Junkyard Find: 1989 Chrysler New Yorker Landau

Murilee Martin
by Murilee Martin
junkyard find 1989 chrysler new yorker landau

The Chrysler New Yorker has been a constant in the Junkyard Find series, from this genuinely luxurious ’64 to this Slant Six-powered New Yorker-ized Dodge Diplomat. The most recent New Yorker used the good-looking but shoddy LH Platform, but between the Diplomat and the LH were the K-Car-based New Yorkers. By 1989, the K platform had been stretched out, huge contracts with the largest diamond-tucked velour upholstery company Chrysler could find had been written up, and truckloads of “crystal pentastar” hood ornaments and steering-wheel emblems were being unloaded at Chrysler assembly plants.

Yes, the 1989 Chrysler New Yorker with landau roof!

This one smells like an ashtray inside a Porta-Potty inside a potato-chip factory that’s on fire, but imagine the class when it was new.

I am very tempted to remove this exquisitely dated Digital Instrument Panel™, with its Electronic Voice Alert™ system, rigging it up to function on my garage wall, but I’m already behind on doing the same thing with this even more 1980s Mitsubishi Cordia digital cluster.

The low humidity in Denver means that most cars don’t rust, but the high-altitude sun is murder on vinyl tops. This once-stately Landau roof isn’t looking so sharp today.

The integration of the center brake light was done pretty well by late-80s standards.

I seem to recall that a certain Japanese car company whose name starts with the letter M was the true source for this engine, but Chrysler decided to badge it with their own name.

New Yorker!












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  • Mike Mike on May 22, 2012

    The sheer Panache of a K-Car like luxury with fake suede seats and petroleum based trim. And to top it off, a Visasticker in the back window. The Class people........ THE CLASS!

  • Jgcaulder Jgcaulder on Aug 21, 2012

    Love it! There's a gold 1991 model near my work on a lot. Finally dropped by to look at it. It's gold with beige leather Mark Cross interior. It would be a nice resto-project if it wasn't for the salvage title that comes with it.

  • Alan I don't know how well Mustangs are selling in the US, but here in Australia since its release a while back Mustang sales have taken a nose dive. Maybe those who wanted a Mustang have bought, or Ford needs a new Mustang model, maybe both.
  • Alan GM is still dying. The US auto manufacturing sector overall needs to restructure. It is heavily reliant on large protected vehicles with far more protection than the EU has on its vehicles (25% import tariff).Globally GM has lost out in the EU, UK, Australia, etc. GM has shut down in Australia because it is uncompetitive in a global market. Ford still exists in Australia but is reliant on a Thai manufactured pickup, the Ranger which is Australia's second largest selling vehicle.The US needs to look at producing global products, not 'murica only products. Asians and Europeans can do it. America is not unique.
  • Duane Baldinger Ya my cupcake Mailman will love it!
  • Duane Baldinger Where can I send the cash? It's a surprise BDAY present for my cupcake Mailman. D Duane
  • Art Vandelay Pour one out for the Motors Liquidation Corporation
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