(William Rubano has made the Cohort even better by posting this Satellite.)
One of the perks of writing for an automotive website is the ability to carry a torch for a make and/or model that resonates with you. If one is to peruse the archives of this site, which is a vast undertaking, they would find many of the various contributors tend to have a special affinity for a particular marque or vehicle type.
For whatever reasons, I have discovered myself carrying a pretty intensely burning torch for the 1971 to 1978 four-door B-bodies from Chrysler Corporation. It could be a whole lot worse, I suppose; somebody could be carrying a torch for the dearly departed Mercury. Oh wait; that’s me, also. Various other makes and models are still available if you are interested.
Thinking about it, I’ve been carrying this Mopar B-body torch for a while.
What is the genesis of this torch-bearing? No doubt some sour cynic thinks the best use of this torch would be to throw it in the front seat of this Satellite and watch what happens. But this is a fabulous Satellite and it gives perfect illumination to why I have realized having this torch.
The knee-jerk reaction about my carrying this torch would attribute it to over-exposure gained from various movies and films. As a child, I did watch entirely too much television, but I’m making up for it these days. I currently watch nothing but Weather Nation and an occasional rerun of 1960s and 1970s era television comedies. However, the theory about excessive exposure would certainly have some compelling arguments.
If one does a search for “1973 Plymouth Satellite” at the Internet Movie Cars Database (www.imcdb.org) they will be greeted with five pages full of two diametrically opposed offerings. This opposition greatly mimics what Chrysler was doing with the Satellite from 1971 to 1974.
Here’s a random choice. Nearly every 1973 Satellite sedan is wearing police or taxi livery. Shocking, isn’t it? For the few that aren’t, they appear to be undercover police cars. The bad guys don’t drive them, the non-constabulary hero isn’t driving one, even the crusty old lady down the street doesn’t have one parked in the driveway. There is no apparent diversity of end-use.
About the most diversity to be found is the colors used by the local police and taxi companies.
One observation about the various films and television shows utilizing the 1973 Satellite is the time period for which they were used as props. Granted, these Satellites were undoubtedly obtained for movie use after several years in service with whomever; it’s hard to imagine many movie studios shelling out coin for new ones when they could wait three years and buy them for pennies on the dollar. But some of these shows were produced as late as the early 1990s – nearly twenty years later. These certainly have amazing staying power for still being foisted-off as active-duty cars that much later.
Seriously, how many 1999 and 2000 model Ford Crown Victorias are still in active service plying the streets and highways of North America? Remarkably few. I haven’t seen a Crown Victoria in active use for several years now. These have moved on to be replaced by the Charger and Explorer.
When searching the results at imcdb.org, the exact opposite is the case with the two-door Satellite. It’s the car of the bad guy, it’s the car of the good guy, it’s the car seen in the background, etc. It offers up all manner of diversity in its use. It’s rather interesting how two fewer doors and slightly different sheetmetal can morph the same basic car into something with an unlimited assortment of possibilities.
Yet all this exposure to the vapidity of popular culture, particularly that of the 1970s and 1980s, isn’t why I have picked up a torch for these. And, for that matter, picking up the torch wasn’t an intentional act. Like acne and gray hair, it just sort of happened organically.
Could the reasons for having this torch be much broader and more thought provoking? To fully explain this life altering epiphany, could it be said these B-body sedans are in harmonious alliance with the core components of my personality, it being an unwavering reflection of my psyche and the fundamental core of my persona? Of all the innumerable automotive choices ever offered over time, could it be said these 1971 to 1978 B-body sedans are the most comprehensive embodiment of me as a unique person, that one automobile we all have that truly reflects the uncompromisable essence of who I am as a mortal human being?
That would be grossly overthinking it. The actual reasons finally coalesced and found a home a while back, much like the Skylab satellite did by settling in western Australia in 1979.
This grand realization was prompted by a washing machine.
Back in April our washing machine died. It was a dandy looking thing, full of bells and whistles and other assorted eye-trinkets that really made for a fancy and upscale looking appliance that was great fun to look at when operating in a dark room. However this machine didn’t even last five years before the motherboard annihilated itself. It was so bad the local appliance repair store said it wasn’t worth fixing.
After this Space Odyssey looking mistake, we sought something sturdy, reliable, and without any gimmicks.
We bought a Speed Queen, the brand of choice in laundromats far and wide. If seeking a rugged machine, this is truly worthy of consideration. Weighing about twice what the old one did, it reeks of a long service life even if its presentation is nowhere near as fancy. It’s a straight-forward machine and, while it may use a splash more water, it does an infinitely better job of what it was built to do. One can hear water sloshing around the inside during the wash cycle. What a concept! We had not heard that in years.
