Photo by Eric Clem, taken from the Cohort.
As car snobs, we hate re-badges. We see a Packard Peregrine rolling down the road and think, “That idiot could have bought a Studebaker Star-cruiser and saved himself a ton of dough. He paid $1,000 for $10 in chrome and $50 in upholstery!”
For those unfamiliar with the 880’s story, here’s a brief recap: It’s 1961, and Virgil Exner is still in charge of styling for Chrysler. He has a new line coming out, but during a social function a top-level Chrysler executive overheard (and misunderstood) a remark by his GM counterpart about the debut of a new, smaller Chevrolet; the result was that Chrysler’s powers that be issued an unfortunate edict to shrink the standard size 1962 Dodge and Plymouth because GM and Ford would be coming out with new and smaller competitors.
image – classycars.org
Those new small cars turned out to be the Ford Fairlane and the Chevy II; indeed, the General’s and Ford’s full-sizers were large as ever. And what showed up at Dodge and Plymouth dealers not only looked like a wool sweater left in the dryer a mite too long, but also sported “Godzilla Does Googie”-themed styling. Soon, the Dodge Boys were clamoring for something for which they could convince their usual buyers to sign on the dotted line. A scramble ensued in Highland Park for something that would sell–but what exactly to do?
In the Collection of the Northeast Classic Car Museum, Norwich, NY
Well, first take the front clip of the 1961 Dodge…
image by Kid Duce on Flickr!
…and graft it to the 1962 Chrysler. Voila!
image by AldenJewell on Flickr!
Dodge’s years of work putting together Plodges helped the effort, and the strangely appealing result was called the Custom 880. Dodge’s 160,000 1962 sales total included some 16,000 880s that helped keep the Fratzog brand in business.
The question, then, was what to do for 1963? Mr. Exner had been shown the door once again, freeing him to focus his neoclassical energies on model kits (although evidence suggests that Exner penned the lines of the 1963 Dodge like the one that graced my neighbor’s driveway back then). Despite three inches of added wheelbase, the new “regular” Dodges were nevertheless judged too small to take on the big Fords and Chevys. Thus, the Custom 880 soldiered on, now joined by a plain 880 for thrifty individuals and fleet buyers. A new front clip was commissioned, but the strangely organic 1962 rear returned, albeit with revised taillights to justify its newness. The 1963 does look a bit odd–the new front end doesn’t quite mesh with the carryover rear, while the ’62 at least managed to look like it was designed as a piece, and not another of Chrysler’s hurried, every-few-years Hail Mary passes.
Image by splattergraphics on Flickr!
In 1964 came a new and more harmonious rear-end treatment that finally escorted the overall look into the mid-1960s despite Exner’s by now passé soaring roof. Note how this car’s ruler-like side trim not only emphasizes its bigness, but also hints at the 1965 Chrysler’s styling. Of course, all that new 1964 tooling poses a bit of a head-scratcher, as the 1965 Dodges, with their full-sized lines and Elwood Engel’s crisply starched styling, were waiting in the wings.
Image by AldenJewell on Flickr!
In 1965 only the Custom 880 remained; the base 880 was now badged Polara. As it turned out, 1965 marked the 880’s final appearance on the showroom floor, as a new branding strategy rechristened it with a name that would live long and prosper: Monaco. In the end, the 880 fulfilled its mission of keeping the Dodge brand alive, at least until the next disaster–a fact that qualifies the 880 as a re-badge that worked.
Strange then Dodge used the name “Custom 880” instead of “Custom Royal”, if they had used “Custom Royal” or even going a step further by reviving the Coronet name (instead of reviving for ’65 on a reskinned intermediate Polara, the Coronet sales was more bigger then the full-size Polara/Monaco/880 that year) for the big rebadged Chrysler, it could had attracted more customers to the Dodge boys for that car.
Looks like the ’61 Phoenix I had in 1975 .
