Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2005
1950 Chrysler New Yorker
Shows/events
BY BRIAN BEAULIEU
Journal Staff Writer
This is a story often repeated in the classic car hobby: A guy goes looking on the Internet for the car he had when he was young, finds it, and lives happily ever after at cruise nights and car shows. But Julian Flamand of Lincoln has come up with a real gem.
His eBay search led him to Long Island, where he found this survivor Chrysler with only 26,000 miles on it after 55 years. He drove it back a year ago, and is still amazed at its condition. "It's all there," he says. Even the factory stickers remain under the hood.
Everything on this big black sedan is original, except for the headlights, which Flamand swapped out for night driving. The interior, with its pioneering padded dash and the flip-down door handles, is practically perfect. Flamand also added a dashboard prism to view traffic lights blocked by the steel sun visor.
This is a big, big car, with a 131 1/2-inch wheebase. Compare this with the 114-inch wheelbase of today's Mercury Grand Marquis, the car of choice for retirees. The New Yorker was the largest car in the post-war era.
It's powered by a straight 8 making 135 horsepower, the last year for this engine. Chrysler went to V8s in 1951. The transmission is a semi-automatic, called Presto-Matic, which has a clutch, but you only need it for first gear.
Flamand, who semi-retired, working as a machine designer for Abar Color Lab, had a '50 Chrysler in the paisley-print 1960s. But it's much cooler to own one now.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION: Inline 8; Presto-Matic.
COLOR: Black.
MILEAGE: 26,000 original.
PLATE: QZ530.
CAN BE SEEN: Slater Park, Pawtucket, on Tuesdays; McDonald's, Cumberland, on Fridays.
CONDITION: Original.
If you have a classic car you wish to be considered
for this feature, please e-mail bbeaulie@projo.com with
details.
Shows/events
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The cruise night season is just about over, with a couple of exceptions. The Gold cruise at Gold's gym on Route 109 in Millis, Mass. goes every Friday night from 6-9 through the end of the month. And the North Attleboro cruise night, which began last month, is held every other Monday night through Nov. 7. Hot rods and classics meet at 6 at the Super Stop & Shop on Route 1, and at 6:30 take a cruise to a different destination each time, making a stop or two along the way.
OCTOBER
Oct. 16 -- Knights of Columbus, 304 Highland Ave., Attleboro, 9-4.
Oct. 16 -- Endicott Estate, 656 East St., Dedham, Mass.
Oct. 16 -- Swedish car day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.
Oct. 23 -- Studebaker day, Museum of Transportation, Newton Street, Brookline, Mass., 10-3.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 4-6 -- Show and auction (automobilia Friday, cars Saturday, cruise on Sunday), Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn.
Nov. 5 -- Automobilia auction (toys, literature, etc.), Clearing House Gallery, 207 Church St., Wethersfield, Conn., 8 a.m., auction at 1 p.m.
Nov. 5-6 -- Swap meet, flea market, Thompson Speedway, Thompson, Conn., 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
To list an event, e-mail information to Bbeaulie [at] projo.com, phone (401) 277-7179, fax (401) 277-8175 or write to Brian Beaulieu, Journal Features Department, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902.
