Dodge Polara: from trim to top car
The 1960 Dodge Polara was the new Dodge flagship car, sitting above the similar Matador in trim; it was larger than the new 1960 Dodge Dart series, which were essentially retrimmed Plymouths. The Polara may have been aimed at DeSoto and Chrysler buyers, just as the Dart was aimed at Plymouth buyers. [1960 Dodge Polara and Matador details]
Like all Chrysler Corporation cars in 1960 - save for wagons and Imperials - the Polara was a modified unit-body design, using subframes connected by the body panels. The standard V8 engine was hooked up to a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic, driving the rear wheels. The car continued the 1950s "fins" trend, with integrated tail-lights designed to bring up thoughts of jets. Polara buyers had better fabrics and interior trim, and much more chrome on the outside including a full-length chrome spear.
What did you get if you opted for a Polara, over a Matador, paying around $200 more on a $3,141-and-up car? Essentially, dual exhaust, a nicer interior, badging, and rear-fender stone shields. They made around 11,600 Polaras in this first year, excluding a small number of wagons. All had a 122-inch wheelbase, vs 118 on the Dart (except wagons). Buyers could opt for the hot D-500 engine, a 361 V8 with Ram Induction and 320 gross horsepower, fed by a pair of Carter four-barrels on 30-inch-long manifolds.
The 1961 Polara stood alone; the Matador had been dropped (AMC picked up the name later), and Polara's price dropped to compensate. The huge, complicated 1960 front bumpers were replaced by much simpler designs, which no doubt helped in cutting costs.
The standard 265-hp 361 V8 (and optional 383 D-500 engines with 325 and 330 hp), may have overcome objections to the styling; Dodge made 14,032, which seems like a very small number, but was still better than the prior year.
For the 1962 model year, Dodge dropped its larger cars, putting everything onto a 116 inch wheelbase (later dubbed the "B" body), because Chrysler thought Chevrolet was going to downsize its cars (Chevrolet was just coming out with one new, smaller car). Why Chrysler's leaders felt they had to scrap all their designs and race to match Chevrolet, even with its premium Dodge brand, is a question for historians; but now Dodge had, in essence, one carline, sold as the Dodge Dart and as the Dodge Polara.
The 1962 were completely, and not especially successfully, restyled, their lines complicated by the rush downsizing. A new Polara 500 was placed atop the standard Polara; it was based on the Dart 440, but added the 361 V8, bucket seats, higher-grade interior trim, dual exhaust, and exterior trim.
While the body was the same as the Dart, all Polaras were V8 powered - 305 hp from the standard 361, 410-420 hp from a choice of Ram-Charger Max Wedge 413 V8s (the latter both used twin Carter AFB carburetors, and were not available at launch; nor were they in any way common).
Months into 1962, after the Chevrolet situation was clarified and customers had rejected the restyled Polara, Chrysler product planners rushed a thinly disguised Chrysler Newport into production as the Dodge Custom 880, to give Dodge a larger car again.
The 1963 Polara gained a much cleaner look, courtesy of new styling chief Elwood Engel, and a three-inch wheelbase increase; Polara 500 buyers got the 265 hp 383 V8 as their base engine.
The 413 engines continued, now accompanied by a pair of 426 Max Wedge Stage II V8s - not Hemis, despite the displacement. These produced 415 or 425 gross horsepower, differing in compression ratios as the two 413s did, and were meant entirely for drag racing.
The 1964s were similar, except for a facelift, new tail-lamps, and heavily revised hardtop coupe - which, along with lower prices, were all well received by the buying public.
