Chrysler's Financial Woes & The R-Body Platform (1979-81 Newport/New Yorker, St. Regis, & Gran Fury)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 жов 2022
- Learn more about one of the shortest-lived platforms in automotive history: the Chrysler R Body (Chrysler Newport/New Yorker, Dodge St. Regis, & Plymouth Gran Fury).
- Авто та транспорт
The R car was a failure, it was the last model built at the Lynch Road Assembly plant in 1981. I used to work there from 1976 to 1979. Luckily they still had fleet sales including the Blue Michigan State police cars with the classic red bubble center light on the roof in either Newport or St. Regis sedans. Governor Milliken tried to start and drive the first 1979 Chrysler Fifth Avenue off the line at Lynch Road and the car had a dead battery, workers had to jump start the car, what a public relations nightmare.
Wow. That’s a new one!
I have three words in response to your account of that day...wah wah and wah
Cool story, you were an employee.. what car did you drive ?
@@petertornabeni602 I worked afternoons 4:30pm to 2am. I drove a 71 Newport. Every 5th car was a special order Police cruiser or taxi cab.
As the owner of a 1980 Plymouth Gran Fury police package, thank you for covering these forgotten Mopars. They do not get the love that they deserve and many nice cars can be had for pennies.
Hey that 80 gra fury. What's the motor? 318. Or 360. 400 I doubt a 400
@@keithhackman5713 it has the biggest engine available in R bodies, the E58 360 4bbl. The last year for the 360 in cars and last Mopar to have true dual exhaust (until modern LX platform).The 1981 got a 318 only for the V8 with single exhaust.
@@plainbrownwrapper9688 that's cool. Hey in the movie convoy from 78 the rubber duck called dirty Lyle a bear in a plain brown wrapper
Had a 70 ex cop Dodge Monaco. Great car.
Definitely forgotten i’m from Southwest Alabama I have not seen none of these running around and did not know they existed until now all you see running around of the early 80s are General Motors and Ford‘s none of the 80 Chryslers
In my memory ... I can see a pristine triple white 1981 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue with its amber lights on and front wheels turned 45° from a 3/4 front view. Height of summer with a red tinged sunset just beginning ... roughly circa 1986. It took my breath away and stands in memory as perhaps the most beautiful car I have ever seen.
They were beautiful. I'll take a Brown '81 Fifth Avenue with the cream interior in leather thank you.
Same. But my great uncle had a beige 1980 with the beige leather. Brand new. What a gorgeous car. Some were plagued with electrical problems and were just falling apart as you can see on WTVV Channel 4's review of the car in 1979
Dude, I enjoyed your romanticism of this car. I also thought they were stunning!
I had a black 1980 New Yorker 5th Ave. Edition. I was in need of a car and bought it off a coworker's grandfather in 1994 for practically nothing. It had been sitting for a year. I threw a battery in it and drove it home, and proceeded to put another 120K miles on it. Its options were the 360 V8, stainless steel roof and "special handling" package. It was a great driving car, very luxurious and comfy, and one of the most trouble-free cars I ever owned. It had amazingly far less squeaks and rattles than even some cars these days. It was one of my favorite cars I ever owned and was the one that never failed to start and drive well, regardless of the weather, despite being carbureted. I finally got rid of it around 2000 as rust had eaten it up, transmission was leaking, and the A/C had too many leaks to be practical to fix. Very underrated cars and I only ever saw a handful of them on the road, so kind of special.
I always liked the styling on the '79-81 New Yorker. I liked it more than the '82 revision, which was run into the ground... running until '91, IRRC.
I have a 1979 New Yorker. 50,000 original miles. 360, lean burn, custom dual Flowmaster exhaust. I've had this car for 14 years. Most reliable car I've ever had. Handles and rides great.
In August of 1979, my dad bought a Chrysler Newport off the lot from the lone Mopar dealer here in Raleigh, NC. I was 17 and entering my senior year in high school, so I got to drive it brand new.
It was a very handsome and highly-optioned car, in an elegant color combination of Nightwatch Blue (as Chrysler called it), with a white vinyl roof and the optional upgraded button-tufted navy blue corduroy interior with navy carpet. The body color was the same as JFK's fateful '61 Lincoln (later painted black by LBJ). Really stood out among the earthy greens, browns, and golds of the era. And overall held it's own in terms of styling with the "sheer look" GMs of the day. I was proud to drive it.
Full power assists including driver's seat, climate control, good am/fm stereo, tilt, cruise, intermittent wipers, dual remote mirrors, trunk release, ect. I think the only options missing were rare ones, cornering lights and sunroof. Also had the standard dish type hub caps, but the center emblem matched the standing hood ornament, and were more elegant and understated than the flashy wire wheels.
The car handled and rode beautifully. Was quiet, comfortable, and got decent mileage for a big car of that era. Granted dad had it only 3 years, but not one minute of trouble. He traded it for a new 1982 Buick Century in a hideous lime green with green vinyl top and pea-green plush interior. Looked like the Jolly Green Giant threw up 😄. Hated that car; FWD, downsized, and under-powered.
