440..350 hp E85 or E86?

[jollyjoker]

Thank You for your input into the marketing aspect of the business. I also got the distinct impression that the LeSabre 455 was the reason that the Newport 440s were created. BTW, I went back and dug out the old issue of Collectible Automobile I had mentioned - Oct 2012. Reading through it, it seemed as though they were talking about something different - maybe a "local" or "regional" special - based on the Newport 440. The time frame was correct (Jan 70, I think) . . . but included things NOT found on this Newport 440 shown in the picture above (buckets, TNT, road wheels). . . and was supposedly priced as ~ $1200 option (NOT the "$13 more than a regular Newport" mentioned in the ad). A LOT of money in those days. Again, nobody I know has ever seen or heard of one . . .

 

[commando1]

Still gotta move iron today as back then I'd bet

Yep. Once a month, it seems, another special edition Ram or Wrangler comes out.
How many ways can you reconfigure the front bumper and wheel opening flares before it starts repeating itself.

 

[amazinblue82]

Thank You for your input into the marketing aspect of the business. I also got the distinct impression that the LeSabre 455 was the reason that the Newport 440s were created. BTW, I went back and dug out the old issue of Collectible Automobile I had mentioned - Oct 2012. Reading through it, it seemed as though they were talking about something different - maybe a "local" or "regional" special - based on the Newport 440. The time frame was correct (Jan 70, I think) . . . but included things NOT found on this Newport 440 shown in the picture above (buckets, TNT, road wheels). . . and was supposedly priced as ~ $1200 option (NOT the "$13 more than a regular Newport" mentioned in the ad). A LOT of money in those days. Again, nobody I know has ever seen or heard of one . . .

You folks would be fascinated AND horrified .. like looking at a dog with three heads .. what happened in car companies. People are getting PhD's about it so we can't possibly get into it here.

I'd read about decisions I championed (as part of a team) getting RAVE reviews ("first ever", "bold styling" , "ground-breaking, "genius move') and then SKEWERED ("moronic", "idiodic, "perplexing", head-up-our- a**es") AT THE SAME TIME, about the SAME THING with some of our product/pricing decisions.

Luckily it was in the pre "WW-Insta-Twit-Face-Linked-Chat" era or I mighta jumped off a building

All that to say, "regional programs" were (are) commonplace. In the old days (60's-80's era), it was very hard to "rope in" the brand fiefdoms (all the Big Three had them) in cohoot with the dealers out in some "zone office" coming up with stuff (good and bad) they thought would help sell cars.

Shoot, even in the 1990's the stuff we caught people doing .. never made the headlines .. would pin your ears back. This thing, on that car or truck, in that city, usually done IN a dealership WITHOUT factory participation ..

The whole system was set up for VOLUME .. we were addicted to it. Dealer had to make his "nut", which was set by capital intensive car company that had to make its "nut". Movin' iron to that system was like us needing air to breathe .. you're dead without it.

Anyway, without more details I'd hate to speculate any further on Newport 440 "regional" deals except (1) I don't doubt they happened in some form BUT (2) IF somebody was out there adding $1,200, or 35%, to the price of a Newport, Highland Park woulda found out and cracked some skulls over that, be it rogue dealers and/or employees inside their own company doing it.

Guess I'd be in the "Missouri" camp .. you gotta show me that, NOT cuz I don't believe that's what you read JollyJoker, but cuz that's a three-headed dog I just couldn't stop looking at in wonder and horror.

Last, I might have to buy that issue .. they got a whole thing on fusies is seems. Be cool read that.

 

[67Monaco]

All that to say, "regional programs" were (are) commonplace. In the old days (60's-80's era), it was very hard to "rope in" the brand fiefdoms (all the Big Three had them) in cohoot with the dealers out in some "zone office" coming up with stuff (good and bad) they thought would help sell cars.

Shoot, even in the 1990's the stuff we caught people doing .. never made the headlines .. would pin your ears back. This thing, on that car or truck, in that city, usually done IN a dealership WITHOUT factory participation ..

I remember the Denver Gold Dodge Ram vans all over Denver during the USFL days.

 

[amazinblue82]

More recently here 2012 Ram "Red Wings" edition. May have been very popular as I was seein' these babies everywhere, in Red and Black.

Trivia .. first pic got 'em in trouble. Hazard a guess why?

 

[amazinblue82]

Back to fusies, the Newport Cordoba (The Chrysler Cordoba in Mexico) is posted in several threads (a search will turn them up easily if you wanna go deep).

Seems the fusie Newp got lotsa "special" models over the 5 years -- several threads here on 4-5 of 'em to my recollection.

Mopar Fuselage Styled Full Size Cars

 

[jollyjoker]

Ahhh . . . gotta love those "Aztec design highlights".

On a similar line of thought . . . anybody out there got a 69 Newport w/ the woodgrain applique on the sides (think T&C wagon)??? I'd love to see a nice restored one!

 

[amazinblue82]

Mopar Fuselage Styled Full Size Cars

we got threads here on the Navajo Newps ... this one I DO remember. My "girlfriend" in jr high .. her Dad had one. It was the seats .. coolest seats I ever saw

 

[polara71]

Oh those do octopus

 

[amazinblue82]

On a similar line of thought . . . anybody out there got a 69 Newport w/ the woodgrain applique on the sides (think T&C wagon)??? I'd love to see a nice restored one!

there's one here .. we captured it for posterity a couple years back.

