Shednesday: Native New Yorker in Sunderland
Merry Shednesday fellow animals, vegetables and minerals. As a kid we played that game on car journeys. Back in the heady days of no internet or mobile devices, and when curtains as a hairstyle choice was hip. It’s a game the Americans call ‘Twenty Questions’.
To borrow a phrase from our American cousins, in what the media call “these troubled times”, wouldn’t it be great to “have a nice day”? A change from SSDD. Perhaps purchasing a ‘new’ car would do the trick? While currently obligated to stay indoors, there are always solutions like Shiply to help you realise your Shednesday dream purchase.
That said, I would be surprised if today’s vehicle is anyone’s dream car. But I have a soft spot for American tat so here's a slice of good ol’ USA to brighten your day: a £400 Chrysler New Yorker.
You may have images of that lovely Art Deco skyscraper, and perhaps earlier iterations of the New Yorker ‘land yacht’. Many of the versions dating back to 1940 are dripping in retro charm, like this beauty. However, our example is its final, less angular (cool) shape.
Runnin’ pretty, New York City girl
Yet it looks to have very comfortable leather seats like any good luxo barge. With a boot (trunk) capacity of 504 litres, I would surmise it big enough to transport many crates of root beer, or a rolled-up rug if you’re an aspiring mobster. Power wise, Chrysler managed to extract 214 ponies from its 3.5-litre 24-valve V6 engine. Okay, so it’s no fire breathing warbling V8, but at the time it was Chrysler’s flagship model so likely still has some gravitas.
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Speaking of time, it hasn’t had an MOT since 2012 and has done 163k. Plus, with gearbox issues, a Shiply-type option may have to be considered regardless of how close you are to Sunderland. Caution is advised, to put it politely. But it is only £400. Here is the advert (a more expensive example is also available with better pics). Have a nice day y’all.
What does PetrolBlog think?
The Chrysler New Yorker is the essence of PetrolBlog in an American suit. In its day, the 14th-generation New Yorker undercut its rivals with Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes and Buick badges to deliver a slice of all-American luxury for a bargain price.
Fun fact: Chrysler designed the roof to make it impossible to add an aftermarket vinyl roof. An engineer likened the act of putting vinyl on the curved surface to “trying to wallpaper a bowling ball”. The question is, has anyone tried to wallpaper a bowling ball? Or a New Yorker, for that matter.
Does it matter that the £400 New Yorker isn't working? Those seats look comfortable enough to while away the tedium of lockdown as you play with the powered ‘this’ and powered ‘that’. Touching the plastic wood, let's hope the Infinity graphic equaliser is still doing its thing.
It's a shame that the car isn't running; it'd be fun to discover how graceful the New Yorker looks when you apply the brakes. As graceful as a Weeble on acid? Answers on a postcard.
One final thing: if you're not humming Odyssey's version of “Native New Yorker”, you've got no soul, man.
Chrysler Building image courtesy of Billie Grace Ward.
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