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Here's Beulah's story.
I found my ı77 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham on eBay in September of 2004. Itıs a two-door with a 440 engine in Spinnaker White paint with a blue body stripe (code K7B) and a blue interior with 50/50-split front seat. It has lots of options including the Easy Order and St. Regis packages.
The ³for sale² ad billed it as a Land Yacht! The seller was the original owner, a little old lady who always kept it garaged. At 19 feet, 6 inches it had become too much for her to handle and the car mostly sat for the previous five years. To her regret, her family decided to sell it.
The car came with the dealer's window sticker, buyer's order, owner's manual and a lot of history. When I went to pick the car up I got to meet the original owner, Beulah Miller. She told me she and her husband were glad I got the car because it had sentimental value to them and I seemed to appreciate it. I learned that one of the other bidders wanted to ship it to Germany and the other wanted to use it for NHRA racing.
Buelah and her first husband Eddie Williams bought the car in December of 1976. Eddie was losing his battle with cancer and wanted to buy her a car that would last her a lifetime. They went to Bill Luke Chrysler-Plymouth of Phoenix, AZ, and ordered a top-of-the-line New Yorker Brougham for $10,375.80. They did get a good trade-in for their gold 1972 Road Runner with AC and 400 engine: a whole $3,081.80. Mrs. Miller is a bit camera-shy but she did let me take some photos of her and the car. She cried the rest of the day after I left with her car.
Since it had sat for so long, I gave it a tune-up and replaced the valve seals. It also had a bad lifter so I replaced them all. When it was roadworthy again I got a custom plate for it that reads ³BEULAH.² I put it on the car and sent Beulah a photo. She called and said she was touched, since when she first got the car she had also gotten a plate the read Beulah. What a coincidence. The photo now hangs on the fridge.
I have a remote trunk release and rear defroster out of a ı76 NYB to put in it and am looking for original leather seats for it as well.
I plan on keeping this car for some time because it means so much to Beulah and I want to make sure itıs taken care of.
Lance Espinosa
Avon Park, Florida
USA