One day in 1961 I was next door (to my uncle’s tire shop) at Clark Dodge in Aledo, Illinois, and I ran across an envelope from Dodge Public Relations that was beginning to gather dust. So I swiped it. Don’t think that Clark Dodge ever missed the stuff as they didn’t advertise.
All of the following photographs, as well as descriptive text, is from Dodge Public Relations for newspaper release on Wednesday, September 27, 1961.
NEW DODGE POLARA — This is the high-performance, high-style 1962 Polara “500” which Dodge is introducing in the luxury sports car market (sic). The new, medium-price prestige car is powered by a 305-horsepower (ed-361 cu in) V-8. It’s available in two models: a two-door and a convertible.
BUCKET SEATS FOR POLARA — The luxurious interior of the 1962 Dodge Polara “500” features individually adjusting front bucket seats with a between-the seats console. The colors of the seats, instrument panel, door panels and carpeting are perfectly matched with the Polara’s distinctive two-tone exteriors.
NEW LOOK FOR DART — Dodge’s popular-price Dart is dramatically restyled for 1962. Dodge engineers say the new Dart features a new concept in standard-size car design which provides the owner with greater performance, economy and ease of handling. All useless weight and extra size has been “engineered out,” they say. Pictured above is the deluxe Dart 440 four-door hardtop.
1962 DART STATION WAGON — Dodge’s 1962 Dart line offers 13 versatile, four-door station wagon models. Functional in appearance, the new Dart wagons provide maximum interior space. Optional equipment includes chrome assist handles and luggage rack, and electric tailgate window. Shown above is the deluxe Dart “440” nine-passenger wagon.
NEW LANCER SPORTS MODEL — This is the Gran Turismo, a new addition to Dodge’s compact Lancer line for 1962. The new prestige sports model features bucket seats with luxurious, all-vinyl upholstery. Two economical engines are available for the Lancer “GT: a 101-horsepower, 6-cylinder model woith cast-iron cylinder block or a 145-horsepower “six” with an aluminum block. According to Dodge engineers, the aluminum engine provides exceptional performance comparable to some V-8’s (sic).
1962 DODGE LANCER — Dodge’s compact Lancer, introduced last fall, begins its second year with styling changes, including a new grille, and a wide variety of engineering improvements. Dodge engineers say design modifications and new materials give the Lancer increased performance, improved economy, greater reliability and smoother, quieter operation. Pictured above is the Lancer “770” four-door sedan.
VERSATILE DODGE TRUCK — At home in the city or on the farm, the 1962 Dodge D-100 Sweptline pick-up features a handsome, one-piece, chromium-plated steel grille, a low silhouette and contemporary styling. The Sweptline is powered by a 140-horsepower, 225-cubic-inch, Inclined six-cylinder engine. It is available with either 6 1/2-foot or 8-foot body. Its maximum gross vehicle rating is 5,100 pounds.
ECONOMICAL STAKE — Highly maneuverable on a 133-inch-wheelbase, this 1962 Dodge D-300 stake model features a 140-horsepower, Inclined 6-cylinder engine with 225-cubic-inch displacement. Standard on the unit, which has a 9-foot body, is a 4-speed transmission. The D-300 has a maximum gross vehicle weighting of 10,000 pounds.
I recall occasionally seeing most of these cars as a kid in the early 1970’s. They were certainly distinctive in a sea of Impalas and LTDs. I’m guessing the Polara versions were very rare and never passed my pupils.
As well trimmed hardtops and convertibles, they don’t look so bad. Strangely, the Dart 440 deluxe wagon does not appear to have a chrome wrap on the door window frames, while the Lancer does. The minute you give an econo car look to these bodys, they start to look pretty rough, as the sales figures went on to prove.
Dodge’s attempt at “Sensible Spectaculars” was too early and apparently too weird for the typical buyer.
Chrysler broke a fundamental auto industry rule with the ’62 full-size Mopars, and that was while you can sell a lower tier carline if it’s styled like an upper tier, you cannot do the opposite. The 1962 full-size Dodges and Plymouths looked like last year’s Valiants and Lancers, and that instantly turned buyers off.
In retrospect, if the downsized ’62 models had come out two years earlier at the same time as the new Valiant, things might have turned out differently.
Perhaps these would have seemed less “odd” to the typical buyer if they had debuted for 1960. Given that GM was still using the basic 1959 body shell for its full-size cars, although with “toned down” styling, the Dodges and Plymouths wouldn’t have seemed quite so strange.
But, by 1962, these were up against the 1962 full-size Chevrolet, Ford and Pontiac, all of which had been cleaned up and made considerably more attractive by that point. In some respects, the staggered headlights and decorated, somewhat “illogical” body sculpturing seemed like throwbacks to the 1950s by this point. Even if the Valiant hadn’t debuted with similar design themes two years earlier, these Darts and Polaras would have still met with considerable sales resistance in 1962.
