If memory serves me right, we haven’t had many Mopar products from the 1970s lately. So before fans of the Pentastar from that era go into withdrawal, I thought these vintage images may do the trick. It’s an interesting trio; a ’74 Chrysler Newport and a 1970 Dodge Polara and Monaco. All parked in some kind of military facility in Europe.
The nice thing about this post is that it even has goodies for those who don’t favor American iron. Want European? No problem! Just look at the rather interesting samples around these Mopar products. Next to the Polara, we got a neat grey Ford Capri. And further down, we can see a Ford 17M Taunus.
European machinery aside, the stars in these shots are the Mopars. Let’s look at them more or less in chronological order, starting with the ones from the fuselage era. Here’s a closer shot of the Polara, Dodge’s entry-level full-sizer for 1970.
While we’ve covered this generation of full-size Dodges in the past, I think this is the first 1970 we feature. Mechanically, there wasn’t much different from the 1969 year, when these fuselage Dodges made their debut. However, this was the first year of the now iconic loop bumpers.
Being the entry model, these had a 6-cyl. engine option plus a whole array of V-8 choices. I’m not versed enough in military matters to even dare to guess which mill would be of their preference, but some commenter surely will opine on that.
Also, notice the Buick station wagon peeking on the left side of this shot.
Then, we got the top of the line Monaco. If you had any fuselage cravings in your body recently, this pair should cover it.
The Monaco being Dodge’s top model wouldn’t bother with a lowly inline 6. Instead, it carried the top-performing engines; the 383 in 2bbl or 4bbl setups, and the 440.
I won’t deny I enjoy seeing a Monaco of this generation, of which there haven’t been many at CC. The one thing that would make it better? If it had been a ’72 or ’73. The one with the retractable headlights that has yet to appear in these pages.
Changing subject; lots of German cars in this parking lot. A base located somewhere in Germany?
Let’s move on to the Newport, surrounded by yet more German machinery. Besides the obvious VWs, I believe that’s an Opel Caravan wagon next to the Beetle.
Chrysler was entering one of its periodic crises when this Newport came out of the assembly line, with these full sizers arriving to a very unfavorable market. And like a lot of the Mopar products from the mid ’70s, these Chryslers were a curious amalgam of styling cues that recalled either GM or Ford products. Still, there’s some old fuselage softness remaining, mixed with the formality of the ’70s. It all added to a ‘gothic fuselage’ kind of vibe that gives it enough character and probably looks better today than it did back in the day.
And while I prefer my machinery in stock form, I’m pretty much OK with this Newport’s neat-looking sporty wheels. This Newport must have been quite a sight sailing through the German Autobahn.
Let’s close with this one last shot of the Polara, next to a lithe and clean-looking Audi. Quite a contrast of machinery these two next to each other. So as I said, unless you favor Celicas, there’s just about something for everyone in this parking lot.
Related CC reading:
Car Show Classic: 1974 Chrysler Newport – Sorry, Please Play Again
Curbside Classic: 1977 Chrysler Newport St. Regis – Old Soldier
Road Trip Journal: 1972 Dodge Polara – Grand Canyon and Pumice-Crete Revisited
CC Capsule: Dodge Polara and Monaco – Double Pleasure, Double Your Fun
I wonder if the European spec cars had the full performance high compression engines.
These all belong to American service men and these cars were brought over from the USA. They were not bought locally. To the extent American cars were sold in Germany they would have been drastically more expensive.
While some undoubtedly came with servicemen when were posted to Europe, the US automakers had programs where servicemen could purchase new cars thru the PX/BX and receive delivery over there. When I was there in the 70’s the cars were American spec but the catalytic converter was replaced by a straight pipe where it would go. The converter was to be installed when the car rotated back to the states. I’m sure this practice changed when unleaded became available in Europe.
Me? I still think my Taunus’ V4 engine was so small it was cute.
I understand, and that makes sense. I was referring to buying European spec American cars from the local dealers. These export cars were different in many ways, including lighting, km/h speedo, HD suspensions and other chassis differences, and engine tuning (no/limited emission controls).
