In 1968, “the Valley” was the perfect playground, and this was the perfect playground car. At the time, thousands of young families came to newly minted bedroom communities near the LA area to bring up their kids, and turned to Detroit’s station wagons as the perfect solution to haul their brood.
Although I’ve lived in LA for seventeen years, I’ve spent very little time in “the Valley.” For those not familiar with LA geography, most of LA lies in a coastal basin encompassing Hollywood, Downtown, and the Port of LA. However, along the north side of the basin, a large mountain ridge cuts across town creating the San Fernando Valley. Once full of Orange Groves, the Valley has since filled up with suburban homes, apartments and condominiums.
Today, the Valley is chock full of people and three pinch points isolate it from the rest of LA. Due to geography, narrow highways funnel too much traffic through not enough road, creating near continuous traffic slowdowns at each point. Despite this, I made my way north over the weekend to visit my cousin, and found this excellent Curbside Classic parked across the street from her Valley home. Based on the six digit black plates on this wagon, it may have lived in this suburban playground from day one.
The Suburban Playground was also well represented on TV, where the Brady Bunch (perhaps the Valley’s most famous residents) used several Mopar B-body wagons to transport Mike and Carol’s large brood, in this case a ’69 Plymouth.
While over on Adam-12, Officers Reed and Malloy occasionally worked alongside this menacing B-body wagon. Dressed more formally than the civilian variants, this Plymouth focused on enforcing the Playground rules.
Getting back to our car, Dodge placed the Coronet nameplate on their intermediate B-body in 1965, where it remained until 1976. No longer shiny and bright, our car still carries refreshed sheet metal, and the new lines for ’68 closely followed the example set forth by the ’64 GM intermediates (outside a very angular and thick C-pillar carried over from Dodge’s 1967 model).
Dodge offered the Coronet in three trim levels in 1968, and while some manufacturers make it difficult to determine trim levels, Dodge spelled things out on the rear quarter panel. Mid level models read “Coronet 440,” while top trims declared “Coronet 500.” This Coronet Deluxe (the base model) replaced numeric values with the mighty Fratzog, as seen here.
The front quarter panel shows the scars of a long life lived Valley style. Those round marker lights were used on almost every Chrysler in 1968 and only ’68, which makes model year identification a snap.
Some internet articles suggest Chrysler dropped these markers in 1969 because certain executives didn’t care for their appearance. However, I think the switch to reflectors in ’69 was a cost saving measure. The round markers required a metal housing, plastic lens and a light bulb while the ’69 part only required a plastic housing and a second glued on reflective element.
We can also see a bit of rake added to the front of the car (an easy modification thanks to torsion bar front suspension), and a stylish Rally Wheel. Since these wheels weren’t offered until 1970, they are clearly a modification, and the only visible custom touch.
This interior shot shows a very nicely preserved interior, and a sharp eye can spot the tailgate control lever for the dual action tailgate. Dodge kept the ’67 roof line on the B-body wagons, but for 1968 they added a two-way tailgate.
Continuing with our playground theme, the back also includes a collection of old Tonka toys, ready for the sandbox!
This shot confirms the overall interior condition. Some argue these B-bodies might be the best car the company ever built (at least before the 1970 refresh), and overall interior quality provides support for this argument. No fancy leather or power accessories, just a cloth bench seat, roll up windows and a big hula hoop steering wheel (with the cheapest possible horn button). Overall, our Coronet is built “Tonka Tough.”
I should note Paul Niedermeyer spent time in a similar ’65 Coronet wagon (chronicled here in his auto-biography series). While the article doesn’t say for sure, I’m confident his Father’s Coronet did not come with Air Conditioning. Paul’s father celebrated a frugal lifestyle (or should I say a parsimonious one?), preventing young Paul from enjoying such luxuries.
In contrast, a careful study of the photos shows evidence this car has factory air. In the rear shot, an “Airtemp” sticker appears in the right rear window (the correct location). Up front, a barely visible pair of face vents mounted low in the dash center confirm the A/C option.
