“It unleashes a hurricane of power…It tames a tornado of torque…It breaks through the vibration barrier…It’s a Swept-Wing mastery of motion…You rule the road in a Swept-Wing ’57 Dodge!” Wowwww!
As the saying goes, “They don’t write ’em like that anymore!” Advertising copywriters, that is. But it is true that the all-new ’57 Dodge was quite revolutionary for its time. And, to my surprise, except for this one hacked-up example, the Forward Look 1957 Dodge has never before been featured on CC.
I love this brochure image: The car looks long, low, and spectacular! The salesman, he’s so proud of what he’s selling. The (very elegantly dressed) couple on the right (customers) are saying, “Oh, this car is so glamorous!” Plus we have the special dealer wall illustrations and decor with emphasis on the horizontal–along the lines of Mid-Century Modern ranch houses. Pure ’50s in every way!
What got me started on this ’57 Dodge kick was the fact that I discovered this very pristine-looking Coronet sedan in the sublime two-tone combination of Turquoise and Velvet Blue. It’s listed for sale in Milford, Massachusetts. Here’s the seller’s description:
This is the kind of car I would buy if I were “in the market”. That price though–wooofff! Everything has gone up so much in the last few years. On the other hand, the generation that most appreciates these cars is aging out–so we have two contradictory economic forces at work. Which is probably why this car has sat unsold on Facebook Marketplace for 20 weeks now.
The fins aren’t as big as they look–clever paintwork and the use of bright-metal trim makes the fins look bigger and more emphatic than they really are.
Vertically-stacked jet taillights were a dramatic Dodge styling hallmark from 1955 through 1960.
Love the dashboard and steering wheel design. This is what gives cars of this era that certain “atmospheric quality”. Front seat appears to have been re-upholstered, but it’s nicely done.
Compare with back seat. Dodge gives you a couple inches more back seat legroom than Plymouth.
I always like it when driver’s door panels are original and in good shape.
The RED RAM V-8 engine (325 cubic inches; 245 horsepower) looks clean and intact. I don’t see a power steering pump–muscling this heavy Dodge around in tight places with manual steering will take a lot of the fun out of driving it. Might be a deal-breaker for me.
Trunk looks clean and neat.
West Virginia inspection sticker expires August 1972.
Since the ’57 Dodge hasn’t been fully covered on CC, I thought that while we’re here we should take a look at the other models in the line:
One step up from the Coronet was the Royal. I found this splendid example (“one family owned”) on bringatrailer.com:
Strangely, I don’t see much difference between the Coronet and the Royal, inside or out. The door panel looks a little different. You did get 260 HP in the Royal instead of 245. A Royal originally cost $153 more (comparable model).
But if you really wanted to go “all-out”, you sprung for the super-deluxe, top-of-the-line Custom Royal model. Not only did you get a thundering 285 or 340 horsepower (depending on engine choice), but you also got these six teeth (or fangs) protruding from the lower bumper, making this a real “man-eater”. The outrageousness of this design is hard for me to put into words–all I can say is, “Here it is!”
So now I’m going to lay something new on you. In case you don’t know, I’m very into fantasy (because the “real world” is so humdrum and routine). I look for experiences that are sublime…transcendent…atmospheric…rapturous. I imagine myself behind the wheel of one of these ’57 Dodges. I’m driving at night, and that chromium Art Deco dash is lit with a pale glow…
My significant other is by my side, my arm on her shoulder, and tube radio is playing “A Wondrous Place” as sung by Jimmy Jones (best version of this song). And we just cruise through the night in ’50s splendor.
Actually, I did experience something like that. When I first got my license, I was very enthused about driving. I had my ’62 Mercury Comet S-22, and I would go out late at night (because I’m a Night Person). No particular destination. Just cruising through the darkness, with my tube radio tuned to the Oldies station (WMTR in Morristown NJ). There was something about the music, the late hour, the glowing dashboard, the low burble of the engine, me piloting that big chrome Turnpike Cruiser steering wheel for the first time–that was kind of magical (even if, sadly, there was no girl by my side most of the time). Like “Wondrous Place”, certain popular hits from the ’50s like Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover”, Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk”, and “Green Onions” by Booker T. & The MG’s also have that otherworldly, dreamlike quality, and when those songs came on I felt a surreal kind of happiness.