It also has two magic words emblazoned on the front: Commercial and Heavy-Duty. We all have words that elicit a Pavlovian response, mine being “commercial”, “heavy-duty”, and “industrial”. These words could easily be applied to this no-nonsense Satellite.
Such traits greatly appeal to me. I’m not one for superfluous gimmicks and, when dealing with people, if I have to say something, I get straight to the point. Looking at this particular Satellite, it is obvious it possesses many of these glorious traits.
Isn’t it beautiful? Look at it; there’s no vinyl roof.
As an aside, yes, I’d imagine the larger set of bumper guards were added. It’s in New York and perhaps these could be considered a self-defense mechanism.
Contrast that to the most commonly seen form of Ford Torino. Naturally one could get a plain Torino, my parents even bought one new, but it was easier to find a plain Satellite.
The hubcaps are just that – they serve their purpose with nothing more being promised or implied. These do seem far superior in stamina to fancier wheel covers.
The flanks are unencumbered with metal trim, vinyl hangers-on, and any other decorative paraphernalia. This gives insight into the true car, not the car as presented by those wishing to make a sale, a car covered in decoration.
This Satellite presents itself in a figurative nudity, letting its true and natural self shine through. There’s a lot to like here. We periodically talk about honest cars; this Plymouth is as honest and unpretentious as any car ever built. Such elegant simplicity should be celebrated.
The reason for my carrying the Mopar B-body torch can be summarized by any one of these pictures. This car has an appeal that escapes many but once it’s captured you, there is no going back. The world is truly a better place for this Satellite being so down to earth.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Related Reading:
1977-1978 Plymouth Fury by JS
1971 Plymouth Satellite by JS
1974 Dodge Coronet by JS
1978 Plymouth Fury by PN
1978 Dodge Monaco by PN
Looks very “state, local, government car. Don’t recall a lot of them this plain. I may have seen them assuming they were “Belvedere’s”.
Wonder if there is a “318”, under that hood?
My neighbor’s “70, Satellite” was a pretty spiffy, looker.
The cops kept buying these till the bitter end in 1978 because a 440 will fit under that hood.
Yep ;
Then and now these were terrific automobiles .
Amazing how well they could be driven over twisty roads .
TOO DARN BIG for me to ever want one but I have many fond memories of these .
-Nate
Wow, what a gorgeous Satellite! Makes me nervous it has a New York plate on it but it must have a good home. I’ve always liked these too. Back in 1973 we were at the Plymouth dealer as my sister was shopping for a new Barracuda and on the showroom floor was a light blue Satellite with the cool optional star-like wheel covers and I thought it was a really neat car. As a 16 year old you’d think I’d look at something sportier but I am a 4dr and station wagon appreciator. Once my sister had her rally red Barracuda, I thought that was cool too.
Not being a fan of excessive chrome, I find the Satellite simple yet pleasing to the eye. No frills, honest transportation, and it looks really good in that color
Regarding Daisy’s car, did she not have a Road Runner in the first episodes (seems to be one looking at the hood)?
Also a B body of course, and in any case, a real looker in that color combination
Nothing says “low bid government contract” like a strippo B-body Plymouth or Dodge.
This car looks great and as an unadorned model really shows the nice styling. When I first moved to NYC from Houston in the very early 80s I was lucky to already have a group of long term city friends. Friends had told me to avoid numbered trains and live in neighborhoods where city police lived or in mob neighborhoods. But my first apartment in NYC expense was an issue so I managed to get a fourth floor walkup in a not so nice part of Brooklyn with a short term lease before I found something I wanted in the West Village. Convenient to the ‘F’ subway line so myself and other half had an easy commute to our jobs in mid-town Manhattan. To say it was a sketchy neighborhood is somewhat of an understatement. We sort of stood out being pale preppy types with a small white fluffy dog. But it was affordable in the short term if anything could be called affordable in the Big Apple, at least it didn’t have a bathtub in the kitchen. It did have a nice view of the Statue of Liberty, from the fire escape landing. OK, I have set the stage and will now get to the car. A work friend had a stripped down Plymouth and frequently visited a few times a month. My friend was a mild mannered designer geek, but at 6′-6″, well built he was an imposing figure. None of the guys hanging out on the street ever gave me or my other half a passing glance when we walked the little dog. With my friends car, and his imposing appearance, I later found out the neighbors assumed he was law enforcement and we two boys had connections, so keep your distance. His stripped down Plymouth was a big part of that perceived image. Little did anyone know he was just an Interior Designer like me. It wasn’t planned but was an advantage that I kept my Eldorado conv. parked on secured lot where many police kept their private autos.