A Deeper Look into 1968 Coronet Trim Levels
While writing this posting, Paul questioned whether or not this wagon was a base model. His argument was as follows:
“That doesn’t appear to be a base Coronet (“DeLuxe”) wagon, as those did not have the bright window trim. It appears the 440 badges are just missing for one reason or another. Also, the interior trim on the doors is from the 440, not the DeLuxe.”
Since many changes can occur over 40 plus years, I did further digging and discovered the following:
First, thanks to an online accessory price guide for the ’68 Coronet, I was able to determine which Coronet models came with standard window trim, and further confirm bright trim came as an option on all trim levels.
While bright drip rail molding came standard on the Coronet 440 (as indicated by the green box in the image above), buyers had to step all the way up to the Coronet 500 to get standard door frame and quarter glass molding trim (the orange box). However, Deluxe and 440 buyers could both purchase accessory trim, so bright door trim does not equal a Coronet 440 or 500.
Identifying the various Coronet door panels wasn’t so clear cut, but I looked at many online images for guidance. Most 1968 Coronet 440s I found used this door panel, while most base Coronets used the door panel on our wagon. Compared it to the base Coronet door panel, this embossed pattern uses finer vertical lines and the horizontal lines flare apart at the front of the panel. While door panels are very easy to change out, it appears our Coronet wagon is a Deluxe.
Of course, A/C on a base model is also unusual, but it could be the buyer of this wagon knew how to work the options sheet to their best advantage. Overall, I find the result very appealing, what say you?
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Boy I sure wish we could still buy simple durable functional nice-sized cars like this. During my high school years I walked by a gold ’67 Coronet wagon with the distinctive V shaped D pillar like this every day on my way up Trafalgar Rd to my bus pickup spot at the corner of Chestnut Avenue. It may have been a Plymouth, they were so similar as I always saw just the rear view. Good workhorse wagons, I sure miss them!
My mother had the Plymouth version from 1968 and it is the car I took my DMV test in come December 1969. Not a bad car overall and I don’t recall any issues with it other than being slammed into once down one side. The wagon disappeared in 1974 for an Audi 100. Why, god knows especially since we are talking Audi. This wagon looks great from the outside but that nice interior looks like it is now being used as a garbage dump which is always a bad sign.
Yeah. “Cali”, beater car. Wonder if a “318” is under the hood.
What a handsome wagon, the side window trim really improves the look. The carry over roof suited the 68 design especially from rear 3/4 view.
I would love to adjust those torsion bars up a bit, this is a wagon after all.
IIRC, side reflectors were mandated by federal law which could explain the change in 1969.
The bullseye marker lights were on 1968 Dodges and Plymouths. Chryslers and Imperials had square markers.
The bullseye marker lights were on 1968 Dodges and Plymouths. Chryslers and Imperials had square markers.
Maybe a thick “D” Pillar……
I like this fine old Road Warrior, still out there doing Yeoman Duty (note the folded down rear seat) and proudly wearing its bumps, dings and scratches proudly .
My late (lamented and wonderful) step father Lawrence was a wind sailor and always had station wagons to haul the many bags of sails and other Nautical things, in 1968 he bought a full size 1968 Plymouth wagon, Slant 6 and A727 slushbox, it was a fantastic car that looked good in medium blue and handled New England’s bumpy frost heaved roads well .
It went through three tailgates as they rusted out but the rest of the car never seemed to get the tin worm .
I like the Plymouth grille better than the Doge but this is a nice old soldier .
I see t was well optioned, remember that back then dealers tended to pay close attention to what the end Customers wanted and were willing to pay for, the San Fernando Valley often gets scorching hot for at least 6 months the year so a lower priced, AC equipped wagon made sense to have on the lot .
I remember those TONKA Toys well, I had but one in 1962 or so and loved it, so well made and impervious to me beating on it .
I wonder if this wagon’s owner buys them at thw many yard sales, cleans them up and re sells them, I am told there’s a ready market .
-Nate
Although these Coronet wagons were a simple, boxy configuration, they provided durability for basic hauling and transportation.
Not the same vehicle, but I found a ’66 sedan in the mid-1970’s and used it as a daily driver. Very reliable with very low maintenance needs.