1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham
The brand-new 1974 Chryslers had been years in the making – and came out in time for the 1973 fuel crisis, which pushed customers out of large cars. It wasn’t Chrysler’s fault, really – nobody had expected gasoline to suddenly spike in price – but it still slapped large-car sales down just when Chrysler needed them most.
The 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham was long, tasteful, and elegant in most respects; it revived the “dual lion” Chrysler theme for its hood ornaments, but those adorned a fairly straightforward body, without fussy details or affectations. This was the top-end Chrysler, sitting above the Newport and the standard New Yorker. It was the top car Chrysler Corporation could sell you – other than the Imperial.
Today, the New Yorker still looks more elegant than many cars of the era, with smooth lines, gentle curves, and relatively little adornment. Other cars had coach lights, opera windows, and other gadgets tacked on. Chrysler even had a chrome-plated metal grille, while Cadillac had gone to plastic. The 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, with their quad headlights, large horizontally-slatted grilles, chrome bumpers, and mild “front fins” were not copies of Cadillacs or Lincolns, yet promised a good deal of luxury inside the cabin.
The cars’ fundamentals were unchanged from past years, despite the full workover: front torsion bars provided height adjustment and had a good combination of ride and handling for the day. Rear leaf springs were set up to maximize high-power launches and stability. Power from the V8 engines were sent through TorqueFlite three-speed automatics to Chrysler-engineered rear axles. The package was rounded off with 12-volt electricals, two-circuit hydraulic brakes, recirculating-ball steering with hydraulic power assist, and Chrysler’s own electronic ignition. One less worthy carryover was routing all power through the dashboard, so the driver could have an ammeter rather than a voltmeter. The 1974 cars had better sound insulation and more isolation from road imperfections than the past models, and had stiffer bodies.
Chrysler used the same basic design for all its large cars, from Plymouth to Imperial; brands changed the engine choices, styling, sound insulation, trim, features, and options. The only car above the New Yorker Brougham was the Imperial LeBaron, sold as a two or four door hardtop; 231 inches long and 80 inches wide.
As the corporate flagship, the New Yorker Brougham had luxury trim, such as gold emblems and ornate chrome Brougham emblems. The hood ornament continued from the 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, with Chrysler’s traditional lions, rather than the Imperial eagles.