U.S. service personnel were allowed to ship their cars to Germany. Why? I don’t know as I would rather take advantage of “European Delivery” programs manufacturers like Mercedes Benz and Volvo had.
Also, folks stationed in Germany could buy gasoline at American prices at the PX and were given coupons to buy cheap gas elsewhere if you left the post.
“I believe that’s an Opel Caravan wagon next to the Beetle.”
Yes, you’re right. It is an Opel Rekord D wagon. The Rekord D-Series was launched in March 1972. There were 3-door wagons available as well as 5-door wagons. And sedans, of course.
“Next to the Polara, we got a neat grey Ford Capri, Europe’s Mustang (no Mercury nonsense over there).”
Looking at the four framed headlights and the grill mounted indicators, this Capris classifies as an US-version. Even the front bumper with the close together placed rubber elements shout “US-Capri”. Therefore, it i s a Mercury in fact.
Yes, you’re right. I keep forgetting about those different headlights and grille. The text has been lightly amended.
Although the Capri was sold in the US by Mercury dealers it was never badged as one. It’s just a Capri. It would be interesting to look at a manufacturers plate on a US market Capri to see what it says.
Good question. I don’t think we have any early Capri owners here to ask.
In a similar vein, the Nevada title for my 1G Scion xB listed the make as Toyota, and the model as “Scion xB”. Does your title do the same?
Absolutely. It would have to, because Scion was never a brand. All Scions were legally Toyotas, and titled and registered as thus.
There’s a few photos of Capri build plates on the web, but there’s not much information on them (even less than typical build plates). I was curious if it said something like “imported for Lincoln-Mercury,” or something, but apparently not.
But I bet plenty of state DMVs registered these as Mercurys, like Evan’s Scion example.
It’s a good question, but I’m not so likely to concur. Scions were always legally Toyotas, as they were not a brand. They were manufactured by Toyota in Japan, where there was no such thing as Scion, and their manufacturer’s plates, titles and registrations are always listed as Toyota. Which makes sense, since there was no Scion to build them in Japan; that was just an American marketing sub-brand.
But these Capris are different; they were built by Ford-Werke AG, not Mercury (or Ford USA). So I would be inclined to think they were legally titled as either Fords or just Capri, but not Mercury.
I was in elementary school when the Capris were popular, but I remember people calling them Ford Capris. I also seem to recall Lincoln-Mercury dealers having a separate, smaller Capri sign with the Ford oval.
Great set of pictures. Definitely West Germany, since the mint-green plates were for US Forces in Germany (issued between 1973-83). Those were interesting license plates because they were made to fit bolt patterns for both American and European cars – instead of bolt holes, they had 2.5″ long slots.
Interestingly plates before ’73 had silver characters. If the story we heard back then was true, they changed to this design so as to be more visible to traffic cameras. I remember there being at least one red light camera at a busy intersection in Heidelberg.
In the second picture, with the Capri, is that the nose of a white Maverick (or Comet) peeking out in the background? With LDO hubcaps? By the way, if that’s a US Capri, weren’t they just Capri’s, sold at L-M dealers but not branded either way?
Frankly of more interest to me than the Mopars is the bicycle in front of the yellow Newport. No brake cables connected to either of the drop bar levers, no rear brake, and a “high bar” brake lever mounted above and almost behind the top of the bars, connected to the front brake. I have no idea how one would safely operate it.
Looking at the rear hub I can’t positively rule out a coaster brake, which can be quite small. I rather assume that’s what it has.
Looks like front brake only to me. Coaster brakes are hard to fit to wheels with a rear derailleur. This setup suggests replacements for the original brake cables could not be obtained and an improvised setup was hooked to the front brake only. For a bike used mostly in a flat area, this would be a workable solution for a beater style bike that would be commonly used in areas where bike “borrowing” is considered a sport rather than a crime. Amsterdam comes to mind, but some American military bases aren’t far behind.
I beg to differ. There is no derailleur on it. And there never was.