Only thing I did not like about the Newport was the deep receding pitch of the dash. Made the gauges difficult to read for tall people. However the gauges were beautifully back-lit at night, as I remember, with a soft green glow.
Side note. When we went to the Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth dealer to look at the Newport, the salesman really pushed a Dodge St. Regis on us which had been a demonstrator. It was hideous. Fire-engine red with a white vinyl "opera" roof with white leather interior and bright red carpet, wire wheels. Looked like a clown car. Dealer was willing to let it go for same price as the much more elegant Newport, but I told my father "No"!
As the owner of a 1980 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue Special Edition, Thank you for covering this platform!
I was a Rural Mail Carrier and used one of these with a 318 V-8. It was a splendid car for that purpose, roomy, reliable with a perfectly flat bench seat which we carriers needed because we drove seated closer to the passenger door than the driver's side door. I wish these had been built for many years as they were well-designed. Three years is too heartbreakingly short a time.
My aunt got the top of the line then soon (months) died. I had use of it for a year and it was considered ugly/tacky at the time.
My large BMW sat in the garage because the New Yorker or Fifth Avenue was more comfortable and more reliable.
It was a fantastic car. Now I am ashamed it was not saved.
FINALLY some coverage on the R Body, I'm a proud owner of a 1979 New Yorker in Hunter Green Pearl
Hi Ali! I have a brown 1979 NYer...Her name is Doris!
@@brettgoddard28 I believe I watched your video of Doris on your other channel. Beautiful car.
Have you seen the WTVJ Channel 4 review of the New Yorker from 1979? Check it out. The lack of quality was beyond words. And worse, in a car that was presented to the press lol ... yet I loved that car so much.
Watching these videos, I usually feel a sense of nostalgia for GM and Ford cars I might have dismissed back in the day. But looking at these, I only see ugly ducklings. You showed a video of a gorgeous '67 Imperial convertible in gold a few weeks ago. That was a rolling work of art. It must have been especially demoralizing for Chrysler employees to see their product line devolve into blandness, and their company into insolvency, in the space of 12 years.
In 1983, my dad bought a 1980 Dodge St. Regis police car. It had the E58 360-4bbl V8 with 185 hp. Sounded fantastic when the secondaries opened and really felt fast for the day. The heavy duty suspension gave it a BRUTAL ride, and the seven-blade fan sounded like a hair dryer. I always thought it was a cool car, but my dad never loved it. He replaced it a year later with a '78 Lincoln Continental Town Car.
That's cool 😎 I seen one of those
The only car with the 360 I've ever driven was the 1976 cordoba of my (by then) girlfriend. Her father given it to her. It sounded, like you said, amazing when we floored it. And it wasn't thirsty as my own 351 equipped 1973 galaxy. Decent power too.
Edit: 185 hp was a big deal in the 80's. The 1976 350 equipped corvette had only 150 hp.
I owned a '77 Lincoln Town Car! ANY MoPar "of the era" WAS SUPERIOR to this FAT, UGLY, F-O-R-D!
My parents bought a '79 Newport when they came out. I was 15 at the time, so it was one of two vehicles in which I learned to drive.
The car was a mid-trim level, with a nicely finished interior with a corduroy-like seating fabric, but no a/c or power options. It did have a vinyl top, beige paint and surprisingly, a nice set of aluminum road wheels (I think that the dealer threw those in to get the sale). It struck me as a car built with some decent materials, but plagued by haphazard assembly quality. The plated aluminum bumpers did start to flake and pit after a couple of years, and the body panels seemed to be a slightly thinner sheet metal gauge and tended to dent easily, but appeared to be galvanized so was fairly rust resistant. A lot of the interior noise could be attributed to the frameless door glass that tended to get sucked outward, away from the seals, at highway speed. The "Lean-Burn" 318 tended to buck and stall in wet weather. Nevertheless, it proved to be a comfortable family car with reasonable fuel economy on the highway.
My dad eventually bought a Taurus when they came out in the mid-80's, but the Newport stayed on for a few more years as a car for my siblings to use to go to college.
Thanks for the great presentation and trip down memory lane.
A great profile on the often overlooked and unloved R-bodies. They were handsome vehicles in their time but were a victim of bad timing and Chrysler's financial woes. I do remember the build quality on these R-bodes was not great. I often wondered what would have happened if Lee Iacocca had kept them in the line-up through the 1980's as they did the M-bodies. I think they would have done well when full-size cars began selling well again in 1983. Keep up these great profiles.
Check out the WTVJ Channel 4 review of the New Yorker in 1979. It was a press car and it was falling apart and plagued with electrical problem. Brand new car!
@@624radicalham ua-cam.com/video/zP9429qtWTc/v-deo.html You sure are right, an embarrassment indeed. This seemed to across the board on most Chrysler products of this time. I remember F-bodies, J-bodies, and M-bodies having similar issues. Thanks for information. A $12,000 New Yorker Fifth Ave would be about $54,000 in '22 dollars.
Yes I saw the Miami review of the 79. Iacocca wouldn't even have one and pushed for better quality. Am told the '81 is the year to get if you want one, but is also the smallest production year.
