Vehicle Description
1955 Chrysler Windsor Sedan
The Chrysler Building is one of the most beloved of New York City's
skyscrapers, an architectural manifestation of both the Art Deco
era and the automobile age. Famous as it may be, the Chrysler
Building holds many fascinating secrets, compounded by the fact
that it is difficult to visit and doesn't offer tours, unlike the
Woolworth Building and the Empire State Building. The Cloud Club
once belonged to a group of mile-high power lunch spots in New York
City atop the city's most distinctive skyscrapers. The New York
Times calls The Cloud Club "the inspiration for many of the
others." It was initially designed for Texaco, which occupied 14
floors of the Chrysler Building, and used as a restaurant for
executives. It opened with 300 members of New York City's business
elite.
For consignment an original survivor from California. Save for a
respray, the car is original and was stored in a garage until 10
years ago when it received its respray. Consigner states it is the
original mileage (87,045) and the car has some faults from time
passing, including some minor rust.
Exterior
Styled by Virgil Exner and his team, Chrysler had now positioned
itself at the forefront of the industry. The new look began with an
all new big split egg crate grille set below lowered front fenders
and hood lines and boasting heavy chrome. Wraparound 'Super Scenic'
windshields were also a first for Chrysler and bodysides were
smooth with few feature lines except for the two-tone trim and the
tall chrome encased 'Twin Tower' taillights. The rear window is
also a wraparound style and has a nice downward curve to the trunk.
Plenty of chrome on this car, and it all presents in fair
condition, with some spotty pitting dulling and beginnings of rust.
Exterior paint in white is good, again with spotty areas of rust,
some invasive, but mostly remaining shiny. See closeup photos for a
clearer view. There appears to be some badging missing underneath
the front quarter Windsor art deco styled badge and a missing door
handle on the passenger's front door.
Interior
Looking inside we are met with 2 tone door panels. These are
covered with leather patterned light bray vinyl, and a black and
white woven broadcloth. Seats are all broadcloth, with light gray
bolsters and the black and white weave in the centers. Nice gray
piping surrounds the seats, which are a split back bench in front
and a full bench in the rear. Carpeting is a nicely preserved black
and floods all the floors. Upfront is a nicely curved downward
dash, featuring red and black, with more plentiful chrome trim
accents throughout. The placement of the transmission selector,
dubbed the 'Fingertip' PowerFlite range selector, is now located on
the instrument panel rather than in the standard steering column
position. A lineup of stove style round knobs with chromed turns is
above an aftermarket AM/FM/Cassette. Some gauges show corrosion at
the bezel surround where it meets the glass. The original steering
wheel is all metal and shines brightly in front of the dash.
Headliner is clean and mostly tight.
Drivetrain
A 301ci Poly (a low cost alternative to the Hemi, using its block
and crankshaft, but completely different heads and pistons) engine
in V8 form is within the unrestored engine bay, The engine is
believed to be original to this car, and has plenty of surface rust
and dulling of parts with corrosion. A single 2-barrel carburetor
is on top and a 2-speed automatic Powerflite transmission is on
back.
Undercarriage
Plenty of surface rust abounds under here, however it appears to be
structurally sound. Body hangers have surface rust, as are the
inside of the exterior rockers, but it is not invasive unlike lower
portions of the exterior. Power drum brakes are on all 4
corners.
Drive-Ability
Starts quickly, runs smoothly. and a nice ride. All gauges were
working, as were function knobs in dash. A little creaky in the
turns, but it is original!
This car can be driven right out of Classic Auto Mall, and enjoyed,
or taken to the next level with the restoration. Overall a nice
interior, engine runs smoothly despite its looks, and exterior has
some rust remediation that should take place. What's you're
fancy?
VIN Decode
W55L1391
W-Windsor
55-1955
L-Los Angeles, CA Assy Plant
1391-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 450 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
