Here’s something you don’t see every day (more likely, never)–a Spring Special 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer sedan in two-toned purple and white. With power steering! Super-wide “grandaddy” whitewall tires! A hemi engine, teamed with PowerFlite transmission! If “you are what you drive”, what does this car say about the person who ordered it up this way?
Striking!
I’m limiting myself to my personal observations about this car; if you want more in-depth history of this era of Dodge, click here.
This would have been super-snazzy, driving home from your friendly Dodge dealer in 1955–and it still is! Remember that Dodge at this time was basically a lengthened, jazzed-up Plymouth (just as Mercury was a bigger, jazzed-up Ford, and Pontiac was a bigger, jazzed-up Chevrolet).
Give the customers more choice–a reason to spend more money on something bigger, brighter, bolder, faster–anything to increase market share by a few thousand units. Makes a real difference in the manufacturer’s bottom line!
” . . . CONTINUED ON BACK”. There are even MORE choices not shown here!
Speaking of choice, how about this: 13 single colors, 16 two-tone combinations, and who knows how many three-tone combinations were available! It would take half a day or more (with endless consultations with your wife) to pick just the right one! In fact, with all the Dodge models, options, and paint schemes, the number of possible 1955 Dodges one could select may exceed the number of galaxies in the known universe!
A real purple people-eater!
This may not be an original Dodge color; it could be an Earl Scheib job for all I know. But on this Royal Lancer by Dodge, royal purple somehow works! Very few cars could pull this off!
View from behind is all-white. Now, where are you going to find a replacement trunk crest?
Here we see the beginnings of the space-age inspired Forward Look hoopla that would soon engulf the entire industry! Jet-like tail light bezels and little chrome tailfins have just begun to sprout. These things and many others would be fully developed (and then some) by 1957, reaching otherworldly, overpowering levels of surrealism in 1959 and ’60. But in 1955, things are still pretty mild.
Inside, things look snazzy too, with black and white two-toned upholstery and lots of shiny chrome surfaces. The steering wheel says “FULL TIME Power Steering”.
Consumer Reports stated that the 1955 Plymouths and Dodges “outclassed competing cars” in seating comfort and riding smoothness.
Close-up of the jewel-like dashboard. You can see the one-year-only PowerFlite gear selector lever on the dash to the right of the steering column.
Headliner is kind of worn. A new one will set you back a grand, or leave it “as-is” for that authentic patina look.
This Royal Lancer came with the SUPER RED RAM V-8 engine: 270 cubic inches, 7.6:1 compression, 4-barrel carburetion, 193 horsepower. Motor Trend tested this model with PowerFlite transmission and achieved a 0-60 time of 16.2 seconds, which doesn’t seem that brisk for a model with the biggest hemi engine available in a Dodge. So this flying purple people eater doesn’t fly that fast, although I’m sure it’s more than adequate. Top speed was 101.8 MPH.
I know! Park this purple Dodge Royal Lancer next to the ultra-luxurious ’55 Dodge La Femme in pink and white–the perfect “his & her” cars for the couple who likes to be treated like royalty–King and Queen for [more than] a day! Modern, “with-it” people who aren’t confined by stultifying, old-fashioned constrictions defining so-called “good taste”.
Like maybe these two . . .
Gut reaction, and I have no evidence to back up this opinion, but I’ll stick with it: Obviously a restoration, a very well done one, but something about it says it was run thru the “American Graffiti” filter while being worked on. That paint is too perfect, too vibrant, and just too good to be a representation of 1955.
I’m used to seeing this at British motorcycle shows with Sixties Triumph Bonnevilles sporting paint jobs that put a like yeared Honda Super Hawk to shame (hint: Japanese fit and finish was way beyond the Brits), resulting in the comment, “If they had built them like that when new, BSA/Triumph would have never gone belly-up.”
Good to see the Dodge in purple. The brand was making its way starting in 1953 with V-8 power. It certainly was not a boring automobile to see coming down the road. Our 1950 Dodge Wayfarer looked downright dowdy next to this car. I was eleven years old when these were introduced and with a friend went onto The Grand Concourse in The Bronx to Bridge Motors to see these new Dodges. The La Femme did not sell very well but it brought the idea of personal luxury driving to the lower price automobile buyer. I remember seeing it on display at The Chrysler International Salon at The Chrysler Building at the corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. The La Femme was going around on a turntable with other flashy Chrysler products at the speed of half-a-mile per hour. This enabled viewers to get on and off the turntable so as to get close to and sit in the new cars.
Obviously flamboyant but I still like these. I thought the Royal Lancer’s all came with the coveted spinner hubcaps? Personally these look better in single colors, they are just so over the top that the single colors attenuate that enough to to not cause overload.
That couple says to me Tiki bar in the den and triple tone Dodge. Take me back to that era.
Tiki bar in the rumpus room.
Lambo Thirty Metallic. No joke. Maybe the owner also has a Diablo.
The current bid is sitting at $1,550 (bidding ended). That can’t be right for what looks like a car that has had several thousands put into it.
I also see a 64-ish Tbird and Olds Starfire (?) in the view through the windshield.
In the 50’s, Chrysler was notorious for doing “spring special” trims and paint colors. Two such colors show up on the 1957 color chart (and are identified as 1956 spring colors) and they are Regal Orchid and Misty Orchid. Looking online, there seems to be a lot of variety in the way Regal Orchid is mixed and sprayed on these days, and this color might be one such attempt.
The 55-56 Dodge is the only one of those original Forward Look cars I never warmed up to. They start with a nice, clean shape, and then start tacking bulky chrome pieces everywhere. But I sure like the inside.
Here is the chart
That’s great that you found that! I would never think to look at the next model year’s chart to find those colors!
Wow. I frequently note that the past is a foreign country, but in this case it’s a foreign planet. Can I dig it? Yes, I can!
Beautiful. That purple paint gives it a real Cuban vibe.
That missing back page sounds like a gateway to a great afternoon of colour choosing….
I have a picture of my dad with this exact color scheme Royal lancer with a 1954 License plate. Must have bought it new in late ’54. Gosh…I wonder if this one is his?!?! Where was this up for sale? What a trip if this is it.