@@charleshousman3570 Indeed and the '81's had updated grills on the New Yorker and Newport which makes them a bit more unique.
@@charleshousman3570 Fascinating. I didn't know that Iacocca wouldn't have one that's awesome! I'm going to read his book again. Thanks for the info on the 81s.
The wire wheel covers on these were the best looking of the bunch.
In 1984 I bought a 1973 Thunderbird that spent it's life in Beverly Hills with a lady owner. The car was not running well and I bought some Gumout and premium gas and went to the 405 freeway around 3 AM and opened the Thunderbird up. A California Highway Patrol unit was parked someplace and radioed about me because the officer was in a Dodge St. Regis. A few miles ahead, 3 vehicles had the freeway blocked and their guns out. I stopped and fully cooperated and 1 of the officers knew me from my work. The officers were all nice and the officer that had first seen me said if this hadn't been on the radio, I would not give you a ticket. When I looked at the ticket it had me at 85+. I asked about that. The officer explained that he didn't have radar and the St. Regis only went about 85 and if he had put the speed that he thought that I was going which was 130, if I fought the ticket, I would win. The 85+ that I was ticketed for, the officer could say he had his speedometer pegged at 85 and I was pulling away from him. Most of The C. H. P. didn't have radar at that time. Since it was 30+ over, it was a mandatory court appearance. I could not take traffic school for it either. I was just going to plead guilty with no excuses, but the Judge asked me why I was speeding and I told him and he fined me $40. But California tacks on fees and it totalled $69. The Gumout and speed worked. The C. H. P. got rid of there fleet of St. Regis's before they were do to be replaced because of their low speed.
GM and Chrysler had attractive wire wheel covers. Ford's version had an unusual spoke pattern.
I really like the styling on the St Regis and Grand Fury’s on these R Bodies. The Dodge Magnum was another great looking car with the same clear retractable headlight covers.
I owned a 1979 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue in the Cream over Beige two tone exterior. It was such wonderful car. I loved the hidden headlights and it's very blocky exterior design. Being the more upscale Fifth Avenue trim really set the car off from other R bodies and it would turn heads everywhere i went.
I need to add some additional material that was omitted from the video. In 1980, Chrysler even added another super rare limited edition model that was called the 1980 Chrysler New Yorker Fifth Avenue Special Edition. It was the flagship model from 1980 and 1981 only. The Special Edition came with elecroluminence opera lights in place of the standard bulb designed units on the regular Fifth Avenues and also had a special limosine type frenched in quarter top in the rear. It also gave you a matching padded vinyl trunk section as in the Cougar XR7 Midnight Chamois editions for even more added class. Adam even pictured one thumbnail(unknown to him) of a Special Edition that was owned by a friend of mine but is hard to distingish in the video as it was only shown from the front end. The rear end had all the special treatments so unless you see it from the side or back, you won't know it's a Special Edition. Super rare cars today if you can even find one.
Just as a side note, I have some NOS parts for my 1979 Chyrsler New Yorker Fifth Avenue if anyone in the comments is a collector of these cars. I reluntantly sold my car off due to space limitations but have kept a lot of those NOS parts for safekeeping. The most rare part of all, the 1979 year ONLY Lucite pentastar crystal hood ornament is the most saught after and desired as most broke off due to a weak mounting design. In 1980 and 1981, Chrysler used the more traditional metal open pentastar design which was not as unique. Also the trunk lock cover was special on the New Yorker Fifth Avenue of all years.
The R Bodies are often made fun of and picked on like the Cadillac Cimarron as being a sales blunder. But in my eyes they are one of the most handsome cars that Chrysler made in it's history. Beauty is a strange thing and to me it's clearly seen in the R Body Chryslers.
Slowest police car I was ever issued was a 1981 Gran Fury with a 318. Very comfortable but slow as heck and it would stall in the middle of hard left turns. Was very happy to get rid of it when I was issued a 83 LTD with a 351.
I owned a 1981 Dodge St Regis and had problems with that stupid spark control device. I eventually traded for a 84 Fifth Ave that I loved. The large 80’s New Yorker, St Regis and eventually the Fifth Ave’s were used at the White House for staff. These were used during Iacocca tenure. They were all Navy blue in color with blue leather interiors and gold pin stripes.The vehicles were driven by Army personnel and were nicknamed carpet drivers.
Always loves the electronic chime as a kid. I thought it was so cool and unique. Very very comfortable cars and I always loved the plush feel of the Newport most of all. The R body is just a misunderstood and underappreciated group of cars. The 1981 Newport is still my favourite of all.
Thank you for a remarkably positive look at the R-bodies. I have a 1979 Dodge St. Regis I've driven for the last 28 years which has about 280,000 miles on it. Bought the car from my dad who bought it from the original owner. It is a very fun car to drive and the 318/A999 combo makes for reliable motoring. The A999 replaced the original A904. If I had any say over any part of its design, I would have made sure it got window frames on the doors, better door seals and stronger manual window regulators as they are notorious for stripping teeth just before the window reaches the top. The Lean Burn had been removed by the original owner and my dad replaced the points ignition he found with a standard Chrysler electronic ignition, the carburetor is a Holley 2280 2 barrel that I liked so much I rebuilt one for my '68 Fury VIP. Comparing the two cars, my 318 powered Fury is not as floaty as one might expect for a C-body and the handling remarkably similar even though the Fury does not yet have a rear sway bar. I did add a factory front sway bar a couple of years ago. Both cars put a smile on my face.
