Beschreibung:

Chrysler Corporation charged full-bore into 1955 with an across-the-board lineup of dramatically styled new models. Originated by the innovative designer Virgil Exner, the cars' fresh appearance was dubbed, "The $100 Million Look." The exciting new products helped put every Chrysler Corp. car—from the least expensive Plymouth to the most costly Imperial—on a solid competitive footing for 1955. The timing couldn't have been better, as the auto market would be fiercely competitive that year. In the Chrysler line, the luxurious 125.5-inch wheelbase New Yorker DeLuxe series had become the top offering, as the even larger and more exclusive Imperial was for the first time officially a separate nameplate that year. A 250-hp version of Chrysler's famed Hemi V-8, topped with a 4-bbl. carburetor, was standard in 1955 New Yorker DeLuxe and Imperial models. Displacing 331 cubic inches, the Chrysler engine matched that year's standard Cadillac V-8 both in displacement and horsepower. A special 2x4-bbl., 300-hp version of the hemispherical-head V-8 powered the new-for-1955 Chrysler 300C, a limited production high-performance hardtop based on the New Yorker chassis. Chrysler's PowerFlite automatic transmission, with dash-mounted gear selector lever, was standard in all 1955 Chrysler New York DeLuxe models, and also the 300C. The race-winning, record-breaking 300C is deservedly the 1955 Chrysler most remembered for its outstanding performance. However, the New Yorker DeLuxe that it was derived from also did well in competition. A production 1955 New Yorker scored class wins in flying and standing-start mile runs at that year's Daytona Beach speed trials. In mid-1955, Chrysler introduced the "Summer Special" two-tone paint option seen on this New Yorker DeLuxe sedan. Revised side trim for the Summer Special permitted a bolder two-tone, which better emphasized the complementing body colors. A new color-break line resulted from the addition of bright upper-body trim borrowed from the 1955 New Yorker St. Regis 2-door hardtop. According to authoritative sources, fewer than 2,000 New Yorker DeLuxe Summer Special sedans were sold. The original owner of the offered New Yorker DeLuxe was a resident of Fairfield and kept the car until 2000. At that time it passed to the vendor, and the Chrysler has remained a one registered owner automobile. An exterior restoration was carried out in 1985, which included a respraying of the Summer Special two-tone paint colors and renewed chrome. The interior remains original. During the past two decades, the car has been shown only occasionally at local events. Total mileage since new is less than 108,000. The factory-issued owner's manual and various service records accumulated through the years accompany the car. Ranking among the classiest, most powerful and best-engineered models available to American buyers in 1955, the New Yorker DeLuxe sedan helped Chrysler achieve its best sales performance that year since 1941. Today, the sleek 1955 New Yorker exemplifies the exceptional qualities that have endeared mid-1950s American luxury sedans to so many collectors.