1976 Chrysler Newport Custom - New Yorker All The Way

Much like expensive homes, people who purchase expensive cars want people to know that they spent a lot of money. A luxury car that touted value as one of its selling points is not unlike marketing a top of the line home in a down market zip code. As nice a home that it can be, an expensive house in a cheap area will never be, ultimately, what it is attempting to emulate. Let's not even discuss resale values. 

What Chrysler was attempting to emulate in the 1970's was Cadillac and in my opinion, they nailed it with their 1975-1978 New Yorker; the big Chryslers being more handsome "Cadillacs" than actual Cadillacs. Newports were mostly a de-contented New Yorkers much in the same way a Cadillac Calais was a de-contented deVille. The biggest difference between the Newport and New Yorker was the availability of luxury options like leather seating areas and a 440 V-8 (not sure if that was a good thing or not seeing it was the mid '70s'). This being a Newport Custom, you got fender skirts and the New Yorker coupe's fetching, half landau, "reverse" vinyl top; 1976 the first year for "opera windows" on the big Chryslers. You wouldn't be the only person to think this a New Yorker much like people who don't know can't tell a Calais from a deVille. 

Impressing people with your Chrysler New Yorker was one thing; impressing them with a Newport? Better hope they didn't know the difference or you just bought the car because you liked it. For similar money back then, money spent on a domestic luxury car anyway, in 1976 if you wanted to impress the Joneses, you bought a Cadillac not a facsimile of one. The best money spent, back then regardless of nameplate snobbery, domestically was on a loaded Chevrolet Caprice. 

Newports weren't always such obvious de-contented New Yorkers. This lovely 1968 Newport coupe was its own, distinctive albeit less expensive model. While it shares styling themes with the more luxurious and formal New Yorker (and Imperial) of the same vintage, there's no denying that it was Newport.

This big ole boy? No matter what you call it it's a New Yorker all the way. Chrysler built this car through 1978 and moved "Newport" to their abortive B body platform in 1979. Newports got put to pasture after 1981.