My grandparents had owned a Fifth Avenue in the mid-’80s. It had seemed like a significant upgrade from their navy-colored 1980 LeBaron sedan, but even as a kid, I could tell that the Fifth Avenue was based on the same architecture as the older car. This was especially apparent when three generations of my family would load into it to go somewhere. I would be perched in the middle of the front bench seat between my grandpa (who was always behind the wheel) and my dad, his son-in-law, who would ride shotgun. Everyone else would be in the back, with my younger brother riding on my mom’s lap. I liked the front vantage point, even despite sitting over the transmission hump, as it gave me a bird’s eye view of the road and where we were going. This would beat the pants off of sitting in the middle in the back, which, while comfortably upholstered in cranberry-colored crushed velour, felt like a cave with no view.
From sitting behind a familiar dashboard, it was unmistakable that my grandparents’ Fifth Avenue was a newer, nicer version of the same car they had traded for it. It was a plush ride that seemed to have knickknacks and gadgets everywhere, including the digital clock… ahem, the Chrysler Chronometer (with its fitting nautical connotations), cruise control, a stereo equalizer, and even an aftermarket CB that Grandpa had installed. They would use this communication device when they would travel as snowbirds between their farm in northwest Ohio and their vacation home in Florida. Grandma would tell me how it would take a toothbrush to really get the wire wheel covers clean. The vinyl roof cap needed to be specially cleaned and treated. They took pride in and great care of that car, as with all of their vehicles over the years that I can remember. That Fifth Avenue seemed to me to be a “kitchen sink” kind of car, both inside and out.
I spotted our featured car while on one of my evening neighborhood walks almost five years ago, and had thought initially that I had found an elusive, final-iteration Imperial. This was a rookie mistake, as the horizontal taillamps would have been the first, easy, external indicator of that. Once I had correctly identified it as a Y-Body New Yorker Fifth Avenue, I had several thoughts. The first was how different its overall proportions seemed in comparison to my grandparents’ old Fifth Avenue, appearing taller and skinnier, like Stan Laurel to Oliver Hardy.
The second was how apt it seemed that it was parked in front of this giant, purple house. I love this house, and I respect the bold decision-making that went into the choice of its shade of lilac paint. This residence is like something out of a grape bubble gum-flavored fantasy, with seemingly every possible external embellishment on it. Originally built in 1904, it’s got a big porch, that decorative, oval window of beveled glass, a bold paint scheme with contrasting, white trim, and a big yard – the latter of which is a true luxury in this area. Imagine casually strolling past a house that’s significantly over a century old and in condition this fantastic.
This Fifth Avenue’s Y-platform was a stretched version of the C-body, which was itself based on the venerable K which had made its debut for ’81. Like this purple house, these underpinnings seemed almost a hundred years old by the time the first front-drive Fifth Avenue arrived for 1990. Also similar to this mansion, this car also featured all of the things: a padded vinyl roof, wire wheel covers, hidden headlamps, a boxy, upright stance, and chrome for days. This would all have been in vogue in the late ’70s. This example, judging by its refreshed sheetmetal with its slightly rounded corners, was produced in the early ’90s. I got these quick snaps five years ago only with the intent of sharing them on social media, so I didn’t think to get any other pictures of the car so that I could conduct a license plate search. What I can tell is that this example is from one of the final two model years of this generation before the gorgeous, revolutionary LH cars arrived.
What I hadn’t realized before putting this together was that the “Salon” and “Fifth Avenue” editions of these New Yorkers weren’t simply trim levels. The Fifth Avenue featured a five-inch wheelbase stretch (to 109.5″) over the C-body Salon. For ’92, the Fifth Avenue sold 34,300 copies, which was almost exactly twice as many Salons (17,200). In the next and final year for this generation, the gap closed somewhat, with 29,800 Fifth Avenues sold against 22,300 of its lesser stablemate. Standard power for all New Yorkers came from a new 3.3 liter V6 with 147 horsepower, with an optional 3.8 liter V6 offering just three horses more. Fifth Avenue curb weight started at around 3,400 pounds for both ’92 and ’93.