So those are my insights on the ’57 Dodge and the intoxicating mystique that is known in America as “The 50s” (which this car so brilliantly exemplifies). Sadly, by the late 1960s most of these Forward Look Dodges were chewed up and never seen again–so finding any well-preserved examples is a rare treat.
Stay tuned to this same Bat-Channel–I have more Dodge goodness to present to you in a future post!
Related CC reading:
CC Tech: Riding On Torsion-Aire – Chrysler’s Famous 1957 Torsion Bar Suspension
Vintage Reviews: Motor Trend’s 1957 New Car Issue – Chrysler Corporation
“Green Onions” was released in the Sixties, a contemporary of your Comet when this Dodge was already an oldie itself. But there were still lots of these Forward Look cars on the road in the early- and mid-60’s and their style really stuck in my young mind. And I love the gray and blue interior on this one.Thanks for a great look back in time.
And the song “Green Onions” was used at the beginning of the race scene in the movie American Graffiti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xad3wbuCe8c
And here in Canada, the Dodge line-up got the Mayfair and the Regent, besides the Custom Royal, who was “Plodges” with Dodge front clip with a Plymouth body.
https://oldcarbrochures.org/Canada/Chrysler-Canada/Dodge/1957%20Dodge%20Brochure/slides/1957_Dodge__Cdn_-06.html
My parents had a57 Plymouth, which I expect was mechanically similar. They bought it used, to replace a 53 Ford. It was a V8 with the push button transmission. I was the first automatic they had. My ever frugal father put an aftermarket tube radio in it, without push buttons. When the Plymouth was replaced with a 61 Olds (new), the radio moved to the new car.
This was in Toronto, and I remember my mother being extremely frustrated because in the “in between seasons”, the carb would consistently ice up and stall. It was not my mother’s favourite.
Here’s another “dreamlike” instrumental from the time: “Ghost Riders in the Sky” performed on the Lawrence Welk Show, sponsored by Geritol (and Dodge!)
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of these Dodge Red Ram “poly” V8s. Love the intake manifold. There was also a hemi head version available, the D500. These Dodge-specific V8s would have their last outing in 1958, then being replaced by the A series V8s, with Dodge getting a “326” inch version whose actual displacement was 325 cubic inches, but Dodge didn’t want folks (or mechanics, parts countermen and historians) to confuse it with the older 325.
And the venerable flathead six was of course also still available in the Coronet.
Sadly, there was no radio in my 59 Plymouth Fury, so I was forced to imagine the hits from 1959 in my head.
I recall seeing somewhere a picture of Harry Truman with a 57 Dodge. That would have been a good endorsement!
Pretty snazzy ride for HST.
My frugal Dad’s first two new cars, 57 Ford Ranchwagon and 58 Plymouth sedan were ordered with heaters and nothing else. Nothing! Thank God transistor radios came along soon!
Same for my Dad’s ’56 Plymouth Plaza he bought out of college, 2 door with flathead 6 and manual trans, it might have had a heater (he bought it in PA and it would come in handy).
As far as transistor radios…well transistors at least were my Dad’s job….he was a chemist and his first job out of college in ’56 was at Sylvania working on process to make transistors…he worked for many companies later but always did the same thing. He even worked for Hoffman Electronics in El Monte Ca on the process for solar cells in 1959 some of which went up on Explorer VI satellite that took first picture of Earth from space. Hoffman also made solar powered radios way back then.
Dad never owned another Plymouth nor Chrysler but he had 2 Dodges in a row in the 80’s (followed by a trio of Mercury Sables then a pair of Impalas, the last of which my sister now drives).
Chryslers and DeSotos looked great in 1957, but I always the thought the Dodge front end was a bit of a dog’s breakfast. Someone didn’t get that clean ‘Forward Look’ message. 🙂
To the ‘tube radio night fantasy’ late-50’s playlist, I’ll add The Fleetwoods’ ‘Mr Blue’.
“Paging Mr. Bruce McCall… please pick up the white courtesy phone in the lobby.”
“P/S”was a ‘delicacy” back then.
By this time, more of a coin flip: 50 percent of 1957 Dodge cars had power steering.
One of the most beautiful cars of that year. Thanks for sharing.
Those fins do look huge .
“Dodge is a fine car, I ran over my wife, with a Dodge” =8- ) .
I like the colors & trim of the Royale better .
I remember those halcyon dayze of driving late at night, nearly all night listening to the AM radio that still had decent music back then .
-Nate
Beautiful cars. Especially the Gold n White Custom Royal.