For Sale - 1969 CHRYSLER NEWPORT 2DHT - $14900 - Wood Grain!

 

[amazinblue82]

Oh those do octopus

Yup - they were fake but the animal rights groups (led by PETA) went apesh*t. Red Wings DO frown on it .. but fans get creative and smuggle 'em in.

 

[amazinblue82]

Found another "Woody" Newp, and a Vert, just surfin ...

 

[330dTA]

Thank You, amazinblue82, for illuminating inside stories. They explain a lot, I believe every word. I have seen similar things happen in the building industry. Some companies can be veritable beehives.

 

[amazinblue82]

Thank You, amazinblue82, for illuminating inside stories. They explain a lot, I believe every word. I have seen similar things happen in the building industry. Some companies can be veritable beehives.

I gotta million stories. Like anybody else, you work "INSIDE" a thing, and if you take note of stuff around you, ya "see" all kinda stuff, good and bad.

Car people get bashed a lot for obviously stupid products and stupid business decisions etc. you'd think they (we) were a buncha neanderthals.

well some are (were) "cavepeople" but it was more a reflection of the dumb way they (Big Three) ran things (layers and layers of management, turf protecting, "silos", etc) that created nutty stuff.

Despite all that dysfunction, they gave us our beloved C's and whatever other kinda car we like.

but its a fun, fast paced, aggressive industry that aint for the timid, responsible billions of dollars and millions of jobs worldwide. it helped create the modern world.

and some of the smartest people i ever met, in the world, work (worked) in car companies (white collar and blue collar).

 

[Bill Watson]

Dug up the article on the Collectible Automobile article on the 1969-73 Chryslers, and it seems the author was not relying on Chrysler Historical for information on the Chrysler Newport 440 but some Chrysler historian in New Jersey. The list of equipment listed in the article for the Newport 440 looks as if it was lifted from the the 300-Hurst. The information on the Newport 440 was presented at the end of the sidebar on the 300-Hurst.

We have the information on the Newport 440 as supplied by the Chrysler-Plymouth Division, which is what we should be using, and not information from some unknown source. The Newport 440 was not offered with the TNT engine, had no special wheels, no heavy-duty equipment, no restrictions on exterior colours, no colours from 1971, nor bucket seats with console. Also, according to the article, the Newport 440 was available only as a two door hardtop.

As per the information supplied by Chrysler-Plymouth, the Newport 440 could be had either as a two door or four door hardtop, was to go head to head with the LeSabre 455, and not be some low cost version of the 300-Hurst.

Checked the 1970-71 Chrysler parts catalogue, and it is listed as being available as either a two door or four door hardtop. See pages 23-318 to 23-321. The "440" emblem was part number 3570 343. No trim along the rocker panel is listed, just as the C-P info stated.

It appears the Newport 440 did not do well. Just as the car it was to do battle with, the LeSabre 455. No one knows how many were built or have actually seen one. Production of the 1970 Buick LeSabre hit 64,384, LeSabre Custom was 117,673 and the LeSabre 455 totalled 17,565. No idea how well the Newport 440 did, but the 1970 Newport totalled 79,023 (including 440 and 3,741 Cordoba specials) and the Newport Custom was 31,279.

 

[amazinblue82]

thx for the article summary Bill.

They (those writers) I am sure do the best they can with these stories, and get most of their stuff right. But on occasion they are just plain wrong .. and are unaware of or don't check obviously more authoritative sources (Chrysler Museum, Hamtramck, etc.) that exist.

Last year we saw a C-Body article (like a blog piece) a young fella (he wasnt alive when these cars were built) did that had some really bad info in it (e.g. a picture of B-body Fury/Monaco was used as a C body example).

It got dumped on pretty hard here for the more egregious inconsistencies, and he did too by name (his electronic "ears" had to be burnin') .. but then he joined in here on the discussion and corrected a few things in his piece, thanked us, and moved on.

Anyway, seems this Newport 440 was hidin' in plain sight as the Fuselage DE guys had it with the historical records and all. I never heard of it BUT I guess if i had read the Fusie DE site in my spare time I'd a found it.

But I aint and I dont hold myself out as an "historian" like the NJ guy the article quoted apparently did -- i would have to be much more serious about doin' my homework if so.

And in his defense, the NJ guy MAY have seen evidence of some dealer(s) doin' a regional thing on the Newport 440 .. trying to call it a "cheap Hurst", putting service parts on it from the Hursts/uplevel Chryslers, etc. -- when the real Hursts were ~ $7K MSRP, in short supply, and this unicorn Newp 440 thing trying to come in ~ $5K.

ALL OF THAT trickin' out of a Newport 440, IF ANY OF it really happened, would have been CONTRARY to what Highland Park was really trying to do with the Newport 440 per the bulletins -- give dealers "something to sell" against the 455 LeSabre that clearly doing ok sales-wise in 1970 MY.

Fun topic.

 

[commando1]

You guys piqued my curiosity.

 

[amazinblue82]

So lets .. "HOSE!" .. see this 455 LeSabre in the flesh, so to speak

1970 Buick LeSabre 455 For Sale Anaheim, California

 

[commando1]

So lets .. "HOSE!" .. see this "Bu-itch" in the flesh, so to speak

1970 Buick LeSabre 455 For Sale Anaheim, California

Had that been a 2 dr.......

 

[commando1]

Not a LeSabre 455, but a 455 LeSabre. Wow.

https://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/6165235550.html