1963 Dodge

Dodge sales had been dismal for the past two years. Chrysler’s President Townsend hated what he saw coming down the pike for Dodge in 1963 and pulled the fire alarm.  Virgil Exner was fired and replaced by Elwood Engel, who had designed the 1961 Lincoln. The full-sized marque needed to be completely reimagined.   This vehicle would be a crash program. The design team rolled up its collective sleeves and got to it in the spring of  1961. Burning the candle at both ends, the revamp was complete by November—only 5 1/2 months. It set an industry record.  The 1963 Dodge was hot stuff.

Wheelbase was increased by 76 millimetres (3 inches) to 3 022 millimetres (119 inches).

The stunning front end was inspired by Virgil Exner, and wisely retained. His trademark was that the grille would 'smile'.  It was the designer's last corporate hurrah. The grille was bold.  A veritable stylized Niagara of chrome, six dramatic waterfall divisions cascaded. The eye-catching divisions  wore a precipice-look, convex crease near the leading edge of the hood. That line formed the illusion of the classic light bar, as it aligned perfectly to the centre of the headlights, which in turn, tunnelled into the fenders. Within each section, four chrome streams plunged to the bumper. Sister lamps rode in the grille below the light bar crease. The front bumper was a tasteful wrap-around affair, with a pronounced up-turned lip. Turn signal lights nestled discreetly in the bumper.

The side envelope was refreshingly crisp and uncluttered. Wheelbase was increased by 76 millimetres (3 inches) to 3 022 millimetres (119 inches). A raised beauty crease ran from the top of the fender-mounted headlamps and ended its journey in a kicked-up C-pillar. The revised pillar was enlarged greatly and tasteful reverse-slant numerals were embellished there.The butter knife-line ran from the leading edge of the front fender and jutted brashly forward to crown the headlights. Dramatically, it raked back to emphasize fleetness. Dodge script was enshrined in a black and chrome rectangle.

Not for Canadians, the Dodge 800 and Custom 800 were sold Stateside.

To pick up DeSoto fans after the brand was scrubbed, Dodge created a much larger  800 and Custom 800 based on the Chrysler platform. The latter two were not available to Canadians because there was a zero interest in land yachts. 

Chrysler Canada pioneered the industry’s  5-year, 50,000 mile warranty. That alone generated unprecedented foot traffic into dealerships. This season all Dodge automobiles were blessed with an alternator and an anti-smog closed crankcase ventilation system. The clutch was improved. Engineers further kissed each Dodge with front Torsion Bar Suspension--to hug the road, reduce sway when corning, minimize nose dives, dips and rear-end squats. “Hailed by experts as the finest ever fitted to a Canadian car, the Dodge ride is level, steady and sure-footed." 

Rambler pioneered deep-dip rust proofing.

Bodies were now of unitized construction. Taking its cue from industry pioneer, Rambler, the galvanized steel and stainless steel  shell was not only immersed into seven anti-corrosive baths, it was further sprayed with corrosion-proofing compounds. Road cancer was vanquished—or at least significantly delayed.  Every Dodge was reputed to be ‘tough and solid’.

All engines were built in Chrysler Canada’s new plant. Wordsmiths promised that a Dodge owner would “win an economy run or a green light Grand Prix” with its trio of power plants.” 

The 3.7-litre (225-cubic inch) Slant Six engine was standard. Rugged and thrifty, it displaced 108 Kilowatts (145 horsepower). It had “a built in grudge against gas pumps and an inbred love of the open road.”

The heart of the 5.1-litre (313-cubic inch) V-8  was its polyspherical combustion chamber. Even with a two-barrel carb setup, churning out 168 Kilowatts (225 horsepower),  it needed only regular octane gasoline. It promised to be the perfect V-8 “for the family man, equally at home on crowded city streets or the open highway.”

Rounding out the engine offerings, the unique-to Canada 6.3-litre (383-cubic inch) Hi-Performance Dodge V-8 boasted brawny four-barrel carburation matched with dual exhaust. That kicked horsepower up  to 246 kilowatts (330 horsepower).  Tongue in cheek, advertising warned, “It’s not the kind of engine we can honestly recommend for Aunt Matilda’s trips to the supermarket.” 

The manual transmission was a three-speed synchromesh design. Torque-Flyte automatics operated with Mechanic Push-Button ease.

Two dozen B-bodied Dodge models were built in Windsor; nary a one was imported. 

