- Well-appointed rumble-seat coupe
- Features four-wheel hydraulic brakes
- Excellent Chrysler engineering and performance
Walter P. Chrysler's new car was a sensation at its New York
introduction in 1924. A quality six-cylinder vehicle with advanced
engineering, it boasted hydraulic brakes, a high-compression engine
good for 70 mph, and sold for about the price of a Buick. Nearly
20,000 were sold in the first year. Successive refinement took
place in ensuing years, and additional models were introduced,
notably the E-series Imperial that competed with Cadillac and
Lincoln.
At the other end of the catalogue, four-cylinder Maxwell carryovers
were badged as 50-series Chryslers. Still, the bread and butter lay
in the mid-priced segment, B-70 and G-70 six-cylinder Chryslers.
New during 1926 was the Series 60, an all-new 109-inch-wheelbase
car with an improved six, priced from $1,075 to $1,330. For 1928 it
became the Series 62 with similar pricing and was the most popular
Chrysler that year.
The Merrick Auto Museum purchased this 1928 Chrysler 62 coupe in
2006. Among the previous owners was Erline Espinosa of Albion,
Illinois. Presenting nicely in maroon with red accent striping, it
has black fenders and a black grained leatherette roof. The
upholstery is maroon cloth with broad pleats. Cozy for two, the
passenger capacity expands to four when the rumble seat is opened.
The engine compartment is clean, but not extensively detailed, and
as a Chrysler, it of course has four-wheel hydraulic brakes. The
car shows obvious signs of use, corroborated by unobtrusively
installed accessory directional signals for greater drivability in
modern traffic.
Clearly this is a car meant to be used and enjoyed. Chrysler's
exceptional engineering clearly manifested itself in these early
models, which performed well and proved to be very reliable.To view
this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please
visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/hf19.