Thinking back to the tight, three-across seating in the front bench of my grandparents’ 1983 Fifth Avenue, this ’92 edition was about three and a half inches narrower, at 68.9″ wide. I realize that there isn’t necessarily a direct correlation between exterior width and interior volume, and also that there are probably EPA numbers out there that catalog the front seat hip room of both model years. My gut feeling, though, is that if it felt like close quarters in my grandparents’ car when I was just a skinny kid, there’s no way that three-across seating could be attempted in the ’92 (which did offer front bench seats, by the way). I’ll leave you with the idea that even if the late, iconic musician Prince Rogers Nelson would have liked the ornate purple-ness of this house, I doubt he would have fancied the Fifth Avenue, even if it, too, had been painted purple. Both house and car gave my eyes plenty to feast upon as I cleared my head at the end of the workweek.
Edgewater, Chicago, Illinois.
Friday, July 12, 2019.
I owned two of this generation New Yorker 5th Ave – a 1991 and a 1993 with the rounded front fascia and LH-esque tail lamps. You are correct that the lack of width makes anything more than 4 passengers uncomfortable – my wife remarked she never felt closer to me than when she was a passenger in the 5th Avenue.
Both were comfortable enough cars for a bigger person (6ft 300 lbs), but the lack of hip and shoulder room is noticeable compared to a contemporary GM H body or FWD C body sedan. It’s one of the reasons my wife never warmed up to the car.
I love the gingerbread on these, inside and out – those tufted velour seats are a very nice place to spend some time on the highway. The 3.3-8/Ultradrive combo suited these cars well, and I never had issues with the drivetrain despite the well known Ultradrive teething problems.
But for a “luxury” car, there was still too much K in the mix – the whole dash would vibrate whenever I would start the car, and the ride wasn’t as smooth or refined as my Park Avenues or Devilles.
But given the price difference, I doubt the original owners cared much. The Greatest/”Silent” Generation owners saw the price, liked the warmed over 70’s Brougham styling, and bought enough of ’em to justify this in’K’arnation until the LH arrived.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/my-curbside-classic-1991-chrysler-new-yorker-fifth-avenue-almost-doesnt-count/
Tom, thank you for this, and also for linking your COAL. I wonder how many buyers of these had planned to regularly carry more than four total occupants at a time, where the relative lack of width would be an issue.
And old-school Chrysler surely knew how to make a traditional, American-style luxury interior – one that appeals to me. I was going to also comment that the narrow width might be a plus in urban environments, but then I remembered that most buyers of this type of car had garage space for them.
Compare to todays teardrop design of sedans, these were light years better.
Sat in the back of a Chevy Malibu the other day. Technically had sufficient head and legroom, but felt like a sardine with my butt dragging the floor board.
In the above Chrysler, you sat upright with plenty of headroom and enough legroom to cross your legs.
Today, I’d take the Chrysler (or Dynasty) hands down.
Totally agree. Yes, the current Malibu is a very nice car, but they are all too low. It’s funny because today everyone wants (or so the auto makers claim) these huge boxy SUV’s. So if these boxy SUV/CUV’s sell so well, why? Sure isn’t due to good look or style. It’s because they sit higher and have better visibility. It’s because they have more room.
Now look at these Chryslers that, like you mention, have a higher sitting height. They are more boxy. They have great usable trunks. They were quiet and comfortable. I just can’t help to think that if the manufacturers offered us vehicles like these, but with the modern touches, that they would sell in high numbers.
Like you, I’d take one of these in a second.
I’m a sucker for style and styling, but I’ll be darned if some of the more upright and boxy vehicles I’ve rented over the past few years didn’t have more pleasant, airy-feeling interior than the type of car I would normally go for. I’m sure much of this car’s target demographic agreed. I wonder how the feel of the replacement LH cars felt by comparison.