The 1965 Dodge Polara was the first to go back to a full size body, dubbed the "C" body, with a wheelbase of 121 inches (until 1967, when it went to 122 inches). Needless to say, it was fully restyled, gaining squared-off edges that may have been a reaction to the more rounded cars. Transmission pushbuttons gave way to column shifters. Burton Bouwkamp wrote:
The top of the line 1965 Polara was the Dodge Polara Monaco, which spent one year as a Polara (the 1966 Monaco dropped the Polara name). The Monaco, a hardtop, was aimed at the Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Starfire, and was most readily distinguished from lesser C-body Dodges by its unique taillights. Burton Bouwkamp added:
In 1966, the interior and exterior were restyled somewhat, and the automatic was given a reverse lockout button; and telescopic/tilt steering was added, along with thin shell bucket seats and four-passenger seat belts with optional front shoulder belts. The Polara was no longer the top Dodge, but now the base-level full-size Dodge.
In another safety inspired move, the previous years' door handles were replaced by handles mounted at the front edge of the armrests where they looked very much like the seatbelt latches. This reduced the chance of a door accidentally opening if the handle was caught on clothing or used as an unintentional hand grip.
Gauges were kept in two huge round pods, and the dashboard maintained its lines all the way from right to left with the exception of those pods.
Dodge launched the Polara 318 in mid-1965, using the LA-series 318 engine in place of the B-series 383 V8. Dodge product planner Burton Bouwkamp wrote:
The 383 V8 was standard again, unchanged. A vinyl interior was optional in hardtops and the sedan, standard in the wagon and convertible; chrome was still much in evidence but not quite as prevalent as in the Monaco, and the standard seat was a bench, rather than buckets (buckets were available as an option). The Polara 500 option continued, with bucket seats and a console shifter.
The 1960 Dodge Polara was the new Dodge flagship car, sitting above the similar Matador in trim; it was larger than the new 1960 Dodge Dart series, which were essentially retrimmed Plymouths. The Polara may have been aimed at DeSoto and Chrysler buyers, just as the Dart was aimed at Plymouth buyers. [1960 Dodge Polara and Matador details]
Like all Chrysler Corporation cars in 1960 - save for wagons and Imperials - the Polara was a modified unit-body design, using subframes connected by the body panels. The standard V8 engine was hooked up to a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic, driving the rear wheels. The car continued the 1950s "fins" trend, with integrated tail-lights designed to bring up thoughts of jets. Polara buyers had better fabrics and interior trim, and much more chrome on the outside including a full-length chrome spear.
What did you get if you opted for a Polara, over a Matador, paying around $200 more on a $3,141-and-up car? Essentially, dual exhaust, a nicer interior, badging, and rear-fender stone shields. They made around 11,600 Polaras in this first year, excluding a small number of wagons. All had a 122-inch wheelbase, vs 118 on the Dart (except wagons). Buyers could opt for the hot D-500 engine, a 361 V8 with Ram Induction and 320 gross horsepower, fed by a pair of Carter four-barrels on 30-inch-long manifolds.
The 1961 Polara stood alone; the Matador had been dropped (AMC picked up the name later), and Polara's price dropped to compensate. The huge, complicated 1960 front bumpers were replaced by much simpler designs, which no doubt helped in cutting costs.
The standard 265-hp 361 V8 (and optional 383 D-500 engines with 325 and 330 hp), may have overcome objections to the styling; Dodge made 14,032, which seems like a very small number, but was still better than the prior year.
For the 1962 model year, Dodge dropped its larger cars, putting everything onto a 116 inch wheelbase (later dubbed the "B" body), because Chrysler thought Chevrolet was going to downsize its cars (Chevrolet was just coming out with one new, smaller car). Why Chrysler's leaders felt they had to scrap all their designs and race to match Chevrolet, even with its premium Dodge brand, is a question for historians; but now Dodge had, in essence, one carline, sold as the Dodge Dart and as the Dodge Polara.
The 1962 were completely, and not especially successfully, restyled, their lines complicated by the rush downsizing. A new Polara 500 was placed atop the standard Polara; it was based on the Dart 440, but added the 361 V8, bucket seats, higher-grade interior trim, dual exhaust, and exterior trim.
While the body was the same as the Dart, all Polaras were V8 powered - 305 hp from the standard 361, 410-420 hp from a choice of Ram-Charger Max Wedge 413 V8s (the latter both used twin Carter AFB carburetors, and were not available at launch; nor were they in any way common).