WOW! Pretty interesting stuff.
We had a 79 New Yorker when I was a kid. All I remember is it having electrical issues. We kept it 5 years and by then it was done. Traded it in on an 85 Voyager. The dealer probably sent it straight to the crusher.
I remember reading about how Chrysler scrapped hundreds of unfinished R-body cars that languished in a holding lot during their economic struggles in the early 80's.
Really? How interesting is that??? Wow. It seems weird they would do that, but then again not. I guess that's what would happen if an automaker over-anticipates how many cars they're going to sell... I'm going to try to find a NYT article on the subject.
I think paper I read it in was Automotive News back then.
I love them because you can open the door and get in the car with ease. New cars all look like someone stepped on the roof
I bought a 1980 New Yorker in 1991 for $900. Perfect condition. Was a great car. Wish I still had it today.
One of the biggest reasons that new Mopars of the mid to late 70s werent selling was the widespread use of high pressure sales tactics at Dodge and Chrysler/Plymouth dealerships. While the practice of course existed at Ford and GM dealerships, Chrysler dealers took it to new levels (likely out of desperation) and people simply wouldnt go in their dealerships.
Ricardo Montalban was likely the only thing they has going for them tbh
I remember the Auto Show when these debuted, especially the New Yorker. The floating C pillar padded roof was strange but the cars looked opulent compared to GM & Ford. I don't think it was just the fuel embargo of '79 that doomed the R bodies, it was the lack of engineering, quality and lackluster performance aside from handling. Thank you for bringing these very interesting vehicles back from 4 decades of obsolescence.
..don't forget high interest rates!
@@trudygreer2491 ha! Absolutely. 19% mortgages! Thank you Jimmy Carter. That's what Democrats will do "for" you 😉
@@wilsixone ok trumper 😁
@@UberLummox how you liking that 6 dollar diesel? 4 dollar regular?
@@wilsixone What was the Republican plan to fix it? What is causing inflation in the rest of the world?
Very interesting that you pointed out the "interesting" translucent headlight covers on that Dodge St. Regis model If we recall this styling cue was initially deployed on the 1967 Chrysler New Yorker. Chrysler was always ahead of the rest of Detroit in their innovation. These translucent covers really gave the New Yorker of that era a very classy appearance. Many Thanks for this edition fella' ! 👉. 🎯. 💯
The Minnesota Highway Patrol kept a 1979 Dodge St. Regis Patrol Car in the fleet. They use it for events like the annual MN State Fair and auto shows to show the progression of law enforcement technology over the years. The car has no partition and tan brocade upholstery. It's decently equipped with power windows and air conditioning. The car is dressed in the MN maroon and white which is a color combination they still use. Kind of nice they keep it around for heritage purposes.
I knew a couple of families that had R bodies...like the St. Regis and New Yorker...it seemed the door pulls would come detached from the inside of the car and when they got some age on them, lots of interior rattles and squeaks. Though I do recall the seat belt an door chimes still worked.
A genuine A 38 Police Package car w/brocade cloth and power windows??? WOW, that's bizarre!!!
I have seen The car your talking about a few times. It's a nice one. I owned a 79 St Regis and 80 New Yorker. they were good cars, but assembly line quality wasn't the best.
I've seen that car and it's amazing. That car is completely original and was kept hidden away from the bean counters at the state. I think they kept it because it was the 50th year anniversary of when the patrol was started.
My 80 Gran Fury was a prior Minnesota State Patrol car. Mine has power windows, cruise, carpet. The MSP used to option their cars for the comfort of the Trooper and also for higher resale value at the end of life.
@@UberLummox Chief, or other high-level managers car.
The police car shown at 6:48 is a museum piece. It’s part of the collection at the RCMP museum in Regina, Saskatchewan. I’ve seen it in person. Very cool.
DOOR CHIMES: I was with my dad in 1980 when he looked at and later bought a 1980 Chrysler Newport. It was exactly as your video describes. It was a larger, (but not huge) and comfortable 4door sedan that was big enough that my dad wouldn't hit his head getting in. Came with a 225 slant six which was a little under powered but still maintained freeway speed ok.
However, the thing I remember most is the DOOR CHIMES sounded just like John Lennon's new hit single playing on the radio. I took the car over to my friend's house. I picked her up, put in the key, and can never forget her singing "Our life, together, is so precious, together.
We have grown, we have grown..." True story! Then shortly after he was assassinated. So, whoever still has one of these cars, compare the first few lines of that song to your door chimes!
Oh my.. thank you, i love the R-body!
