Seen on a Portland street, a 1962 Chrysler 300
Seeing this head-turner brought back some memories.
My cousins will remember that our great Aunt and Uncle had a 1962 Chrysler New Yorker. I looked a lot like this model. I eventually became it’s proud owner. They had plastic bubbly seat covers, which worked great for people who hauled kids around, which they often did. It was a TANK and not to be trifled with. This thing seated 8 easily. And that trunk? You could get a mini cooper in there! Just LOOK at all that chrome. It drove much like a boat, with a big steering wheel and a push button transmission. I would lovingly buff all that rust-free chrome. I changed the oil while perched on the side panels, and fixed the flat tires. Eventually, she got to be too much to take care of. After all, the car was really old. Words like “motor mounts” and “suspension” were being said to me by my mechanic. So I traded it in for something not quite as unique (a pick-up truck), at a dealer near my house. I didn’t notice that the salesman was drooling over my New Yorker and that I was the one on the losing end of that deal.
For the next two weeks, I’d occasionally drive by the lot and see if the car was still there, and sure enough it was, just sitting there in a lot. Along about the third week, it hadn’t been taken away. So one night as I was driving by, I had this urge to stop. Apparently, there was something that I had to do. I parked the truck, and walked over to my old car. Looking at it, I said, “Thank you for all the great times. You were a great car.” When I drove by the next day, it was gone. To this day, I don’t know what compelled me to do that.