Joseph: Like I said, I’ve never owned one of these more upright NY’s and such and I never owned any of the LH cars either. However, I’ve been in many and traded in many and driven many of each. I also sold at a Chrysler dealership in the 2004/2005 years where I got to experience many of them. The LH cars kind of began this style we have today where the cars seem lower and more sporty. They are the cars that ushered out the boxy and upright cars from this story. They, IMO, were not as easy to get in/out of nor were they as visibility friendly. I personally would prefer the 80’s and 90’s upright boxes to the rest.
Great post. I owned 83 and 85 Fifth Avenues. They easily held their own with other upscale vehicles I have owned. Then Iacoca went loca on Kcars. These FWD Fifth Avenues, New Yorkers, and Imperials were IMO a far cry from the RWDS.
Thanks, Rick! I did really like my grandparents’ M-body Chryslers, and they seemed like a great combination of manageable size and luxury. By the time of the FWD Fifth Avenue, my grandparents had moved on to Ford (Mercury) Panthers.
My mom had a beautiful black 87 Fifth Ave with a velour burgundy interior. You can’t really compare the fwd K-car derivative versions to the earlier rwd V8 cars. One was the real deal, the other was a poser. The only common thread is Chrysler’s less than stellar reliability.
Your mom’s car sounds like a stunner in that color combo, which I remember. I don’t remember seeing any of the Y-Body Fifth Avenues in black, but that’s just my evening commute brain working. I do think the rear-drive cars has a bit more presence, but I can see the merits of these front-drive cars. I was just glad that the idea and nameplate was still alive when these came out
What a perfect correlation of car and dwelling. I too love that purple painted lady, the car, well, it’s what we had then when it came to gingerbread, but my dream car to match that house would be this one:
1960
Even this ’79 5th Ave would be a huge improvement on these last pathetic Chrysler so-called “luxury” cars. Haarrruph!
I had an ’80 R-body 5th Ave in this color, with a 360 V8, a very nice and truly a luxury car, the last real one that Mopar made imo.
Thanks, Randerson! The purple convertible is beautiful in so many ways. And I have long thought the R-Body New Yorker was one of the best-looking full-size cars of that era, from any make. It was a shame about the inconsistent quality, which apparently ranged good to horrible from car to car.
Earlier this year, I watched Brian De Palma’s “Blowout” from 1980 (or ’81?) at a vintage movie house, which starred John Travolta and Nancy Allen, who were both great in it. One of the first scenes, in which one of these New Yorkers gets destroyed, is still shocking to me. I’m all like, what a waste!
Love these cars. Thank you for a great article and the imagery of you and your family riding in them. I can relate.
I feel lucky to have been born in the latter 60’s and thus my love of cars started with the mid 70’s. Growing up in the mid-west farm community, I saw first hand the many Chrysler, GM and Ford/Lincoln products as they were what the farmers drove. My uncle owned a small used car lot and he always had these brands. My parents belonged to a card playing club and it was fun to see these brands in our driveway when they hosted a parties. I recall going out and sitting in all the cars and thinking what it would be like to drive. For these Chryslers specifically, I was able to see them from the late 70’s, into the 80’s and then into the 90’s front drive models. The one thing that always comes back to mind is just how comfortable the seats always were in the Chryslers and the visibility out was fantastic.
Finally, I’d like to defend these front drive cars against some of the other comments being made about how terrible they (K-car derivatives) are compared to the older rear drive models. Just remember that it’s these front drive cars and the K platform that saved Chrysler from the perils of Pontiac, Olds, Plymouth and so on. I think it’s also safe to say that these front drive models were better and more reliable than many of the older rear drive Chrysler models. I too love the 1978 to 1989 rear drive models, but these front drivers were a good thing for them.
The K’s did help Chrysler but I’d submit that at least as much if not more it was the minivan that saved them. And while they may have been right for the time, great luxury cars they were not.
That era ended in 1978 and stumbled on weakly for a few more years.
Still the fwd efforts can be appreciated for what they are and that’s fine.
