Chrysler Fifth Avenue

The name Chrysler Fifth Avenue first appeared as a special, upmarket sub-model of the Chrysler New Yorker sedan in 1979. This generation of Chrysler, although already smaller than its maximum size in the mid 1970s, was still V8-powered and rear wheel drive. Ordering the New Yorker Fifth Avenue Edition package got the buyer a car finished in two-tone beige with matching leather interior. There was a standard landau vinyl roof, and somewhat unusual opera windows which opened with the rear doors. The package was so thoroughly color-keyed that even the bumper rub strips were beige. This body ran for three years, although additional Chrysler Fifth Avenue colors were added for 1980 and 1981. In 1980, a Fifth Avenue package was created by ASC (American Sunroof Corporation) for the Chrysler LeBaron, which shared its platform with the Dodge Diplomat. This rare option package, produced on 654 LeBarons for the year, included many of the exterior features found on the New Yorker Fifth Avenue in a smaller, more sensible package.