When I first met my future wife in 1976, her parents had a fairly spiffy 1972 Dodge Coronet four-door sedan. If I remember correctly, it was brown.
Many years later in 1989 when my employer moved its headquarters from Washington DC to Arlington Virginia, it was no longer easy for me to carpool. So I sold my 1977 Chevy Impala V8 4-door and started looking for a more fuel-efficient replacement..
One of the candidates was a 1977 or 78 B-body Plymouth or Dodge. I forget why I passed on it (maybe evidence of hard use?) and continued looking, including test driving a 1978 Buick Century Aeroback sedan in hearing aid beige. I ultimately chose a chocolate brown 1980 Volvo 245 wagon with a 4-speed manual + electric overdrive.
Nice find, haven’t seen one in years. We too, bought a new Speed Queen commercial washer earlier. It is loud, sounds like a fire hose is running when it fills, but built like a tank. I love it. Yes you can hear water sloshing, because it has a real agitator!
You want to hear water sloshing? Find an old Frigidaire washer, from back when General Motors owned that brand. It has a real agitator too, but it doesn’t twist back and forth, but rather up and down, great for circulating clothes effectively. And then it spins out the water at a crazy fast speed so there’s not much moisture left in your clothes, so it dries very quickly (and thus uses less power too).
I’ll also vouch for Miele washing machines. Mine dates back to about 1997 and has never needed a repair. More importantly, it cleans spectacularly well yet doesn’t make my clothes get threadbare. Steve Jobs owned a Miele and was famously fanatical about it, saying he “got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years”. That’s quite an endorsement coming from the guy who brought forth the iPhone…
I will second your recommendation of Miele. We used to live in an old house in Toronto and we had laundry machines in the kitchen. When we renovated the kitchen we moved them to the basement, but the limitation was a 24 inch doorway, and some rickety stairs. After some research we bought a 24 inch Miele, but the door was so tight that we not only took the door off, but also the trim. The delivery guys were great, and got it down the stairs, even though it weighed 100kg (over 200 pounds). it was as if they had machined it out of a block of steel. It worked wonderfully over the next 10 years, but when we retired to the country we thought there was no way we were going to get it out of the basement, so it went with the house. There were no Miele dealers anywhere near our new house, so we went with Bosch as a less expensive but still well engineered substitute. We were wrong. It was less then 10 years before we had to replace it because it was randomly stopping with various error messages. We now have an LG. We shall see how that goes.
The City of Tucson had a bunch of these as police cars in the ’70s. The unmarked cars looked a whole lot like the featured car. I have no idea how they held up; back then, I didn’t trust anything from Chrysler.
I’m thinking those bumper guards might be original. The NHSTSA required 1973 models to have 5 mph bumpers on the front, and 2.5 mph bumpers on the rear. GM and Ford redesigned their front and rear models, but Chrysler did not, opting for just the add on guards.
The big ones are aftermarket. The little ones were standard. They went away for a year in 1974 when the bumpers were redesigned and came back for 1975. In1976 they were made smaller and moved to the bottom end of the bumper and stayed there.
Great piece, and two major thoughts:
– I love the heavy duty Speed Queen replacement washer; and
– Comparing it to this Satellite was the perfect metaphor.
Was this color the “Amber Sherwood”? I always thought that it sounded like the name of an actor / actress. Maybe we have Sherwood Schwartz (so?) to blame for this. Maybe I’ll watch some Brady Bunch when I get home from work today…
The bumper guards are hideous. Car is clean though. Does have that ‘undercover cop car’ vibe.
That said, Give me a 71 (or 72) Two Door, 8 days a week. I had a 71 back in the late 80’s, yea, Basic Satellite 318, NOT Roadrunner or GTX. But had Headers w dual exhaust, so it still looked and sounded good.
Wonderful find, and I agree with you this is a special car as is any plainjane Mopar sedan of the era. I wouldn’t say these perfectly represent me above all other cars to the extent they do for you, but I’ve had a thing for stripper Mopars for pretty much ever. In high school in the late 80s, a used car lot had a 77 Gran Fury base model with 318 in very similar green with maybe 15k miles. I test drove it and wanted it badly, but I was just not in a position to buy it. Probably best for the car, I hope it had a good life from there. The next year, I did buy a 72 Coronet w/318 with 58k miles. It was baby blue, not nearly as cool a color as the dark green, but it had a fantastic blue vinyl interior with black vinyl flooring.
I also agree that a heavy duty, no frills washer is much more my style than the fancy modern Samsung we bought a few years ago. I would have been delighted to go the Speed Queen route, but that was a no go for my wife. She wanted all the bells and whistles and modern stuff and since she does the laundry, I had basically no say in the matter.