I had a '79 Newport, engine refused to die but the transmission bit the bullet after about 1.5 months. To be fair it was extremely used by the time I bought it. The good ol days when you could buy a car with working AC for $200 😅
K-cars were very roomy and comfortable. The K-Van started a revolution. Everybody knew these were good cars at popular prices. Surprising to see such vanguard products from a company facing Chapter whatever.
K-cars were actually in the EPA midsize class, despite being marketed as economy compacts.
Another Thank You! I, too, love the R body. The proportions were sort of a throwback to the '61-'64 GM cars, which were so in-sync with the times. I'd choose the Newport as my favorite.
This might be the only coverage of these cars on UA-cam
I had two but my favorite of all I've ever driven was a 79' Newport with a 225. Beautiful blue with velour interior, nice dash and unique instrument cluster, huge trunk. Not optioned as it was a fleet car but it was roomy and large.
Thanks for the upload. Brought back memories of past years.
Another great video. Now please segway into one on the 1981 to 1983 Imperial. One of the prettiest cars ever imho despite the problematic fuel injection
Second that fondly remember the early 80s Imperial the last decent Coupe of that era
The interiors of the R-Body cars were quite attractive. I really liked the sloping dashboard design. Very cool.
There is a younger guy that I see occasionally in my town that drives a St. Regis. It's looking it's age but it runs great. Next time I see him I might make him an offer. Thank for making this video!
These are one of my favorite body styles. After having a couple 79s and an 80 Newport. They fixed a bunch of the issues in the 80 models. I currently have a 79 New Yorker but I think I will eventually look for another Newport.
Even in 1979 to 1981, the girth was still there for all to see!
Watching this today, history repeats itself here for sure
I bought a '79 Newport and an '81 Fifth Ave in a package deal back around '97ish. They were both decent cars. I drove the Newport to work and used the Fifth Ave for everything else. At the time, it seemed to me that they were trying to copy GM cars more than anything else. The Newport looked like a cross between the Impala and Buick LeSabre, but the Fifth Ave did kinda have more of its own "look", except for the side profile that looked like a Caprice to me (especially the roofline and door windows). Good luck finding one of these R bodies today. I haven't seen one either on the road or advertised for sale anywhere in at least the last 15 years or so. I'm guessing the Cash 4 Clunkers program swallowed up whatever was left of them.
Cash for Clunkers only went back to 1983.
These were some of the Cheapest made cars compared to it’s competitors. They fell apart quickly. Thank You for bringing these back up. No one ever does. Lol
Had a 1980 Newport and a 1980 Cordoba LS at the same time. I really liked and miss those cars. The Newport had the 318, NO lean burn, just the electronic ignition. Drove the Newport from around Chicago to St Louis with no problems, the car rode and drove very comfortably. The Cordoba had the slant six, and worked well also. The slant six had NO lean burn as well. Guess I got lucky there without the lean burn system. I had three Fifth Avenues, and two Diplomats, the one Diplomat was a 1985 X police car with the thermoquad and of course NO lean burn. My other 89 Diplomat had the lean burn, and I had to replace the computer on the air cleaner once, never had any more issues after that, ran fine. My 84, 87, and 89 Fifth Avenues all had the lean burn and never had issues with any of those systems in those cars. I miss them all and truly would like to have them all back again. Now I've switched over to a collection of three Buick Roadmasters as they are the only cars that currently are more plentiful at the moment. I like my Roadmasters, however, I still have a soft spot for all of my old Mopars as I have always been a Mopar enthusiast mostly, however, the old Mopars are becoming more rare all the time. Nice video, really brings back some memories.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the R body. My drivers education class used a Dodge St Regis, it was two tone maroon with wire hubcaps
My grandma had a 1980 Dodge St. Regis exactly like the one shown at 4:18 except she had different dodge rims. She bought the car brand new in 1980 and kept it until 1992 when she bought a Lincoln Town Car. But I remember as a small kid during the 80's riding around in that St Regis. She got regular check ups done so she never had any real problems with it.
I adored the look of the R-bodies and admired the fact that Chrysler used retractable headlight doors on the St Regis, as well. Why on earth they switched to that name from Monaco, I will never understand. But that’s a different matter. With the Panther Mercury and Lincoln, they moved away from retractable headlight doors (except for the Mark VI) and came up with a design that I thought looked a lot cheaper and less rich than their predecessors.
Not so with the R-bodies. The R’s also used stationary rear door quarter windows, which were a unique touch not seen since the hardtop sedans of the mid/late ‘50s.
I think Chrysler refrained from doing coupe versions because in 1979, they were still selling B-body coupes with the Cordoba and Magnum XE using essentially the same platform, and didn’t want them competing internally. The lack of wagon versions is, to me, the greater curiosity.
From everything I’ve read, what did these cars in, in addition to the onset of Energy Crisis II, was a rapidly deteriorating quality reputation. Far too many of these cars went out the door with serious defects, on a much more widespread basis than GM and Ford were doing.
So between the Energy Crisis II, ensuing economic downturn, constant headlines about Chrysler’s worsening financials, and the cars’ poor quality reputations, the R-bodies didn’t have much hope of succeeding after the initial 1979 run.
