Introduced in 1939, the Chrysler Windsor was for many years a more affordable version of the New Yorker. For this reason, it was offered with an inline-six engine until 1955, when Chrysler redesigned it and replaced the old six-cylinder with a V8.
Each of the final three generations had a different engine under the hood. Powered by a Poly V8 from 1955 to 1956, the Windsor switched to the Spitfire in 1957. Finally, the final iteration of the full-size (1959-1961) got its juice from a V8 of the RB variety.
A big-block mill, the RB was part of the Chrysler B engine family, which soldiered on for two decades. The lineup included not only the 383- and 440-cubic-inch (6.3- and 7.2-liter) units that motivated Mopar's most iconic muscle cars from the golden era, but also the pre-Hemi 426-cubic-inch Wedge V8.
These are engines we all know and adore, but the RB lineup also included a short-lived 383-cubic-inch mill called the Golden Lion. This abandoned 1959 Windsor hides one under the hood.
What makes it special? Well, this tall-deck, long-stroke RB wasn't as powerful as the 413-cubic-inch (6.8-liter) that Chrysler offered at the time, but unlike its bigger sibling, it was produced for only a couple of years. And the Windsor and Saratoga models that got it also came with cool golden lion badges on the doors and unique lion emblems on their hoods.
The Golden Lion was also among the first engines used as replacements for the FirePower, Chrysler's first-generation Hemi powerplant. And at up to 305 horsepower and 410-pound-feet (556 Nm) of torque in the 1959 Windsor, it had the oomph to do so.
There's also a bit of a sad twist to this video. While the Windsor was pretty popular and moved close to 20,000 units in 1959, many of them suffered the same fate as the four-door sedan you see here. Abandoned in barns and junkyards, they're spending their retirement years covered in rust, hoping that someone would give them a second chance.
I don't have any info on this specific Windsor, but it looks like it sat for decades outside, fully exposed to the elements. But it appears to be in solid condition, while the engine seems complete. Hopefully, it will run and drive again because the Golden Lion V8 shouldn't be forgotten.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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