Vehicle Description
Chrysler's full-sized cars were always an inviting blend of
affordable and luxurious, and by 1968, the Newport had grown into a
genuine contender for the top for the affordable luxury food chain.
This awesome convertible looks dynamite in yellow and is powered by
one of Chrysler's finest horsepower factories, a 383 cubic inch big
block V8. To truly stand out, this giant convertible makes it
easy.
The styling evolved right along with the rest of the industry, and
the unique styling on this Newport ragtop borrows a lot from the
Imperial lineup. A little bit gothic in the front end with its
V-shaped, it continues Chrysler's tradition of impeccable taste and
it was still an iron fist in a silk glove. The gorgeous yellow
paint is perhaps 10 years old, but remains in very good condition,
making the car look big and imposing on the road and highlighting
some straight sheetmetal underneath when it's parked. Not many of
these full-sized convertibles were built in 1968, so it's
doubly-important to get one with all its trim intact like this one.
Panel fit is exemplary, there's no evidence that this car was ever
wrecked or rusty, and all the trouble areas like the rear fender
skirt area fit together so well that you know there's a sizeable
amount of cash tied up in the paint job.
There's more luxury inside, with a set of handsome bench seats with
simple but elegant seat covers and contrasting colors and
materials. The handsome seats wear correct seat covers, there are
nice tan carpets on the floor, and the door panels are so nice that
they have to be reproductions that were recently installed. Looking
past the aftermarket wood-rimmed steering wheel, you'll also find
luxury features like air-conditioning (converted to R134a and blows
cold), burled walnut appliques on the custom center console, and a
beautifully symmetrical dashboard that's pure 1960s slick. The back
seat may very well be original and remains in excellent condition
and has a kind of bucket seat look of its own thanks to the rear
speaker for the stereo system, which is neatly housed in that
custom console so the original one in the dash didn't need to go
anywhere. A new tan convertible top fits well and offers a glass
rear window and matching yellow boot, and the fully lined trunk is
simply gigantic.
Chrysler's 383 cubic inch V8 really needs no introduction, and in
the big Newport, it remains an effortless cruising partner. With
endless reserves of torque and a willingness to run hard, the big
block shrinks the size of the car for the guy behind the wheel,
making this luxury ragtop feel downright agile. Some of that credit
is undoubtedly due to Chrysler's innovative torsion bar front
suspension, which was actually a better idea that worked rather
well. The 3-speed TorqueFlight automatic is still a reliable link
in the powertrain and it feeds the original rear end with
highway-friendly gears inside. Aside from a chrome air cleaner and
Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, the engine is stock, but then again,
when something runs this well, most folks leave well enough alone.
Recent wide whitewall radials offer a classic look and modern
handling and are wrapped around a set of chrome wire wheels that
really sparkle.
Fast, comfortable, and rare, this big convertible offers a more
grown-up Mopar experience and you'll probably find that not many
luxury cars of the era could quite match its performance. Call
today!