1978 Chrysler New Yorker

This motor car is being sold as part of an overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams temporary admission customs bond and is therefore subject to the lower rate 5% import tax if the car is to remain in the UK & purchased by a private individual. The 5% is calculated on the final selling price. For example, if the car sells for £4,000, then £250 is added, making the total amount payable of £4,250.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable.

A company buying the car will have to pay VAT on the hammer price, as well as duty + VAT.

Lastly, there will be a nominal administration fee of £350 for processing the NOVA application, and payable direct to the shipping company. A completed and processed NOVA will provide you formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK and thus allow you to register the vehicle with the DVLA

In common with the majority of cars in this collection, this vehicle has been on static display for a number of years and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section.

We have not started or driven the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for view and inspection at our HQ near Abingdon and we will be delighted to show the car to you and/or your appointed engineer.

In common with many vehicles from the vendor’s collection, this car comes with very little history and no service records.

This is a LHD auto Chrysler New Yorker Brougham 4-Door Hardtop Sedan.

Its VIN is: CS43T8C147673.

While we know virtually nothing about it and have not tried to start or drive the vehicle, it is clear to us that this particular New Yorker is in really quite exceptional condition outside, inside and underneath.

It comes with a handwritten note book (bearing the logo of the splendidly named Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) outlining years and years of every oil top-up and fuel stop.

That’s the kind of detail that lets you know that someone, somewhere, was taking very good care of this car in the past.

We think it was living somewhere near Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1985.

We know that it was bought for the vendor’s collection of static display vehicles in 2017 from a dealer in South Dakota.

And we know that its odometer currently reads 39,348 miles.

Overall, the bodywork on this very long green car is in excellent fettle.

There are no dinks, dents, creases or folds of any real significance and the shut lines and panel gaps seem consistent and even.

We found a small indentation on the n/s/f wing, but that’s about all we have to report.

The car doesn’t have the rear wheel spats which we think were standard on ’78 models (we could be wrong).

The paintwork is bright, shiny and mostly good wherever you look.

There are a few stone chips around the front grille and headlamp covers and one or two others randomly – but sparsely – dotted around the rest of the panels.

There is a scratch on the driver’s door and a few scuff marks on top of the n/s/f wing.

The wheels and hub caps are excellent.

The chrome on the bumpers and elsewhere is in very good condition, as are the lights, trim, badging, and the vinyl roof.

The interior is in really very impressive condition and appears to be largely original and authentic.

You’ll need to be quite a fan of the colour green if you’re going to get on with this interior.

It’s everywhere – acres of it.

We think there are more green spaces in here than you’ll find in some of the smaller National Parks.

And it’s all in really good nick. It even smells fresh.

The quilted (green) velour upholstery is in fine order and the seats, front and back, are every bit as comfortable and supportive as you’d like them to be.

The (green) velour and vinyl door cards appear wholly untroubled by either age or use, as does the (green) headlining.

The (green) carpets and mats look virtually as good as new.

The (green) headlining is intact and taut.

The (green) dashboard trim is fine. So, too, the (green) steering wheel.

There are one of two flakes of (green) paint missing from the parcel shelf.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t tried to start the vehicle.

The interior of the boot (which, for some inexplicable reason, isn’t green) looks pretty much pristine.

In general, the undersides of the car appear to have a good deal of structural integrity.

There’s the standard bloom of rust dust here and there but nothing to set any alarm bells ringing as far as we can see.

Clearly, you’ll want to take a look for yourself.

The (enormous) engine and engine bay look very clean and dry.

The car doesn’t come with any history or service records.

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a V5. It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this. Any paperwork shown in the gallery in no way constitutes any kind of licensing or registration certification.

With the proviso that we can’t vouch for the car’s mechanical and electrical status, we think this is a very handsome example of a 1978 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham 4-Door Sedan…and one that’s in practically time-warp condition.

If the engine, mechanicals and structural integrity all tick the right boxes, then this must surely be one of the best-preserved examples of this vintage you’ll find anywhere.

We’re confident to offer this car for auction with an estimate of £4,000 - £8,000, plus Bonhams bond payment and £350 NOVA fee.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions.’