I’ve always wondered, though, if Chrysler had stuck with them a little longer, if sales would have rebounded once the bugs got worked out, once Chrysler’s finances turned the corner, and once the economy recovered and fuel prices eased. Chrysler probably only needed to wait another 18 months or so before sales would have likely improved again.
But then again, Chrysler was fighting for its life at the time.
The lack of a wagon was a serious mistake, as the GM and Ford counterparts were exceedingly popular until their demise, after the popularization of Chryslers minivans.
I wonder how much of the 1980 and 1981 steep sales decline was driven by market forces and how much was due to Chrysler de-emphasizing these models. The story I read was that the federal government made the discontinuation of the R-bodies a condition for the bailout. It's too bad, since their reliability was said to be much improved over Chrysler's 1970s mid-size offerings, which had been promoted as police cruisers before 1979. When oil prices collapsed in the mid 1980s, these cars would almost certainly have been very profitable and with K-cars dominating the rest of Chrysler's offerings, they could easily have met CAFE standards even with a rejuvenation of R-body sales.
Thank you for this episode Adam. I bought a white, '79 New Yorker from a small, local used car lot in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1989 as a "snow car". I loved the look of this model. I had a black, '87 Olds 442 with the traction-loc rear end, at the same time that was not able to stay on the road in the snow. I paid extra for a garage at my apartment to store the 442 during that winter. I was 25 years old. I loved the hidden headlights on the NY'er, the huge expanse of red, button-tufted leather seating, especially in the back seat (Majesty!). I was surprised at the corroding/flaking chromed, aluminum bumpers. I got stuck in traffic when the throttle linkage fell off the 318's carb. I remember the clank of the lock-up torque converter. The car was great in the snow like my '79 Caprice Classic had been. I sold the car the following July to a guy at work who had totaled his '87, Cougar XR-7 in the company parking lot! Love your channel. Tom
"Snow car". Much more civilized than the usual "winter beater" term haha.
The “R” body cars were not inherently bad vehicles but a big issue with them was poor quality control. I worked in a quad Chrysler store at the time. The Newport New Yorker and St Regis Gran Fury were actually styled fairly nice. And the financial woes the company was going thru had depleted them of cash reserves. If not for Lee Iacocca the corporation would have ceased to exist.
To my eyes, the K cars and especially the 1990 Fifth Avenue and Imperial looked like mini R bodies.
But will FWD.
IN THE FAMILY: My dad bought the 1980 Newport. My dad's older brother bought a beautiful creampuff 1981 New Yorker. Then that same uncle bought another New Yorker for my aunt. Then, I bought the 1979 Magnum XE with T-Tops and 360. The T-Tops leaked on my left arm, but I loved that car. I bought a factory service manual and had no trouble learning and tuning the Lean Burn ignition system. Pretty simple compared to today's computers and does not deserve the bad reputation. I figured the GM guys were the complainers and just too dumb to understand it. Carb also had a propane option for tuning, but I didn't need to use that because it just ran smooth. This is same engine used in my uncles two New Yorkers. We enjoyed working together on them. Great memory from 40 years ago. Thank you.
Where I grew up, LTDs and Caprices were everywhere in 79 and the early 80's but I rarely saw these. And I lived near a Plymouth dealership. I like those clear headlight covers!
By the late 1980s, when you saw an R-body Chrysler on the highway, it looked just as good as a late 1980s Town Car or Sedan Deville.
I wanted to buy the '79 Newport but I was still in college and it was far above my budget...but I loved the design and the dashboard.
My Mom's friend had one and it was a P.O.S., always in the shop. She had bought it brand new.
@Eric Ruud I bought a new '78 Plymouth Horizon in Spinnaker White with the wood grain paneling look on the sides. Every option except auto. Worst car I ever owned, kept it for only 33K miles. Swore off Chrysler products but then bought an '84 Aries K-Car and drove it for 6 years and loved it. Go figure...
@Eric Ruud My first year example had the VW engine with the VW still stamped on the engine...great car to drive, very American in feel, but the worst quality I've ever seen.
I always liked the R-Body design. As a kid I liked them in the TJ Hooker chases and the Driver video game.
❤ Exciting video… one of my favorite body styles! I drove one of these some time ago but didn’t buy it because it had a disintegrating vinyl top and rattled and felt like a carnival ride. They are hard to find in presentable condition but do appear from time to time. I would love to have an 81 Fifth Avenue S.E. with the Wayne Cady (?) 79 Biarritz knock off stainless roof. Great video!
My grandfather owned a 1980 Dodge St. Regis. I love riding in it especially on our fishing trips.
A very close friend of mine had to have the all-new, 1979 New Yorker 5th Avenue in cream/light beige, the moment he laid eyes on it at the 1978 autumn Dallss auto show. He went batshit crazy over that car. Here in the Dallas metro area, that New Yorker became so popular that there was an 8-10 week waiting list! He paid $20,000.00 for that car loaded. The New Yorker had the HD 360cid 4bbl with dual exhausts. And moonroof. Relatively fast and sounded mean when you floored it.
