the-line model for many years. Chrysler had first used the 'New York' name in 1938 as the 'New York Special' trim level and the 'New Yorker' name followed a year later.

1964 was the final year of styling that was introduced in 1960. 1960 was the first year for Chrysler's unibody construction and the third year for the RB big-block V8 engines which had replaced the first-generation Hemi Chrysler FirePower engine. The B and RB engines are often known as 'wedge' engines due to the wedge-shaped combustion chambers. This design was different from the 426 Hemi big-block engines that used hemispherical-shaped combustion chambers.

The 1961 New Yorker received slanted headlights, a continental kit on the trunk lid, and a new grille. The 1962 New Yorker was devoid of tailfins and this was the final year for the 126-inch wheelbase, shrinking to 122 inches the following year. Sales for 1962 were slow but recovered a year later with the introduction of a five-year/50,000-mile warranty and a new body design with very few styling cues remaining of the previous 'Forward Look' design. Mechanical changes were minimal for 1963, with notable changes including the Bendix-made 11-inch Duo-Servo brakes replacing the previous 12-inch 'Total Contact' setup. A more luxurious Salon four-door hardtop joined the body style list mid-year, and the 383 cubic-inch B series engine with 10:1 compression continued to develop 340 horsepower.

Prior to receiving all-new styling for 1965, the 1964 New Yorker received styling changes that paralleled the 1964 Chrysler models, including a larger rear window, a new grille, and small tailfins. The previous egg-crate grille halves were replaced by a horizontal bar (mesh) motif, and the Town & Country station wagons wore the same body side trim as the Newport Town & Country. All body styles, except the salon, wore the 'New Yorker' script on the rear portion of the front fender.

Body styles included a hardtop coupe, a sedan priced at $4,000, a hardtop sedan at $4,130, and a salon at $5,860 making it the most expensive Chrysler in the lineup. The six-passenger Town & Country had a base price of $4,720 and the nine-passenger version listed at $4,830. All 1964 Chryslers rested on a 122-inch wheelbase platform, but with various overall lengths. The standard engine powering the New Yorker included a 413.8 cubic-inch V8 with overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, a Carter four-barrel carburetor, a cast-iron block, and delivering 340 horsepower at 4,600 RPM. It was backed by an automatic transmission and several gear ratio settings were available.

The most popular body style was the sedan with 15,443 examples built, followed by 10,887 of the hardtop sedan, 1,603 of the nine-passenger wagon, 1,621 of the salon, 1,190 of the six-passenger wagon, and 300 of the hardtop coupe. The combined 31,044 units of the New Yorker represented approximately 20 percent of Chrysler's overall U.S. automobile production for 1964.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2021