It was the most budget-friendly car of the Chrysler model line, with an upscale interior and various features. Windsor was also the first vehicle that had acquired tail fins. Thanks to the talented Virgil Exner and the famous “Forward Look” he created, the model became insanely popular in the post-war 50s.
Source: Barn Finds
The post-war 1940s were bleak for the Chrysler Corporation. Chrysler was the last in the “Big Three squad” and barely caught up with more advanced competitors. Although the wartime 40s were successful in terms of military orders, and the increasing demand for post-war models was satisfying, it was clear that with even high-quality pre-war design automobiles, the company had already lost relevance. The head of the Chrysler Corporation, Lester Colbert, was convinced that sales were not so much related to the quality of the produced vehicles but to the overall explosive growth of the economy. He turned to McKinsey & Company for a revision of Chrysler’s development strategy. As a result, it was decided to change the appearance of produced vehicles completely.
Source: Mecum Auctions
During the first post-war years, many automakers returned to the active production of civilian cars. Chrysler, which also resumed production, included pre-war Windsor in the restored line, however, without any noticeable changes. The only update made was the new grill. However, this model accounted for more than 60% of Chrysler’s sales due to its affordable price and good quality. 1949–1952 the company decided to update the automobile at last, in honor of the company’s 25th anniversary. The team had made some internal changes, including an electric clock and a padded dashboard for safety reasons: the vehicle’s silhouette had become more rounded. 1953–1954 updates included new sheet metal and a one-piece windshield. Also, the Standard Windsor was replaced by Windsor Deluxe with another updated grill. In 1955, Colbert invited a new designer, Virgil Exner, who was Studebaker’s leading stylist. He was instructed to take over the 1955 model year to completely change the image of the well-known vehicle. Exner did a great job – the automobile became lower and longer, the amount of chrome in the finish increased, and two- and three-shade colors appeared in the line. All these updates cost the corporation a billion dollars!
Source: Hagerty for agents
In general, 1955 became a turning point for the corporation. The legendary Virgil Exner’s arrival changed the company’s development vector drastically. Exner’s famous “Forward Look” style made a dull and already old-fashioned automobile an authentic style icon and American darling. The 1955 release shared a 126″ (3200 mm) wheelbase body and chassis with the more expensive New Yorker series. Externally, they differed little: Windsor received a front bumper with “fangs” and a thin chrome line on the side compared with a wide contrasting strip on the New Yorker. Also, it had a more modest 4.9-liter Spitfire V8 300 engine from the Hemi series, which developed 188 hp. The company also offered a choice of a 3-speed manual transmission or a 2-speed PowerFlite automatic. The body style lineup consisted of a 2-door Nassau hardtop, a 4-door sedan, a convertible, and a 5-door station wagon. All of them were offered in only one trim level – DeLuxe. By the way, New Yorker had the same body.
Source: Classic Auto Mall
The well-known advertising slogan “A 100 million dollar look” appeared in 1955 after a large-scale restyling. The 1955 model received rounded and graceful bodies and rounded windshields. By the way, these bodies had more aerodynamic forms and were sleeker and trendier than the tall and boxy cars of the past. Buyers liked this upgrade so much that 152,77 vehicles were sold in 1955 alone.
Contact us if you have this or another classic car to sell.
| Mon - Fri Saturday Sunday |
9am - 6pm 9am - 3pm Closed |