Oh, yes!....... I drove that car a whole lot! It was such a stand out -- "see me!!" -- kind of car. People in Sevilles and Town Cars gave us waves and thumbs-up as we would drive along the freeway.
But, I must confess, that the New Yorker had a very harsh ride, actually poor build quality for the price it cost, and crappy sounding stereo system.
Michael, my friend who owned the New Yorker, became disappointed in that car as well. He took a soaking on trade-in for a 1981 Cadillac Seville that was FAR superior to that New Yorker in every way.
I think these are some of the neatest looking Malaise era cars from Chrysler, along with the Dodge Magnum of 78-79. While not to the same build quality as the earlier full size cars, mechanically they've got very solid bones. What stands out to me is how the back door glass is technically frameless, so when you roll the back window down and open the back door, you still have the big quarter window and vinyl trim around it sticking up. Similar to the bustle back Seville, actually.
The high school I took driver's ed at (a different school than I attended) were lent a few cars by local dealers for training. Two that I remember were a Chevy Citation and the other (which I loved) was a triple navy blue '79 (or maybe an 80) New Yorker. It was really a treat to get behind the wheel of that car, and I'd love to have one still today. It was brand new (they both were) and still had the window sticker on it. I guess it would later be sold as a demonstrator. I should have grabbed one in the 90's when nobody wanted them....
Well, if you can find one they're still unwanted, so...
Thanks for the info. I always had an appreciation for the R Bodies. Especially the New Yorker Firth Avenue. I liked the look and stylings. Hope own one one day.
I had an E-58 360 HP powered 1979 Newport from the Florida Highway Patrol in 1981 and was rather impressed with this car considering the era it was produced in. Had the handling and brake goodies and would hit a little over 120 MPH just the way it came to me.
I think you mean 360 cubic inches, not horsepower.
@@jeffrobodine8579 Chrysler often used HP to denote the "high performance" engine option, also referred to as an "LA Premium" engine on these 360s, 340s, and 318s. These engines had a beefier lower end with a windage tray, double-row timing chains, often different camshafts, and double valve springs. Their big-block predecessors were the 400 and 440 HPs, and all these were very popular with police and taxi users as they could tolerate unbelievable abuse.
I know my town had R body Plymouth Grand Furys for police cars back in the early 80's. When the model was discontinued, they switched to the Ford Crown Vic's and had them right up until 2011.
My local State Police also used R-bodies, St. Regis' and Gran Furys at this time as well. They made for nice looking police cars.
Absolutely love the R body models! Especially the New Yorkers. These also feature my all time favorite key-in-ignition reminder beep sound. 😄
PS--going back several hours after my initial comment, I can say this guy really appreciates the shared comments from others here. This is the kind of channel that fosters them.
K cars were underrated. I had one. It was a 83 Plymouth reliant and it drove and handled like a full sized car. More comfortable than Ford tempo/topaz or chevy cavalier. The front had full size bench, giving the feeling of a much bigger car. The only thing that I didn't like was the lack of power. The 2.2 4l was absolutely anaemic and it took the car forever to accelerate. But the interior was more pleasant than it's competitors (my taste)
Thanks for this. I had noticed that these cars haven't gotten much attention. I remembered them as not selling well compared to their FoMoCo and GM equivalents, so I was surprised to hear you note that the 1979 sales figures for them had been so high. Though downsized from their predecessors and boxy in the fashion of the time, they were actually quite a bit longer than the downsized GM and Ford models. At the time, I wondered if that was Chrysler hedging their bets in case customers didn't respond well to too radical of a downsizing.
Also, my grandmother had one of those ill-fated 1974-78 C-bodies, a beautiful 1976 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham sedan, dark brown with tufted brown leather upholstery, a beautiful car, really just a rebadged 1975 Imperial Lebaron.
I would gladly drive a nice 74-78 C-body
I purchased a 1979 Dodge St. Regis. What a beautiful car. Royal blue and a luxurious interior. Wish I had that today.
I never knew about this platform until last year when I was in the market for secondary daily, when I saw a pristine 1980 new yorker fifth Avenue, triple seafoam green. Unfortunately I was too slow and didn't get to it in time, but I've wanted one ever since. Such a unique looking car, really
"Wonderful lean burn setup." I've never heard that combination of words before. ;)
To this day, the R body remains one of my all-time favorite 4-door designs. It's especially at its best in the elegant and classy 5th Ave. trim. Even the Grand Fury looked far more upscale despite being a value-oriented car. I remember watching "Dallas" back in the day and commercials for the St. Regis played almost every week. While I doubt "J.R." would ever buy one, I'm betting many sales were from watchers of the TV show.
I have a cool R body story, in late 78 or early 79 I was 12 and grew up in Lansing Michigan, and a good friend and classmates dad was a Michigan State Trooper and was assigned to be one of Governor William Millikens bodyguard detail. One Friday after school, he had a sleepover with some of the other guys in our class. After school, his dad showed up to school and picked us up in the Governors Limo, a black 79 New Yorker. It blew all our minds that we got to ride to his house in it. He worked the Governors detail for many years. I remember that very well, with the tail lights that stood out on it and folding headlight covers. The state police used Mopars at the time so state bid must have dictated he use a Mopar then. Ironically, we had another family friend that was a trooper and assigned Governors detail that we met about 5 years later and found out that both of them were partners.