Randerson: Fun bit of trivia. Even the first mini-vans were K-car derived. Not everyone knows that. For a while nearly everything ChryCo built was from the K-car.
I’ve owned a couple of K-car models over the years and one 1987 Chrysler 5th Ave. in white with blue top/interior. Such a nice car, yet just not like driving a big Buick or Cadillac or Lincoln. But nice car it still was and (I think) the most comfy seats of anything made.
Thanks, Dan! I love the Midwest farm community connection, as that was where this city kid would go to visit extended family. I have to clarify (based on your comment) that it wasn’t this FWD generation of Fifth Avenue that my grandparents had owned, but the rear-drive M-Body version.
The K platform may have flavored everything modern that Chrysler built in the ’80s, but it begat some cars I still really like, like the G-Body Laser and Daytona, and the J-Body LeBaron. Not to mention the minivans that steamrolled the competition even after setting trends here in the U.S.
Joseph: When I first read your story I thought it was about the front drive model that your grandparents had. But then I re-read some of it and realized you were talking about the older RWD model. Above I mention having owned several K-car models. They were both Aries/Reliant models. None of the bigger and more luxury models. The 1987 5TH Ave I owned was also the rear drive M body version. Fond memories of them all.
In the ’40’s, or ’50’s, ’60’s, possibly ’70’s, the lilac house could or would have been subject to derision as Victorian kitsch suitable for immediate removal.
Peculiarly, the timescale for cars runs at a different speed, such that this New Yorker was junkable quite a while ago, and is only salvageable now as a ditzy curio. My point is that I can’t ever see its moment of salvation arriving, yet, neither could those deriding and knocking over a house like the lilac one here, so I might be wrong.
I’ll just throw this in here, which, albeit in a different price class to this long K (though not necessarily a different perceived class-class), was being sold from Europe concurrently, and it’s got to be said, one looks like a proper and professional car design, and is, the other like what someone of very limited outlook upon the world thought of as a classy design adaptation, and isn’t.
1992 7-series
Haha. Not just a “different price class”, but roughly double the price. And that’s just to purchase. Need a battery? 3X the price. Brakes all around? 4X the price. Oil changes? 3X + the price.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the 7 series BMW’s and always have liked them. But I don’t think anyone ever tried to say a Chrysler 5th Ave or even Imperial was akin to a 7 Series. And in the same realm, I don’t think anyone buying that 7 Series would have expected the maintenance to be akin to the Chrysler. At the end of the day, IMO the Chrysler would be the winner. And looks is in the eye of the beholder. I know many wouldn’t agree, but I think these 5th Ave’s were every bit as nice looking as that 7 Series, just in a different way.
All completely fair.
I chose the 7 randomly as a same-ish sized car, and you’re right, looks are a thing each to their own. My point, I guess, was that one sold universally as a credible upscale car, the other could never have, but enough time has passed that i can actually join you in also liking the Chrysler’s looks, albeit in my case as a fascinating artefact, which could never be said of a that-era Beemer.
Btw, I once owned a ’90’s BM, and never again. Sweet, sweet car, but one light would come on, and I couldn’t eat for a month.
Haha. I think we all had one or more of those “couldn’t eat for a month” experiences. For me, I’ve owned (past tense) a 1969 MB, 1989 MB, 1989 Jaguar XJ6, 1996 Jaguar XJ6, 2002 VW Passat, 2005 Kia Amanti and a 2916 Kia Optima. Of them, the two Kia’s were nice but just couldn’t live up to the reliability of the GM cars I tend to buy. The two MB were actually quite good for older cars and not daily drivers. When I got the ’69 it needed the A/C fixed. Went to the dealer and they wanted more to fix it than I paid for the car! I ended up having a guy who worked on restaurant coolers and he fixed it for $75.00 total and it worked great till I got rid of it. The 1989 didn’t need a thing. The 1989 Jaguar was my not eating for a month experience. The 1996 was actually fantastic. The VW? Never again.
But most of my experiences in the costs to operate these import brands comes from the customers who I’ve sold GM cars to after they had enough. I recall one guy who loved his BMW 7 Series, but finally traded for a Cadillac after the $400 battery broke the camels back.