This is a typical German single speed bike which came with a coaster brake and a front caliper brake, unlike most American single speed bikes. This was the most common type of city bike in that part of the world. They were everywhere in cities back in the 50s and 60s. My mom’s bike in Innsbruck was like that. It was a lot safer than the American style of just the rear coaster brake.
This owner wanted a downturn handlebar so he just mounted one and installed the existing front brake lever on that bar.
I realize looking at it from an American perspective it looks odd. But it’s not really. Racer style bars were very popular at the time so he just fitted one.
I’m not familiar with the style of bike you describe. This photo sure had me fooled. Never too old to learn.
Here’s a photo of a typical German single speed bike from back then. Coaster brake in the rear, caliper brake in the front. The one in this post just had its handlebar changed.
Interesting. Never seen these before. I guess the presence of the two non-functioning brake levers on the Chrysler photo bike fooled me into thinking the bike would have come with rear brake calipers rather than a coaster brake. I ignored the possibility that someone later added a coaster brake and simply assumed (always dangerous) that such a bike would be equipped with some type of derailleur as well. Live and learn.
Rob, you’re still not getting it. He did not add a coaster brake. This was originally a single speed city bike with conventional handlebars. It did not start out as a ten speed. It had a rear coaster brake and a front caliper brake, just like in the picture of the women’s version above. All he did was to swap out the handlebars, which still had the levers from when it was originally on a ten speed bike. He then mounted the original front caliper brake handle on the swapped in downswept handlebars.
How embarrassing that there are more Capri and bicycle comments than Mopar.
Do any fuselage cars not have the lip atop the front fenders? It messes up the masses in profile pics, but you do know it’s a Chrysler product, unlike the ’74, which could easily be from GM but for its superior bumper integration.
Embarrassing? Really?
It’s ok; no need to be embarrassed. 🙂
Canada also had military bases in Germany. My aunt was in the medical branch of the RCAF. She spent the war in London and then was stationed in Germany after 1945. At some point she signed up again and was stationed in Germany. She had never driven, but in the early 60s she took lessons and bought a beetle from someone on the base. She subsequently bought a Squareback, and it was the twin carb version, which I think was called 1500 TS. When she returned to Canada she brought it back. She did that a couple of times over the years. I think the prices were attractive. The last time I visited (probably early 80s), she had a Squareback but her husband, also in the forces, drove a Dodge Swinger, which I thought was an odd choice.
When she shipped her first car to Canada, the ship was hit by a major storm, and her car broke loose in the hold. There was no serious damage, but both sides of the car were covered in dents. The doors still worked OK, so my aunt kept driving it. She said that whenever she left it in a parking lot, when she came back there would be no cars parked anywhere near it. The dents scared everyone off.
While Ma Mopar would build anything if a fleet ordered it or the parts were handy, the slant six generally wasn’t available at retail in the 1970 Polara. The big Dodge went through the Sixties trying and failing to match the Catalina. No sixes; lowest trim equal to Impala, Fury III, Galaxie 500, Catalina, etc.
Actually I beg to differ. I had a 70 polara with a slant six, automatic and no power steering or brakes. I also knew the history of the car and it was sold privately by our local Dodge dealer here in Ontario to it’s first elderly owner.
Things were done differently in Canada, such as Polara sixes. They were not available in the US.
These were the angry brow Mopars.
