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Diposkan oleh
classiccarslovers on Thursday, September 8, 2011
Dodge thought smaller big cars would be hot in 1962, and the 1962 Dodge Polara 500 convertible was no different. Most buyers thought otherwise, but the lighter, sportier new Darts and Polara 500s were hot on the street and unbeatable on the dragstrip.
The 1962 Dodge Polara ruled on the dragstrip.
American car buyers were rushing to compacts by 1962, so Dodge seemed to have good reason for drastically shrinking its standard cars that year. Trouble was, size still mattered to big-car customers, so Dodge's "New Lean Breed" was a tough sell. Oddball styling didn't help. As a result, Dodge dropped 30,000 sales on top of 1961's 25-percent decline. Things would have been worse had true big Dodges not been hastily reinstated during the year.
The 1962 Dodge Polara featured standard bucket seats. |
Among the downsized '62 Dodges that did sell were 12,268 top-line Polara 500s: hardtop coupe, hardtop sedan, and convertible with standard bucket seats and a 305-horsepower 361 V-8. A 310-bhp version was available, along with 330- and 335-bhp 383s and -- the real excitement -- a big new 413 Ramcharger with up to 415 bhp. Though few Polaras got that thumping "wedgehead," it made the light Dart two-door a dragstrip terror, and Dodge soon ruled in quarter-mile contests. At least it was consolation for the dreary sales performance.
Diposkan oleh
classiccarslovers on Tuesday, August 23, 2011
George Jetson would have loved the top-line 1960 Dodge Polara convertible. Although Dodge scored record sales for 1960 with new lower-priced and full-size Darts weren't as popular, the Polara remains a memorable car.
The 1960 Dodge Polara featured taller tailfins and thrusting pod taillamps
After a modest 1959 recovery, Dodge sales boomed by 135 percent to nearly 368,000 for 1960. The main reason was that year's new Dart, a three-series line of lower-priced "standard" models featuring six and V-8 power, Dodge's first "unibody," somewhat extravagant styling, and attractive prices in the $2300-$3000 range.
The 1960 Dodge Polara featured swivel seats. |
Covering the $3000-$3600 spread were similarly conceived "senior" Dodges: new Matadors and Polaras on a four-inch-longer wheelbase (122 inches). Styling here was even more flamboyant, with taller tailfins, thrusting pod taillamps, and an oddly shaped face. The top-line Polara included a $3416 convertible offered with 383 V-8s delivering up to 330 horsepower -- that from the hot dual-quad D-500 option with new "ram induction" manifolding. Futuristic gimmicks like swivel seats also returned.
Exact numbers aren't recorded, but Dodge likely built few 1960 Polara convertibles and only a handful with the D-500 package. That makes the red beauty here another rare Ram ragtop from the Jetsons period of Chrysler Corporation design.
Diposkan oleh
classiccarslovers on Monday, August 22, 2011
The 1959 Dodge Custom Royal pictured here is a rare bird. For one thing, it's one of only 984 fliptop Custom Royals built for 1959 (base-priced at $3422). For another, it has that year's new Super D-500 option, a 383-cubic-inch V-8 with twin four-barrel carburetors and a blistering 345 horsepower. The point? The Super D-500 was available on any Dodge but wasn't often ordered, so how many other top-line ragtops could have had it too?
This 1959 Dodge Custom Royal boasts the rare Super D-500 V-8 engine option.
That 383 was a new size for Dodge as well as '59 Chryslers and DeSotos, the first of what would be a long line. But you didn't need the Super D-500 to enjoy a Custom Royal ragtop, as its standard engine was a Super Ram Fire 361 with a healthy 305 bhp. In between was a single four-barrel 383 D-500 option with 320 bhp.
The 1959 Dodge Custom Royal had swivel front seats, a popular
but short-lived feature.
All these engines were efficient "wedgeheads" that worked best with responsive TorqueFlite automatic transmission. Rivaling its trademark pushbutton controls for futuristic gimmickry was another new '59 feature: swivel front seats. Our featured Custom Royal has these too, though other Chrysler makes also offered them. The idea was to ease entry/exit in ever-lower cars. This option was fairly popular, but it didn't last beyond 1960.
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