Sadly, many such mansions in this neighborhood were demolished as demographics changed and before this area saw a renaissance that started around the ’80s. I don’t know if anyone will ever restore this generation of New Yorker (it will probably eventually happen), but I liked this one as an almost pristine example of one. Pride of ownership always makes me smile and give a silent fist-pump.
I forget, too easily, that even in 2019, the car was nearly 30 years old: when new, a 1962 Chrysler was the same age!
Sure, rustproofing and such has moved on, but you’re quite right, for this thing to be parked, preserved and pristine, apparently in use, is something always worthy of respect. Which you’ve duly given it, in prose and pictures, to your usual standard.
Totally agree on the house. And I love the purple, thumbing the nose at the ‘fifty shades of grey’ decor ‘theme’ all too prevalent today. It says “I’m not a conformist”. I remember a lot of this-era housing being torn down in the Elwood/St.Kilda area to build slums, sorry ‘flats’. 21 families crammed into a styleless, soulless jerry-built box on a block of land which formerly housed one family – what could go wrong? Don’t answer that….
While the car is of no appeal to me, I can see it’s worth keeping/saving. Would I drive one of these? No, but I’d defend your right to. I never saw the sense in doing away with something that was perfectly usable purely because it was out of style. Yesterday a friend drove past in his (perfectly functiona, perfectly usable) Volvo 940 – perhaps a similar fit socially to this Chrysler, and similarly out of style.
Great connection between the house and the car.
I love Victorian architecture – well, actually looking at Victorian architecture. The practical side of me always raises up when I think about actually owning a house with lots of external (and internal) embellishments. Same with the New Yorker. I find myself drawn to all of the fancy stuff… but in reality I probably would have bought a LeBaron sedan like your parents.
Also, its interesting that you bring up that your grandparents’ Fifth Avenue appeared taller and skinnier. In my opinion, house design is like car design – more pleasing when it’s low and wide. I find that houses with 3rd stories look a but top-heavy. But then again, I bet that 3rd story is awfully useful sometimes, sort of like the 3rd row in an SUV. Rarely used perhaps, but really nice when you need it.
Rarely used, but just enough room to keep Uncle Leon should he be relocated out of the closet.
https://genius.com/Lyle-lovett-creeps-like-me-lyrics
Where’d that old man go?….
I can’t pretend to know too much about Lyle Lovett, but I have always appreciated his alt-country, offbeat darkness, for lack of a better word. I have been buying older country music CDs this year’s and I feel like I need to see if I like Lovett’s stuff sonically.
Thanks, Eric! I also love this style of architecture. The insurance underwriter in me, however, still thinks about things like updates (of which I know nothing when it comes to this particular house).
I was actually saying the inverse about the eras of Fifth Avenue: these front-drive moldes are the tall, skinny counterparts to the stockier, rear-drive cars. When it comes to homes, and projecting into the future, mobility tends to get only trickier. I’m glad I have no stairs in my foreseeable, elderly future. 🙂
Ah – I see what you mean now. Perfectly clear, but I just misread it this morning.
Love the house. There’s just something so inviting about a Victorian, or an arts and craft bungalow, with the porch light on and the interior lit through the windows.
And so you drove me (so to speak) to look up just what kinds of cars Prince had. Obviously, he had quite a few…but sadly not a New Yorker of any vintage.
I do think he would have liked the house though.
Jeff, I can almost smell the aroma of baked goods wafting from the oven when I walk past this house sometimes. 1904 was a *long* time ago. I wonder if maybe this house was one of the first in this particular area, and maybe still surrounded by some fields? Other (also really old) houses around it don’t look like it.
And I’m sure Prince would have “princed” all over this house. In the best way. 🎸
Very cool, and heartwarming, family recollections Joseph, and a great photo juxtaposition!
Not a fan of this era New Yorker/Imperial. They made the LH cars seem that much more amazing!