Months into 1962, after the Chevrolet situation was clarified and customers had rejected the restyled Polara, Chrysler product planners rushed a thinly disguised Chrysler Newport into production as the Dodge Custom 880, to give Dodge a larger car again.
1962 | Starting Price | Min. Weight (With V8) |
Dart | $2,297 | 3,435 |
---|---|---|
Dart 440 | $2,584 | 3,205 |
Polara 500 | $2,960 | 3,315-3,430 |
Custom 880 | $2,964 | 3,615-3,705 |
The 1963 Polara gained a much cleaner look, courtesy of new styling chief Elwood Engel, and a three-inch wheelbase increase; Polara 500 buyers got the 265 hp 383 V8 as their base engine.
The 413 engines continued, now accompanied by a pair of 426 Max Wedge Stage II V8s - not Hemis, despite the displacement. These produced 415 or 425 gross horsepower, differing in compression ratios as the two 413s did, and were meant entirely for drag racing.
The 1964s were similar, except for a facelift, new tail-lamps, and heavily revised hardtop coupe - which, along with lower prices, were all well received by the buying public.
The 1965 Dodge Polara was the first to go back to a full size body, dubbed the "C" body, with a wheelbase of 121 inches (until 1967, when it went to 122 inches). Needless to say, it was fully restyled, gaining squared-off edges that may have been a reaction to the more rounded cars. Transmission pushbuttons gave way to column shifters. Burton Bouwkamp wrote:
While still above the entry-level Darts and 117-inch-wheelbase Coronet, the 1965 Dodge Polara had to play second fiddle to the Custom 880, at least for 1965; but it did gain a standard 270-horse 383 V8.
The top of the line 1965 Polara was the Dodge Polara Monaco, which spent one year as a Polara (the 1966 Monaco dropped the Polara name). The Monaco, a hardtop, was aimed at the Pontiac Grand Prix and Olds Starfire, and was most readily distinguished from lesser C-body Dodges by its unique taillights. Burton Bouwkamp added:
The smaller Dodge body was renamed to Coronet, with the Polara moving up; the Coronet name had been dropped after the 1959s.
In 1966, the interior and exterior were restyled somewhat, and the automatic was given a reverse lockout button; and telescopic/tilt steering was added, along with thin shell bucket seats and four-passenger seat belts with optional front shoulder belts. The Polara was no longer the top Dodge, but now the base-level full-size Dodge.
Dimensions | 1966 Coronet | 1966 Polara | 1971 Polara | 1971 Newport |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wheelbase (exc. wagons) | 117 | 121 | 122 | 124 |
Length (exc. wagons) | 203 | 213.3 | 220 | 225 |
Width | 75.3 | 80.0 | 79 | 79 |
Max cargo volume | 88 cu. ft. | 97 cu ft | 104 cu ft |
In another safety inspired move, the previous years' door handles were replaced by handles mounted at the front edge of the armrests where they looked very much like the seatbelt latches. This reduced the chance of a door accidentally opening if the handle was caught on clothing or used as an unintentional hand grip.
Gauges were kept in two huge round pods, and the dashboard maintained its lines all the way from right to left with the exception of those pods.
Dodge launched the Polara 318 in mid-1965, using the LA-series 318 engine in place of the B-series 383 V8. Dodge product planner Burton Bouwkamp wrote:
The 1966 Dodge Polara was nearly identical to the Monaco on the outside, with the most noticeable difference being the rear tail-lights: both had the same openings, but Monaco got full tail-lights (extending to the trunk area) while in the Polara, the tail-lights were confined to the body and the trunk lid got metallic fills instead. A modern buyer could be easily forgiven for mixing them up.
The 383 V8 was standard again, unchanged. A vinyl interior was optional in hardtops and the sedan, standard in the wagon and convertible; chrome was still much in evidence but not quite as prevalent as in the Monaco, and the standard seat was a bench, rather than buckets (buckets were available as an option). The Polara 500 option continued, with bucket seats and a console shifter.
1968 Specifications |