At some point when it became apparent that the Forward Look was going to be a smash success, Chrysler management made the decision to believe their own ‘Suddenly, It’s 1960!’ hype and made the commitment to stick with the fins through 1960. It was a fatal error which, for decades to come, would almost always leave Chrysler cars a year or two behind in appearance.
Imagine if the 1959 full-size Plymouths and Dodges were styled like either the 1962 (or even the 1961) cars. Compared with what GM and Ford were selling at the time, they could have been big hits. But sticking with the Forward Look way past the peak of the fad prohibited any such major styling changes, and would cost Chrysler dearly.
The idea of building a car roughly the size of the downsized ’62 Plymouths and Dodges was not a bad one, and viewed as an entirely new class of car, they weren’t bad sellers (See “Ford Fairlane”). Maybe with styling that was more palatable to the mainstream, they would have done even better.
The problem was having a car that size as your full-size car, and not having anything larger available, just as the economy snapped out of the 1958-61 recession and the market for big cars bounced back to pre-recession levels. From that point of view, it was an absolute disaster.
The comments above about the downsized ’62’s styling possibly having been better received if they had been introduced in 1960 are interesting, because I think a downsized fullsized car might have done better in ’60 than in ’62. “Less bad” might be a better way to put it than “better”, because this just plain wouldn’t have been a good idea any year in this era, but it may have been much less of a body blow to Chrysler if these had come out in ’60 instead of ’62.
“Useless weight and extra size have been engineered out.” Alas, ditto for volume sales.
Ugly, ugly cars. Although, I could certainly do one for the camp factor.
Interesting to ponder: this basic platform would soldier on through the 1982 R body. Somehow, Chrysler only got the thing really right (styling, quality, popularity) from 66-70.
I’ve always found the restyled 1963-64 Dodges and Plymouths to be attractive cars, and, if contemporary surveys of owners are any guide, they were well-built and durable. They sold well enough to put Plymouth back into fourth place by 1964, and also boosted Dodge’s sales.
My first two years in college I had a 1963 Plymouth Belvedere. I always thought it was a little strange looking, especially the turn signals outboard from the headlights. In general it seemed well built although minor things (and some not so minor) went wrong during my ownership. The best thing about it from my point of view was that the Plymouth was an unintentional hot rod, it had the 361 V-8, and this, coupled with the light body, meant that it was pretty quick. If anything it had more motor than the chassis could deal with, a full throttle take off was almost certain to result in axle tramp as the rear axle wound up against the leaf springs. I drove the beast for a couple of years and the motor remained strong to the end; the transmission however had developed a serious fluid leak that we never could fix. That problem, coupled with the non-operating heater fan, meant that it was time to move on.
Add also one more year as instant mid-size/intermediate cars as Plymouth Belvedere with Fury returning to full-size car while Dodge revived the Coronet nameplate for 1965 for the former “big” Polara.
“Chrysler only got the thing really right (styling, quality, popularity) from 66-70.”
Amen.
“Dodge’s 1962 Dart line offers 13 versatile, four-door station wagon models.”
How the heck does (or did) a company make any kind of money with that broad a platform for one vehicle?
Or is 13 the magic number for combinations and permutations?
Yes.
In those days, each manufacturer (or car line, actually) had one body shell…we’d call it a “platform” today; but in the case of GM, some components would be shared; some singular to a division, and some shared but modified.
But. You had, say, the 1955 Chevrolet. That was all. (Except for Corvette, which was a special project). The 150 had the fenders, doors, wheelbase, floorpan, dashboard a certain way. So did the Bel Air, the top line model. The fenders were the same. The wheelbase was the same when comparing two-door to two-door; wagon to wagon, etc. What changed was level of trim; level of options; instruments; engines and transmissions. Even the halo car, the Nomad wagon…even though it used a unique roofline and singular tailgate, steeply raked…it retained the front and rear sheetmetal.
Those were the marks…no matter how tricked-out and sporty it posed as, it was a Chevrolet.
The new compacts changed all that. Now there were TWO major platforms offered. And quickly they became three, with the intermediates; and then four with the subcompacts. Plus the ponycars; and then the “personal luxury” models…
As that was happening, the level of variety for each car body, dropped. Today, if you want a mid-sized car…there’s going to be one name within a brand, basically one level of trim. Options will be sold in “packages” – five or so. Want more or less? Go to a different car line…bigger or smaller.
Something about the Dodge warthog…speaks to me. It’s got character.
(…oh, and – no, I’m not married to an ugly woman.)