Normally, I don’t like gaudy architecture, but gingerbread homes are rare enough, that I find them very appealing. And fun to appreciate.
I recall taking a daytrip through a very rural part of Eastern Ontario, a few years ago. And came across this very pretty gingerbread home, literally in the middle of nowhere.
Well-presented, and tastefully done!
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.6724737,-76.1067962,3a,75y,282.18h,87.68t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sB-kDmFU3gpejIcWwmXFHIg!2e0!5s20210801T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DB-kDmFU3gpejIcWwmXFHIg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D282.17681138489286%26pitch%3D2.321816683581858%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205410&entry=ttu
Thanks, Daniel – and also for linking that Google map of that beautiful house. Just wow. I wouldn’t want to be the steward in charge of maintaining and preserving it, but I love looking at homes like these.
I’m still waiting for the opportunity to photographed a nice-condition early LH car, all of which were truly stunning at introduction. They still look good to me.
I had an opportunity to purchase a mint condition, low mileage first generation Dodge Intrepid several years ago, from a coworker. He bought it from his grandmother. Teal Satin, like this one. But I couldn’t do it. Fear of a maintenance nightmare, prevented me from making the jump.
That’s an incredible house – interior photos are available here, from when it was listed for sale a few years ago:
https://www.facebook.com/ForTheLoveOfOldHouses/posts/1435-county-road-8-delta-ontario-k0e-1g0c1892-5-bedrooms-3-baths-on-160-acres-61/3745241759075183/
Nice research! It is spectacular. I spoke to various local residents, and the home is somewhat of a tourist attraction, for that part of Ontario. Very low population density in that region. Just north of the Thousand Islands.
If you look at the latest Google Streetview from last August, the owner has since added a picket fence. Lending, even more charm to its appearance.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.6725016,-76.1068145,3a,75y,282.18h,87.68t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sr1RaF-PoHPTlgcYaWbHSKA!2e0!5s20230801T000000!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dr1RaF-PoHPTlgcYaWbHSKA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.share%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26yaw%3D282.18%26pitch%3D2.319999999999993%26thumbfov%3D90!7i16384!8i8192?authuser=0&coh=205410&entry=ttu
That very quiet part of Ontario, has some pretty rare and unique tourist attractions, all within a few kilometres of each other.
The Old Stone Mill National Historic Site Grist Mill, only a few kilometres from the gingerbread house.
And Rock Dunder, offering amazing views, is only a few kilometres further.
I ove the house, and would probably have overlooked the car in my pre-CC days. Nowadays I’d know it was some subspecies of K-car, but wouldn’t understand just what I was looking at.
So cool that you have family memories of trips in cars like this. It’s only as I’ve grown older that I’ve realised that my family was so loosely-knit almost to the point of dissolution. Dad grew up in an orphanage, but had three brothers, two of whose families I’ve only met a handful of times. On Mother’s side, I only had one cousin, and I’m an only myself. But the fingers point back at me; I’m not in touch with any of them. But I do remember a twilight picnic at Lake Burrumbeet, when eight of us crammed into Uncle Ted’s ’66 Chevy. That was an exceptional experience for the car trip.
The Chrysler you found? As you said, GIngerbread.
Peter, thanks for linking that song, which is *great*. The video the poster put together was also fun. I have a decent amount of ’50s stuff in my music collection but no Frankie Avalon (to my knowledge).
I like your recollection of your extended family in your Uncle Ted’s ’66 Chevrolet, which I can imagine was a much larger car than the standard in your part of the world at that time.
Experience of family changes as life moves forward. I save a space in my heart for the happy stuff that occurred before I was more aware of just how dark and complicated much of it was – either beneath the surface, or would later become. It’s okay to try to make peace with multiple truths that may seem to contradict, but were the reality.
Ha! I grew up hearing that song, leftover from the juke box days. I probably still have a copy, likely an old 78rpm shellac Aussie pressing – we were late to the 7″ party down here. Glad I could introduce you to Frankie Avalon.
