The year is 1966… Leningrad. An autumn morning. The sun is rising above the plaza in front of Isakaevsk Cathedral. Rafi Hershkowich, then a student of the Technological Institute, is hurrying to his class. And didn’t make it. In front of the Hotel “Astoria”, where foreigner diplomats often stayed, stood a new black automotive beauty with an American flag. In those years, Soviet cars did not distinguish themselves with variety: there were the “Volga”, the “Pobeda,” and the “Moskvich” . Dreaming to not repair, but simply look at how the foreign car was made, Rafi looked over the automobile for 4-5 hours from all sides. The automobile in question was the “Chrysler New Yorker”.

Automobiles like this one were released in a very limited series - a group of 30! They were made for only very highly ranking diplomats. 

Where they are now is difficult to say, but one of the “New Yorkers” got to Israel, and was owned by Nahum Goldman, the Chairman of the Zionist organization Sohnut. Later, the automobiles came to be owned by a private owner.

One must, probably, very much love what one does to deserve a present from fate. The reunion between Rafi and the “Chrysler New Yorker” was a thing of fate. The new owner of the automobile, Arie Nagler, requested that the car be restored, and wanted it to take a place of prestige and honour in the Israeli automobile club. Remembering the automobiles of the prestigious classic car club, Rafi promised to restore the car, and also promised that the car would take 4th or 5th place.

The car was taken for restoration in 1995. Work continued on the auto for 5-6 months. The car was actually drivable, but terribly rusted. Much of the work included the restoration of the panels, the decorative figures and reliefs, and elaborate forms.

The owner of the car turned out to be a pedantic and meticulous man. Not having other concerns, he came to the garage every day at eight o’clock in the morning, as if coming to work. And, he carefully observed all the stages of the restoration work. He observed, how all the hinged parts were taken off the automobile, how the old paint was stripped, how the body was “hammered out”, straightened out, polished… The automobile turned out to have many original details and concerns. It seemed, a simple thing, a bumper. But it took three workers to take it off and, after repairs, to put it into place. The weight was enormous. The construction was unusual - the brackets and attachments were made from banded, ten millimeter steel…