The 1955 lineup of full-size Chrysler cars has to be some of the most beautiful cars ever produced by the automaker.
Under the supervision of Chief Designer Virgil Exner, the 1955 designers, engineers, and stylists created a long, low, and sweeping silhouette rather than the square, boxy cars Chrysler had been known for. Chrysler advertised the new cars look as the “100 Million Dollar Look“!
While the Chrysler New Yorker and 300 Series grabbed most of the attention during the year, the mid-level Windsor was a favorite among buyers. It represented the “sweet spot” of the Chrysler lineup and featured a standard 4.9-liter (301 cubic-inch) “Spitfire” V8, known as the “Poly” or “Polyspheric” engine due to its poly-spherical-shaped (or more than one sphere) combustion chambers. The Poly engines were loosely based on the FirePower (HEMI) engines.
The 301 Spitfire produced 188 horsepower (140 kW) and 275 lb.-ft. (373 Nm) of torque. It was mated to a 3-speed manual-shifting PowerFlite automatic transmission.
This beautiful example is a Windsor Deluxe Newport (the designation for a two-door hardtop). The Windsor Deluxe features an awesome interior, thanks to a beautiful instrument panel. Designed to put all the controls all in reach of the driver, the instrument panel features a spacious glove box, an electric clock, a radio grille, and PowerFlite Range Selector. There is even a parking brake handle located on the panel, with a bright red flasher mounted above it to tell you if it is set or not.
A front and rear bench seats grace the cabin, offering plenty of room for up to seven adults.
When it comes to dimensions, we figured we would put the 1955 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe Newport up against the current 2022 Chrysler 300S V8 for comparison.
| 1955 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe Newport vs 2022 Chrysler 300S V8 | ||
| 1955 Chrysler Windsor Deluxe Newport | 2022 Chrysler 300S V8 | |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 126 | 120 |
| Front Track (in.) | 60.2 | 63.4 |
| Rear Track (in.) | 59.6 | 63.8 |
| Overall Length (in.) | 218.6 | 198.6 |
| Width (in.) | 79.1 | 75 |
| Height (in.) | 60.6 | 58.7 |
As you can see the newer Chrysler 300S offers a wider track and sits lower, however, the Windsor Deluxe Newport rides on a longer wheelbase, is longer in length, and is much wider overall. Nevertheless, the cars aren’t too far off from each other considering the 72 years of difference.
This beautiful example crosses the auction block on Thursday, July 28th, 2022, at the Mecum Harrisburg event. We are curious to see what the sporty Chrysler sedan will go for.
To see more or to bid on it, you can visit the dedicated Mecum page.
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