-Nate
I recall these as “what the…” comment-inducing cars. Those were the days when new model introduction night was family entertainment. We would rent big gas-engined spotlights to duel with the other dealers lights, and my Mom would bake for a week to make cookies and brownies and fudge for finger food for the town, and we’d stay open until the shocking hour of ten p.m. I had to scrub the service department floor with an acid based chem cleaner, then soap it shiny. It still astounds me that the Big Four (in 1960 I believe Rambler was the 3rd selling nameplate) could spend all the customer goodwill they had amassed in the post war years. I put it on the system sell that Hall-Dobbs Mgmt. and several others espoused in the mid-fifties. When I was a child in those fifties, I recall being a car salesman for my Dad (we never had more than two) was a dignified occupation that earned respect and paid family wages. The system advocated over-staffing to accommodate their mandatory “turn” where a customer had to talk to at least two salesmen before they walk. I couldn’t believe it was adopted by many so-called “smart” businessmen as their model. It could be argued it is just now being abandoned as the indifferent cynical technique that it has been shown to be. By the way, do I see a cross ram manifold on that convertible? Plus, a few years later, Rambler adopted 550 thru 990 as model designations. I don’t believe they were concurrent.
I’m not a fan of car re-badging myself. In the late 80s and early to mid 90s, Toyota, Suzuki, Isuzu and Chevrolet sold basically the same car under two different names, Toyota Corolla = Geo Prism, Suzuki Swift = Geo Metro, Isuzu I Mark = Geo. They were all various cars, by various companies, sold under one name: Geo. I don’t know why they did that. While the cars themselves were good vehicles, it seemed silly to re-badge them and sell them under one name.
Saw an old Leave it to Beaver episode around 1962/63 where the boys with Lumpy and Eddie took a detour and drowned the ignition going through a deep puddle fast. The show always had Chrysler’s and Eddie’s comment looking at the dashboard at Ward’s new car was “The dashboard on this thing looks like a spaceship” or something like that. Thanks for the article about Dodge’s “awkward adolescent development” that coincided with the boys. As June would comment, Wally is starting to notice “pancakes are not the only things that are stacked” and who could ever forget “dear, weren’t you a little hard on the Beaver last night?”
It seems that once Chrysler went to the dealership system where there was Dodge and then there was Chrysler-Plymouth, Dodge dealers always wanted something to match what the CP dealers had. I can see how with no full sized car to sell in 1962, the Dodge dealers would be at a disadvantage. CP dealers at least had Newports.
I read a bio of bandleader Artie Shaw some time back. He was a fiery character, but in the late 40s, he formed a band that was the most bland, boring outfit he could muster, and took it on a tour – sort of as an inside joke that nobody got. I thought of that story when I see the front end restyle of the 63 Dodge 880. I can imagine Virgil Exner doing the very same thing with this car. “They want vanilla, they will damned well get vanilla.”
I like that Artie Shaw story. Another FU moment in the annals of music history.
Sorry Mopar fans, Ford and Chevy are better lookers.
Gem, you hurt me. 🙁
Sorry JP never mind one of the best looking American cars of all time was only 2 years away,the 65 Coronet.Every Coronet looked great,sedans convertibles and wagons were one of the few cars every body style looked right.Add in the range of engines and there was a car for everyone.
After the ‘catastrophic success’ of the 1957 Forward Look cars (which, although good looking, had what amounted to the worst quality), Chrysler had been on a downward trajectory which hit rock-bottom with the 1962 downsized cars.
I love the Custom 880 because it’s such a typical, panicked Chrysler desperation move after one of the most disastrous American business decisions, ever.
Yeah, it’s a Deadly Sin which started Dodge dealers to ultimately usurp Plymouth, but, as pointed out, there was really no alternative. In 1962, Dodge needed a real full-size car to compete with Ford and GM, right ‘now’, and the hack-job Custom 880, quasi-Newport was born.
You’re right. The problem with Dodge was the dealers wanted a full-line solution, and what they wanted, they got.
Interesting now that Mr. Marchionne is going with several clearly delineated brands under the same roof, similar to what I understood the situation was prior to Desoto’s demise.
