1956 Chrysler Windsor

The Chrysler Windsor became the entry-level model after the demise of the Chrysler Royal for the 1951 model year, a position it retained through to 1960. All Chrysler cars were completely restyled with Virgil Exner styling in 1955, sharing some visual similarities with the all-new Imperial which was now its own division. Described as the '100 Million Dollar Look,' the new Chrysler's became more streamlined, and aerodynamic, had more rounded bodies, and wrap-around windshields.

In 1956, the 'Forward Look' styling was introduced, highlighted by the first tail fins on a Chrysler car. The interiors remained mostly unchanged, though a new Highway Hi-Fi phonograph player became a new option on the Windsor. The grille on the Windsor had three horizontal bars floating within a chrome surround. The taillamps formed an extension of the uplifted outer rear bumper ends. Standard features included safety rim wheels, center plane brakes, new safety door latches, Oriflow shock absorbers, a 12-volt electrical system, and an independent parking brake.

Body styles on the 1956 Windsor included a sedan, a two- and four-door Newport, Town and Country wagon, 2 door Nassau, and a convertible. Prices ranged from $2,770 for the sedan and rose to nearly $3,500 for the Town and Country Wagon. The bulk of the sales was from the sedan with 53,119. The Nassau found 11,400 willing buyers and the two-door Newport had 10,800 sales. The four-door version of the Newport had 7,050 sales.

The 331.1 cubic-inch V8 engine had overhead valves, and hydraulic valve lifters, and delivered 225 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. With the optional single four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, horsepower rose to 250 bhp. When equipped with a standard shift, the engine used a Carter BBD 2312S carburetor. When the PowerFlite was installed, the engine received a Carter 2313S carburetor. Air Temp air conditioning, electric window lifts, power brakes, power steering, Solex safety glass, and steering wheel-mounted clock were a few of the options.

by Daniel Vaughan | Sep 2020