The base 220 models, all equipped with Chrysler’s famed slant-six engine, were the best selling of the Dodge bunch. Budget-conscious Canadians snapped up 6,004 of them. The two-door sedan cost $2,675, the four-door sedan listed for $2,739. Six-seat wagon cost $2,172 and the nine-seater was $3,299. Advertising emphasized the engineering features. Not a word was wasted on describing interiors. Front and centre was engineering. For $120 extra, the optional V-8 was a steal.

With a total of 3,130 units built, the  330 models with the durable slant-six  mill was the second best seller. It was ‘a happy choice for the family man’. Although Dodge was clearly a full-sized car, publicity reported that it pinched on gas like many a compact.  The four-door sedan cost $2,901. The two-door hardtop cost $2,958. The six-passenger wagon was $3,287. The nine-passenger hauler commanded $3,414. Once again, the V-8 was available for $120 more on the barrel head. 

The 440 series showcased Dodge’s classy and sassy glamour gals. This was the Dodge with impeccable good taste, good manners and breeding. 

Contemporary upholstery choices were described as being rich, lustrous fabrics. However, one could upgrade to vinyl upholstery that ‘looks and feels and wears like leather’. The luxurious, chair-high bucket seat package featured a locking centre console, “providing a home for cigarettes, sunglasses and other motoring paraphernalia.” Special emphasis was placed on the deep, plush carpet, reinforced to ‘stop ladies’ stiletto heels from piercing it’.

A two- and four-door hardtop were priced at $3,080 and $3,157, when equipped with the six-cylinder engine.  A convertible and a four-door sedan. The sedan listed for $3,070 and the price tag on the ragtop read $3,412. For a modest $180 more, one could step up to the V-8 power plant. Consumers bought 2,613 of the 440 models with the V8 option. Of that number, 1,208 of them were convertibles.

The instrument panel was smart-looking, informative, yet simple. Controls and different-sized circular dials were housed in a stylish trapezoidal pod that floated atop a concave panel. Push-button transmission was placed on the left, the heater buttons to the right. Below the pod was a chrome insert that ran two-thirds of the way across the instrument panel. It housed the radio, ignition and parking brake. At the right flank of the chromium panel, one found the glove box. Above it was the marque’s insignia.

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Options were as long as the Confederation Bridge. Add-ons included the bucket seat package and the TorqueFlite  push-button automatic transmission. Low Impact Power Steering, Power Brakes, Prismatic Flip-Type Mirrors, Cigar Lighter Padded Dash, the Music Master Radio, All-Vinyl Interiors, Sure-Grip Differential, Electric Clock, Back-Up Lights (standard on 440), Variable Speed Electric Wipers, Glare-Reducing Solex Windshield, Seatbelts, Whitewall Tires, Deluxe Wheel Covers, Windshield Washers, Lights for the trunk, glovebox and finally, parking indicator Lamps.

Sales were solid. Workers at Chrysler Canada built 17,431 Dodge cars for the calendar year for domestic sales and 148 units were exported. 

© James C. Mays 2018 All rights reserved.

1965 Lincoln Continental

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The 1965 Lincoln Continental was 5 494 millimetres (216.3 inches) in overall length and rode on a wheelbase: of 3200 millimetres (126 inches).

The 1958 to 1960 Lincoln was a mixed bag of flamboyant postwar, jet-age styling. Consumers simply did not warm up to the outlandish looking but luxurious land yachts. 

 

1958 Lincoln Continental

Automotive reporters noted the dwindling sales and speculated that Lincoln was about to die. Designers  in Dearborn were immediately put to work, under the gun to move in a different direction and create a suitable, more elegant flagship. The project floundered. Ford’s popular Thunderbird was the starting point but a frustrated management team repeatedly rejected the proposed designs for the largest and most regal of the Blue Oval’s product lines.

The 1956-1957 Lincoln Continental Mark II was the inspiration for a new generation of luxury cars.

Finally, there was a breakthrough. Elwood Engel, working solo in the Special Projects studio, was inspired to update the already classic 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II. Engel’s vision resulted in a vehicle that was both stately and restrained. When the four-door clay buck, with its centre-opening doors, was viewed by execs, it was immediately selected to be the next generation of Lincoln.

