While the 1961 Chrysler was hardly a stylistic masterpiece, it strikes me as being the least weird of the automaker’s lineup in that model year. The Plymouth suffered from a bizarre shark-faced fascia, the Imperial’s neo-classical doodads were hilariously ill-proportioned, and the DeSoto’s styling was ugly enough to finally kill that struggling brand.
The Dodge was somewhat more normal, but it was bestowed with awkward side sculpting . . . and some of the stranger taillights to come out of the early-60s.
The Chrysler brand had its own oddball details, such as ribs on the rear trunk lid and canted headlights that evoked the ill-fated 1958-60 Lincoln. Four-door hardtops even sported bumps that appear to have no other function than to make Chryslers look like space ships from the Planet Ork.
Some Chrysler models came off better than others
The 300G was arguably the best-looking Chrysler in 1961. It had a lovely cross-hatch grille, a tasteful amount of chrome, and came in well-proportioned two-door hardtop and convertible body styles. That’s in addition to the cool interior, which had four bucket seats separated by a full-length center console.
In contrast, the New Yorker four-door hardtop pictured here looks a bit overcooked. An overly large expanse of chrome was slathered onto the top of the front fenders and the grille looks rather busy.
The new entry-level Newport series may have been less dressed up than the New Yorker, but its use of chrome on the body sides did a better job of integrating the car’s rather tall fins with an otherwise discordant front end.
Of course, the New Yorker’s interior was fancier than the Newport’s, e.g., it included a fold-down rear armrest. And like all Chryslers, the New Yorker once again featured the “AstraDome” instrument panel — a three-dimensional pod with electroluminescent lighting (LaChance, 2006).
New Yorker goes up against GM’s juggernaut
For all of the New Yorker’s charms, it doesn’t strike me as possessing the cachet of General Motors’ high-end premium-priced cars, the Buick Electra and Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. A big part of the problem was that Chrysler’s styling was still steeped in the sci-fi look of the 1950s whereas GM had moved on to more sculpted lines — and no tail fins.
Even so, New Yorker output for 1961 was up 5 percent from the previous year despite a recession. In contrast, the Buick Electra was down 13 percent and the Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight fell a whopping 28 percent. Not that Chrysler caught up with either of these GM nameplates. New Yorker production in 1961 was under 20,000 units — less than half of the Ninety-Eight’s roughly 43,000 units and the Electra’s 48,000 units.
Also see ‘1961-63 Imperial: Ode to Virgil Exner’s neo-classical excesses’
Might the departure of Mercury’s high-end models for 1961 have left a bit more room for the New Yorker? Or did the public actually prefer the sci-fi look?
Perhaps the New Yorker benefitted from the strong sales of the Newport, which helped to propel the brand to a 25-percent production gain. Some of those sales could have been at the expense of the DeSoto and top-end Dodge Polara. Unlike the previous entry-level Chrysler series, the Windsor, the Newport was priced to directly compete with its corporate siblings. Could the Newport have been perceived as more prestigious and less weird?
NOTES:
This is an expanded and recast version of a “Gallery” feature posted on Jan. 29, 2021. Production figures were calculated from base data from the auto editors of Consumer Guide (2006) and Gunnell (2002).
RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- Gunnell, John; 2002. Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946-1975. Revised 4th Ed. Krause Publications, Iola, WI.
- Grist, Peter; 2007. Virgil Exner, Visioneer. Veloce Publishing, Dorchester, England.
- LaChance, Dave; 2006. “AstraDome.” Hemmings Motor News. March issue.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- oldcarbrochures.org: Buick Electra (1961); Chrysler (1961); Dodge (1961); Imperial (1961); Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight (1961); Plymouth (1961)
Have Dodge had keeped the rear of their 1960 models and just removing the small tailfins for 1961 instead of putting these “elephants ears”, I wonder if things would have worked differently for Dodge?
According to a 1994 Automobile Quarterly article by the late Jeffrey Godshall, the original plan was to shave off the tail fins of the 1961 Dodge and Dart. But the head of Dodge Division had other ideas, and he won that particular battle.
The Chrysler was the most “least weird looking” of the corporation’s 1961 full-size vehicles, although I’d say that the 1961 Dodge Lancer was the least weird of all the car maker’s offerings that year.
Perhaps the New Yorker benefitted from the phase-out of DeSoto? The brand had been looking terminal since 1959, when rumors of its impending demise began spreading in earnest. Perhaps Mopar loyalists who had been buying DeSotos decided to visit their Chrysler-Plymouth dealer instead.
As for the decline in sales of the Electra and Ninety-Eight – I wonder how many sales of their full-size offerings were lost to the new compacts rolled out by the divisions for 1961? In particular, how many women who were loyal to both brands were happy to trade for a smaller, easier-to-handle vehicle that still looked like a Buick or an Oldsmobile? Women tended to be less wedded to the “greater size=greater prestige” equation.
I take exception to the assertion that the 1961 “DeSoto’s styling was ugly enough to finally kill that struggling brand.” When you make the case of the 1961 Chrysler being “the least weird of the automaker’s 1961 line”, you fail to take into account that except for the dual level front grille and the reversed position of the rear tail lights/brake lights and the backup lights, the styling of the 1961 Chrysler and the 1961 DeSoto is identical. In fact, from both a styling and functional standpoint the positioning of the rear tail/brake lights and backup lights are far better on the DeSoto than the Chrysler.
Despite the Desoto’s abbreviated 1961 production it is the least weird 1961 Mopar.
Sadly, all of Chrysler’s cars, perhaps with the exception of the Dodge Lancer, were unacceptable in the marketplace. I know Exner, Sr. was ill, but where was competent management ? In comparison, the 1961 G.M. and Ford cars were masterful in their restraint. It must have been torture to be a Chrysler, Plymouth or Dodge dealer in 1961.
Indeed, and it’s more painful when the 1962 models arrived for Dodge and Plymouth with their plucked chicken.
For further first hand information on the reactions of both dealers and customers to the 1961 Mopar lineup, refer to the remembrances of Curtis Redgap through the Allpar website.
While Chrysler’s early 60s designs weren’t for everyone, I believe the public did like the si fi styling, but to me it was the Astrodome with it’s Panelesent lighting. It was weird but beautiful. It glowed like it was in outer space. That Astrodome has been my favorite dashboard of any car, then and now. It was a beautiful sight to behold. We had a 1961 Newport and a 62 300 in the family. I was mesmerizing by the Panelesent glow, and still am.
I’m not sure what you mean by a lump on the Chrysler 4 door hardtops. Do you mean the toilet seat continental spare on the trunk? BTW, the Plymouth grill looks eerily prescient to the modern “angry” look.
I’m talking about the raised ribs along each side of the roofline. They are around four inches above the top of the door windows.
Now I see it. Maybe there was a crease on the blueprint.