Chrysler was up to its eyeballs in scandal during these years and it shows. Colbert was covering up his relationships with suppliers, his long time friendship with Newberg was being questioned as he slipped his good buddy into the captain’s chair. A lot of folks at Chrysler was unhappy with key management. When Newberg got too comfortable and rubbed some the wrong way, his “investments” in Chrysler’s suppliers got called onto the carpet by the Board. Newberg was blamed for the failure of the small Plymouth and Dodge cars, and was shown the door. A lot of Board members saw his firing as a way to clean up the Company a bit and felt bad enough to offer Newberg legal representation as well as help in dealing with the government questioning the scandals.
Colbert ended up back where he started, looking for a way out to salvage his legacy. He ended up going to Canada to handle Chrysler in the Great White North. The continued questions regarding his cozy insider deals with Chrysler and it’s suppliers, his reason for having thousands in a personal safe in his office, and his discomfort in handling reporter questions sprung upon him in surprise visits were left behind as he skeedaddled out of the country.
Then the company was left with mass confusion regarding its styling. Exner’s health was not good, Newberg told his department to downsize Plymouth and Dodge which forced the Corporation to use the new Valiant as a basis for their now-full-size offerings. Dealers were walking away after years of costly quality repairs and ugly styling. Its amazing that Chrysler produced anything during these years considering the management meltdowns, health problems and scandals. Chrysler management was headed by men who did no training, no management development, egocentric decision making, bullying and dealmaking to get cars out the doors. So during these years when the key decision makers were being fired, hospitalized, or hiding from the press, Chrysler’s Board was left with little to do but fire Exner and Newberg, find a new place for Colbert and start from scratch.
It was just another Chrysler near-death experiences with others to follow.
The cars looked like a mess – just like the company looked like a total mess.
William Newberg was fired long before these cars debuted. Lynn Townsend was already in charge of Chrysler when he introduced them to the dealers in the summer of 1961.
Supposedly about 20 Dodge dealers immediately turned in their franchises when they saw the 1962 Dart and Polara, and learned that there would not be a conventional “full size” Dodge for that year.
These cars were a huge failure in the market. The corporation’s market share dropped to about 10 percent for 1962, and, at some points during the model year, AMC outsold all of Chrysler Corporation!
Exner was fired because the Chrysler Board of Directors needed a scapegoat for the failure of the 1962 Dodge and Plymouth. Townsend had supposedly promised not to fire Virgil Exner over these cars, given that Exner had opposed Newberg’s plan to downsize his original S-series cars in the first place. But the Board of Directors wanted someone’s head to roll over the failure of these cars, and it ended up being Exner’s. Newberg, the real culprit, was long gone by that point. But Exner was around long enough to complete Chrysler’s 1963 line-up, including the heavily facelifted Dodge and Plymouth, restyled Chrysler and restyled Valiant and Dart. All of them sold well, and helped Chrysler regain some lost ground in 1963.
The story goes “someone overheard that Chevy is downsizing Impala for ’62”.
But wonder if it was meant to be a false rumor to throw off the competition, and Chysler fell for it?
It was an overheard a conversation about Chevy’s new smaller model for 1962, at a party. That was actually true, given that they were talking about the compact Chevy II!
I suppose it was somewhat reasonable to assume that it applied to the large Chevrolet, since Chevy already had a compact in the Corvair. Still, it might have been a good idea to verify exactly what this conversation was about.
And given that the big Chevrolet was already being downsized a bit for 1961, an even smaller ’62 Chevrolet wasn’t exactly likely.
Given the proximity of these companies in the early 1960s, and how much they used to literally spy on each other, I’ve always wondered why Newberg or someone else at Chrysler didn’t bother to verify whether what he thought he overheard was really accurate.
Radically changing a company’s bread-and-butter models based on an overheard remark at a garden party seems incredibly risky. I guess it speaks volumes as to how Chrysler was managed in those days.
The very idea that you’d enact sweeping changes to not one but TWO car lines based on something you overheard at a garden party is something I can’t wrap my head around.
But that’s how it happened…amazed no one investigated the rumor or checked to see what Ford might be doing for 1962.
Aaron Severson’s excellent history of this debacle here…
http://ateupwithmotor.com/family-cars/146-chrysler-downsizing-disaster-1962.html
I do know that both Colbert and Newberg had been with Chrysler going back to at least the 1930s. Walter Chrysler suffered a stroke in 1937 and was sidelined from then on. K.T. Keller took over and was, by all accounts, pretty much of an autocrat (though a first rate production guy). I wonder if Keller’s ways and an old-timey small-company feel led to a lack of development of executive talent and a club-like atmosphere. The practices that may have been accepted in a largely private company in the 30s were different from the practices of a big public company in the 60s. Whatever happened, things went to hell very quickly after Keller stepped down in 1956. Within 5 years, the place was a wreck.