In 201O at a local car where I was displaying my 1971 Dodge Demon 340, I was approached by a man who liked my car and told me his Dad had a love for Mopars. He made mention his Dad still had his old Dodge Charger sitting in his Dad’s backyard where it had been sitting dormant for the past 17 years and that his Dad’s health was failing and that it was time to sell his old ride. It peaked my interest to investigate this Charger. After getting directions to his fathers home, I was told to bring a machete because of the overgrown lawn and vegetation, the only way to have a look at the car was through the alley which was partially blocked by downed trees and lot’s (!!!) of vegetation. Eventually, my friend and I hacked our way to the area where a rickety old garage with it’s roof almost landing on another old Mopar was. The car in question was a gold 1972 Dodge Charger Rallye, covered in moss & mold, looking VERY sad indeed !! The bulge hood was there, the special multilouvered tail lights & special door louvers were all there….could a 440 Magnum be still be residing between the fenders…surprise, the original 318 – 2 barrel standard engine for the Rallye option was there. I talked with the Dad and asked for the keys to unlock the doors, muscled the fan blade to rotate it after I put into neutral, surprising enough the engine was not frozen. As I got to know the owner a little bit, he told me the incredible story about this car and how it came to be. In November 1971, he was a young soldier stationed at a military base in Germany. He had been there already for not quite a year when heard about a program where he could purchase a car through the base’s PX and have it shipped to Germany. ( It’s a good, very true story….follow along, please.) When he told the guys in the barracks what he intended to do, he became somewhat of a celebrity with money to do the deed….or so he thought. Alot of guys in his unit thought it was cool when the day came to place his order at the base PX after receiving
HIS OWN money sent by his Dad for the car. After being gone for a few hours, the soldier returned, fellow soldiers awaiting the good news to hear. “Did you order your car ???”. “No, I was short $800.00….not enough money, I can’t get it…I’m tapped out !” He layed on his bed staring at nothing, his heart had sunk as he knew he could not get the Charger any cheaper, after all he got the price about low as possible by wanting to order basically a stripper Charger Rallye. NO = Rallye wheels, console, big block, disc brakes, sun roof, tachometer, am/fm radio, 4 – speed, etc. It was to be his 1st new car, an entry level but stripper Charger. Two days had passed when his Army buddy came up to him and said, ” I know how you can get your car, but there is a catch”. “I took up a collection from the guys (ALOT who he had never met or knew) and about 90 guys contributed $10 + each, (Remember, alot of these guys were privates so $10 was a big deal !!) I got you $933.00 – so go order that f**king car, Private !!! Oh, and by the way, everybody that contributed will get to drive your Charger on the Autobahn with you in the car !!! So this Charger Rallye was driven at speed at least 80 times by U.S. Army personnel, just think if it had a 440 in it and how many soldiers would have spent time in the local jail. I think the 318 – 2 barrel actually saved them all…lol !!! I asked the owner why he let it sit outside for 17 years, not covered or protected. He told me it was his 1st car, and that he had alot of great memories with his Army buddies in it. He wanted to see it from his kitchen window and know that his old ride was still with him, even though his health slowly deteriorated and could no longer drive. He said that he would sell it to me when he saw my ’71 Demon 340 and knew I would be the best caretaker to bring it back to nice. Unfortunatley, 2 months after he sold it to me for $800, he passed away. I have cleaned and replaced everything mechanical that new parts, it’s an ongoing project as I have to share the love with my other Mopars. The paint cleaned up well for being original paint and a Legendary Interior upholstery is next to be installed. The engine runs strong, I added Edelbrock intake & 4 bbl carb, dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers. You’d never know it, it really sounds like a big block. And yes, it still has it’s export tag screwed onto the radiator support/ hood latch area. Very sorry this is so long, but as fellow gearheads, I thought some of you would enjoy this true story. Safe travels to you all.
– Ray
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story, Ray. And kudos on saving it. It looks fab!
Hello fellow gearheads !
So I thought I send along a more updated picture of my 1972 Charger Rallye in it’s current condition. It’s amazing to note that when I’ve taken it to shows and tell the story ( I have a story board with “..as I found it…” pictures.) how peole say it ok that it not a pretty show car but rather a true survivor for the most part. “They” are still out there.
Thank you all ! – Ray
Hello again !
For those who would like to see it, here is the seldom seen export tag installed from the factory for Mopars being sent across the waters. “MADE IN THE U.S.A.” Thanks !!
– Ray
Thank you, Ray.
Thank you, Ray. Can you post pics of your display boards?
Nice .
Fuselage goodness .
I don’t like huge cars and I couldn’t afford to feed one of these beasts but until you’ve had the great pleasure of driving or riding in one of these cars when properly set up at godly speed you have NO IDEA what you’re missing =8-) .
Great cars then and now, I miss them greatly .
-Nate