Douglas B: engineering quality indeed! e.g. '79 owners reported side window seals opening up at highway speeds. Rain & wind entering the cabin - of a CHRYSLER!?
The OPEC embargo was the fall of 1973. The 1979 oil rise, Was due to the October 1979 Iranian Revolution
I remember Motor Trend doing a comparison road test back then between the Cadillac, Lincoln and R-body New Yorker and the New Yorker winning fairly easily. I wish I could find it online...
As a car conscious teen when these came out, this was the first time I knew, bones deep, that Chrysler could not ultimately survive as a full member of the big 3. I give them the wizardry of the endless permutations of the K car, the derivative, innovative and astonishly successful minivan, and the (for a while anyway) saving grace of picking up Jeep, but their long term survival as an independent stand alone entity seemed seriously quesitonable for the first time in 1980. The corporation would have a mid-2000s surge, but now what. Felt sorry for them then, it was the first whiff death. Now it's just decay. As for the cars themselves, they were not unattractive, just not interesting. And they suffered horribly - so dated - with any serious comparison with GM/Ford counterparts. Once again, you almost hated to see the hapless 5th Avenue go up against Cad and the (80) Lincoln in Motor Trend's 'King of the Hill'. All that said, I will say I had a ride in a St Regis with the 360 and what I was told was the 'Open Road' option - essentially heavy duty suspension / that wasn't bad. Drove some F41 Caprices, but not near enough in time to compare....
They're still here though, over 40 years later. Many other car manufacturers have come and gone in that time.
@@nkt1 Who have gone in 40 yrs. besides AMC?
@joe seeking Joe, you probably make for a pretty good automotive journalist. You seem to have the flair for it!
Though I would go on to further your "not unattractive/ not interesting" comment and add very generic looking to describe the "Are body" ( haha.)
Or could call it the R Not body as in R Not in existence! 😄
@@UberLummox Perhaps I should have said brands, I was thinking of Saturn, Talbot, Daewoo etc. For Chrysler to have been on life support in 1979, and still be a serious contender 43 years later is, I think, no mean feat.
@@nkt1 Right, I figured that's what ya meant!
Another marvelous video. I learned much from this video. I unfortunately never drove an R body. I’m curious now and hope to have the opportunity soon. Thanks Adam for this content.
I feel like this was the darkest hour for Chrysler engineering.
My dad was an olds 98 and custom cruiser devotee for the 70-80s, but a neighbor of ours, a former USAF pilot and then as an IBMer, had a long line of Chrysler New Yorkers and Imperials… they were unique and plush….
I see ford and gm with their own cars at this time, they had success. I really wish Chrysler would have given this car more attention. Thank you Adam. I appreciate you doing the R body
We owned a ‘79 New Yorker 5th. Ave. It was a great looking and features rich car. It rode well and IMO handled better than a Ford or GM (except F41/9C1 Caprice) full-size car. It was plagued with the “Lean Burn’ computer control garage, however when it was running right, it was a really nice car and there were never many to be seen.
Always enjoy the great detail and history on these forgotten or obscure cars. Love cars with big engines! Keep up the good work.
Those head lamps on the Dodge St Regis touring edition looks very familiar to the 78-79 Dodge Magnum XE and GT vehicles. Although the Magnum clear headlamps retracted if I recall correctly. As always Adam thank you.
Whoo! That Bronze Fifth Avenue @ 6:30. Beautiful. Grazie Mille.
Thank you again Adam for your in depth historical fact sharing. I haven't seen an R body for decades and seeing the pictures jogged my memory.
i have watched several of your videos and i find you to be very knowledgeable thank you and look forward to many more.
A wonderful corporate and 30,000 foot level analysis of the auto industry at that time. The savvy among us can spot the differences between say 1970 versus 1971 Barracuda, and ALL detail variants of the E body, and their horsepower and torque figures for every calendar year, But… to put less storied cars into an arc of history and it’s historical context, and WHY they were relevant, and to effortlessly wind that narrative, THAT is true automotive history knowledge. Truly fine and important automotive journalism, sir, on par in many ways with the best written publications, such as Collectible Automobile. I hope they take notice of such solid and consistent automotive scholarship. I and many other like-minded viewers surely have.
Own a 1979 newport and absolutely love the vehicle thanks for the video and information.
I thought the Chrysler 1974 were nice designs, better than the 1974 GM or Ford offerings. I thought the R Platforms looked dated by the 1977 GM Full Size but I like their interior designs.
Love these history videos. Very informative.
Great video really liked it. I remember as a boy going down to the local Chrysler dealership with my Dad and Grand dad and looking at a chocolate brown New Yorker and I always liked the look of them. You were way more gracious then the writers of Collectible Autombile magazine were when they wrote an article on the R body. So thank you.
Adam, very interesting as usual....yours is my favorite you tube car channel!
Thanks, I enjoy your work.