There were some great looking cars in 62,sadly for Mopar they belonged to Ford and GM.How different things were only 5 years before when the 57s made the Ford and GM cars look so plain.How many times did Mopar grab the ball,run ahead of the pack and drop it for the opposition to run with?
As someone who finds full-size Detroit iron of this vintage unfeasibly huge, I appreciate 1962’s mild downsizing — even if it was done based on erroneous intel. The slight shrinking of the Mopars isn’t the problem, it’s the kookiness of the styling; which strikes me as the work of a designer devoid of a master plan, flailing and grasping for something “new” (but not improved) to do.
I’ve seen the occasional toilet-seat Valiant in my life , but I don’t believe I’ve ever laid eyes on a Dodge Lancer.
I love the styling of the 62 Plymouths and Dodges. Light looking, airy greenhouse, lighter weight. Yeah, the front ends were a little over the line, but not badly so. Any complaint I have is with the way the chrome trim was doled out on the upper level models. It was slapped on too heavy in certain places, like the rear side on the Polara 500.
I definitely consider these a big improvement over the 59-61 models.
I like them too, but prefer the Plymouth over the Dodge. My favorite one? Sid Caesar’s metallic blue wagon in It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Chrysler’s turbine research program built a Turbo Dart prototype in ’62. As usual they changed the front styling. In this case I think they made a real improvement, not bad looking.
Another story is that some dealers saw pictures of the new 62’s at a meeting and quit in a big huff. i.e. Surrendered their franchise.
Styling is of course, highly objective. The 1962 Mopar line may not have appealed to many (as evidenced by sales figures), but the loss of bulk and avoirdupois had a very beneficial effect on the ’62 Plymouths and Dodges – they performed better than their ’61 counterparts and their ’62 Ford and Chevy competition. Even Motor Trend, which tested a ’62 Plymouth with a 318 and Torqflite, was semi-amazed at the fact that it could accelerate from 0-60 in only ten seconds. Fords and Chevys with similar power trains were left eating dust.
When you blend in the torsion bar front suspensions (which really did feel better than competitive offerings), unit bodies (which were much tighter and quieter than the competition), and the performance edge conferred by lower weight, these were pleasant cars to drive, especially with the Taxi Package, available to any buyer.
Unfortunately, after selling the public on styling a few years earlier, Chrysler has no one to blame for them rejecting this year’s damn ugly styling.
A few years ago, I was behind a sort of turquoise ’63 Chrysler New Yorker. it was almost identical to the one my mother had, for about a year and a half (About the shortest time my parents ever kept a car, normally my dad kept them 2-3 years). I called mom and said, “Hey, I’m behind a New Yorker like you used to have!”. She says, “You mean the black one?”, “No, the turquoise one you had after that, you know, the really ugly one!”. She says, “I had the blue Cadillac after the black New Yorker!”. I kept insisting that she had forgotten the ugliest car she had ever had, but she insisted that I was the one confused, after all, I was like 7 when we got it, nearly 48 years before. I told her we had a pic of it that I took of it in the garage at our old house. My mother’s memory, even at 87 when she died, was amazing, but somehow, the ugliness of that car seemed to cause it to erase itself from her memory. I looked for that pic for a long time, but I finally found it. When she saw it, it came back. “Oh my god!, That thing!, I remember it now, it was so ugly! How could I forget something like that!”. The sad thing is, it’s probably the best looking Chrysler car made during that era. I don’t know what they were drinking/smoking/huffing, but some kind of chemicals must have been involved.
63 New Yorker ugly? No way! I’m also one of the few fans of the 70 Coronet & Superbee
I liked the Coronet and Superbee, they had a great basic shape, the NY was just a mess, but it was a high point for Mopar in 1963. The only reason my mom had it was my dad decided the 61 New Yorker, black and a very nice looking car, but was problem plagued, had to go, and asked my mom if she wanted “another one”, and she said yes. My dad called his buddy the dealership owner up and said the wife needs a new New Yorker, He said he had a “lighter blue” one, loaded up, and my dad bought it, sight unseen for a cheap price. He was shocked when he picked it up, and my mom was shocked when he got home with it. The 64 Caddy was a very pleasant change when it replaced the New Yorker. My mother never had a Chrysler made car again.
The convertible version, top down, model peering out at you — nope, still uggo. Fortunately the Mopar something-the-dog-threw-up era only lasted a couple of years. YMMV.
The picture of the big stake bed Dodge D300 reminds me that Dodge used to make big trucks and semi tractors even at one point, I had totally forgoten about that.