And yeah, that Chevy was huge! Only a Bel Air sedan, but Dad’s Falcon was a bit large compared to an HR Holden (4″ longer, 4″ wider), but the Chevy made even the Falcon seem tiny.
There will always be people whom folk never speak of in the family tree, tales they do not tell. Only as we get older do we (sometimes) hear that story and (more rarely) understand.
Great article. And it’s cool that you have those memories.
While I’ve never ridden in, or driven this generation of the Fifth Avenue, my wife and I rented a brand new 1985 model for our honeymoon. I’ll not forget-Budget car rental was running a blow out deal on these. So we were given a new white over red leather with something like 54 miles on it. We were in Fort Myers but staying out on Sanibel.
We were heading across the causeway towards the island to change and go out for dinner when the car started bucking and stuttering to stay running. I limped it to the hotel and called Budget. No problem they said. Would I like a tow truck? I told them I’d try to get it back to them, and successfully did, albeit rough driving.
When we got to the location, she asked if I’d like a different make. I explained that I would really love a black Town Car as this was a special time for us. No worries she said as she called a lot jockey and told him to find and wash up a black TC. We say about 10 minutes when the drove up out front. He opened my wife’s door and was really nice. He asked if this seemed ok, and I told him anything was better than the Chrysler. With that, two car carriers loaded with more Fifth Avenue’s pulled up. He said well he would be busy that evening “fixing the new arrivals.”
I asked what he meant and he said every one of the new Fifth Avenues had to have done sort of fuel delivery tune. They apparently had been advised by Chrysler that many of these brand new cars were prone to bucking/stalling!
We really loved that Town Car and many years later I bought my wife a clean, used 1995 model. She still talks about it.
Thank you! I’m familiar with Fort Myers and Lee County, and I’m imagining driving across not only the Sanibel / Captiva causeway (I imagine it’s probably rebuilt now), and also that giant bridge to Fort Myers Beach, while that poor Fifth Avenue bucked and coughed on the incline. I cannot imagine completely breaking down with what I recall just two lanes to and from.
I seem to recall having read in comments that up to a certain model year, the Fifth Avenue had rock-solid driveability, but then for ’85 or something, some engineering change happened where what you described became a common experience. That seems a shame, because those cars were otherwise a success story from Chrysler’s “old days”.
@joseph Dennis
For whatever reason, I cannot reply directly.
Yes, that causeway would become the bain of my existence after awhile because I drove deliveries back and forth to Sanibel (read my next COAL)
I had thought about getting a Fifth Avenue as my wife’s aunt had one on lease that we could have bought. But we turned in different directions and never looked at a Chrysler product.
The damage done by that last storm was so sad. In fact, the Shalimar Inn where we honeymooned was completely destroyed.
I look forward to reading that COAL! I’m also pretty sure that if I ever went back to Fort Myers Beach that I wouldn’t recognize anything. It all got wiped out.
I like the look of both the RWD and FWD successor Fifth Avenues. The teal offered in 92/93 was especially nice.
But from a business perspective you can see why Chrysler didn’t dominate, Both cars were smaller than their competition and didn’t have sufficient technical updates. The LH was actually better than the GM competition when it arrived imo. Interestingly, in the 90s,my Greatest generation grandparents and their friends almost all drove large GM products, with the LeSabre being most common. But the flip side was GM was not nearly as competitive with Boomers, with the Ford Explorer and Chrysler minivans dominant. And the Concorde/siblings seemed to also do better with Boomers than Greatest.
I do also like that teal color, which also seems very much of that period of the ’90s. You bring up some great points about generational appeal of different lines and products, as well as Chrysler’s tendency to cycle through leapfrogging the competition and lagging behind. Ad infinitum.
I was never much of a fan of these, but will admit that I found one to be a pleasant drive when I had a chance to try one.
I am another who loves old houses – those Victorians can be over the top, but they have an elegance despite the excess ornamentation.
I am in awe of this house every time I pass it. Simply that it still exists and has managed to survive in this conditions through so many changes in this area, city, country, and the world.