For those of you wondering what the “CB” roundel in the lead photo stands for, it’s for Cannon Beach, Oregon. Got me one of them right next to my “Keep Portland Weird!” stickers at my desk. The dark gray Impreza behind the Dodge could well be mine except I ain’t got no roof rails, cause I don’t ski and I keep all of my junk in the trunk.
Chryslers were certainly confusing with the mix n match models worse here because we got Plodges thrown into the mix add to that the Dodge Pioneer I had that was rebadged from the Dart we were glad when Valiants arrived from Aussie and some sanity prevailed
I couldn’t help but be reminded of the cars the California Highway Patrol was using during these years. I think the CHP used 880s in 1963 and ’64, but Chryslers in 1962 because the 880 wasn’t available at the time they went to bid. Did this occur in other jurisdictions, too?
I can’t believe I still like the look of the ’62 Polara. It’s as ugly as a new Honda Civic dashboard; so maybe it has to do with appearing futuristic.
I was wondering along the same lines and had to look it up.
The California Highway Patrol had a 122″ wheelbase requirement; only a Newport based “Enforcer” fit the bill for 1962. The pressure on Dodge to have a “real” full-sized car resulted in the 880 as Jana describes above, but it came about too far into the model year for a unit meeting the CHP requirements to be built.
As the CHP purchased around 1100 units per year as per my source, I’m sure they were a factor in the creation of the 880.
Jason, thanks, I was unaware of the wheelbase requirement.
Yep, and when the ’65 full-size Dodge debuted with a 121 and 1/2″.WB, they had to shift the rear axle 1/2″ for the CHP cars! That change went system-wide for ’66. I think Dodge did about as best as it could given the parts they had, but that heavy Exner-era greenhouse was looking mighty long in the tooth by the time.
Those heavy, curving roofs – with the exception of the ’57-59 Plymouth/Dodge 2-door hardtops and the full-line 4-door sedans – were the real bete noir of Exner’s designs. They lacked the crispness often found elsewhere in the same design.
I’m new to the story regarding the reason for the downsize. Pure hilarity from execs who were top of the tree in corporate America. Thanks Jana.
Another way to look at the Custom 880 is as, in effect, a Desoto replacement.
Re the California 122″ wheelbase requirement (San Mateo paper, 1961):
A 9/66 article about controversy re the CHP’s specs/bidding process (Chrysler’s favored status mentioned):
In 1967, Olds Delmont 88 won the contract and Mercury Monterrey in 1970. No performance tests were done those years, only price bids to paper specs, like the reformers mentioned in the article wanted. The problem was that the cars did not hold up as well in actual service as the Dodges.
Actually, a lot more than 1000 car sales were the prize. Many local departments, including my hometown of Redondo Beach, purchase the same car as the CHP.
These two image links are broken, they lead to the parent directory.
Interesting. I never thought the ’61 full-size Dodge front clip could look good, but it does seem to work remarkably well on the ’62 880. And yes, I googled a lot more of them before saying that!
Conversely, the ’63 front end is at best bland and unfortunate, and the taillights seem like a throwback compared with the ’62’s sleek and flowing units. Th ’64 doesn’t work for me as the middle section says “Suddenly it’s 1957” whereas the front and back clip say “Suddenly it’s 1964. We think. Well, the doors don’t say that, but the back end does. Probably. Can someone check? Hey, who chucked the Rambler headlights and grille on the 880?”
And as for the squinting/cross-eyed taillights of the ’65…
I’m a fan, though my favorites tend to be the later ones…I really like the ’64 (dash and rear styling) and the ’65 6 window sedan. Though I also like the cars these were brought out to stem the defection on, the b body midsize (but make these Plymouth for me, especially a 1962).
I wonder why midsized cars came out when they did (starting in 1962)..the domestic compacts had just come out a couple years before…but you could also get a stripped full size car, which I would guess would price out similar to a high level compact…so it doesn’t seem that cost plays into it (plus the full size cars went even higher level a few years later when the “fancy” full sized, VIP, LTD, and Caprice came out for the popularly priced lines). But I guess there was no substitute for full size for many people, at least not until the later 70’s.
In terms of styling, my favourite is the 1965 Custom 880.