  

1961 Lincoln Continental

A single pair of Lincoln Continentals was marketed for 1961 and what beauties they were: a four-door hardtop, designated as Model 82 and a four-door convertible, designated as Model 86.  The four-door hardtop sedan listed for $7,810 and the open town car—the industry’s only four-door ragtop--could be had for $8,650. Canadians registered approval of the graceful transformation by purchasing 667 lovely Lincolns during the calendar year. 

The 1965 Lincoln Continental hardtop (top) cost $8,528 and weighed in at 2 317 kilos (5,109 pounds). The convertible (below) cost $9,398 before taxes and had a curb weight of 2 446 kilos (5,393 pounds).

The 1965 restyle was befitting the overall tastefulness of the original design. The grille was squared up and subtly flattened. Parking lights were moved from the bumper to the caps of the front fenders.  The rear was simplified, given a sharp concave crease and the taillights were graced with ribs. Advertising billed the latest Lincolns as “America’s most distinguished motorcar.”

As the owner of a fine automobile would expect, interiors were spectacular and available in many tasteful, coordinating colours including Beige, Black, Blue cloth and leather combinations for sedans. Shared between both models were Aqua, Beige Black, Blue, Burgundy, Ivy Gold, Palomino Red, Silver Blue and White-Black leather.

New this season was Largo cloth in a pleated, vacuum-formed Biscuit Design as well as an embossed roll-and-tuck Moire fabric. Other upholstery choices included the highest grade of traditional wool broadcloth and a dozen colours of low-lustre leather. The upholstery was exceptionally sharp when dressed up with the optional walnut accent panels.  Carpets were seamless, moulded and cut-pile.

Instrument panel in the 1965 Lincoln was majestic and vast.

In the driver’s seat, the operator sat in front of an impressive control panel, padded and cowled. The fascia was horizontally divided into two. The top portion was long and narrow, home to a strip speedometer, radio, heather controls, and a clock. The lower portion featured a band of chrome ribs over a black panel. Here was located a quartet of gauges in the shape of the Lincoln emblem. The 40-centimetre (16-inch) steering wheel was given a textured grip and the six-position gear selector was redesigned.

A massive 7-litre [430-cubic inch) engine thundered power through the Twin-range, three-speed, Turbo-drive automatic transmission this season.  Top speed was 196 k/h (122 mph). While it weighed in at 2 395 kilos (5,280 pounds), Lincoln was no slouch, rocketing from zero to 100 k/h in 10.3 seconds (60 m/h in 9.7 seconds.)  Fuel consumption was 23.9 litres/100 kilometres (11.8 miles to the Imperial gallon). The 238.5 kW (320-horsepower] mill required premium gasoline when the Lincoln passed by an Irving, Husky or Fina filling station.  No one cared, the national average price for a litre of gas was 9.9 cents (49 cents for an Imperial gallon].

Exterior colours for Lincoln this year were Phoenician Yellow, Jamaican Yellow, Persian Gold, Powder Blue, Willow Gold, Fiesta Red, Heather, Arctic White, Platinum, Burnished Bronze, Huron Blue, Spanish Moss, Desert Sand, Russet, Silver Sand, Turino Turquoise, Black Satin, Nocturne Blue, Charcoal Frost, Madison Grey and Royal Maroon. The last five were limousine choices, as well.  

The list of standard equipment was  nearly as big as the BNA Act. The ‘almost totally automatic’ Lincoln included power steering, self-adjusting power brakes—disc in front, power windows and door locks, six-way power front seats, heater, a dual aluminum muffler, variable-speed windshield wiper, a windshield washer, whitewall tires, back-up and courtesy lights, open door warning light, a transistor AM push-button radio, power antenna, a trip odometer, undercoating, electric clock, and retractable seat belts (front).

The options list was much shorter but included rear seat belts, emergency 4-way flashers, air conditioning, tinted glass, an AM/FM radio, an automatic headlamp dimmer, speed control and a block heater.

 

The 1965 Lincoln Continental Executive Limousine was fit for royalty.

Finally there was the Executive Limousine, touted as “the ultimate expression of Continental elegance.” These sedans were stretched by 86 centimetres (34 inches) then handcrafted into custom-built limos by Lehmann-Peterson Coachbuilders of Chicago.  The conversion included a padded roof with a rear opera window for privacy. Instead of jump seats, a clever rear-facing companion seat provided an “intimate conversation area” in the glass-partitioned rear, where the floor was carpeted in mouton. Upholstery was broadcloth or leather.  A hand-rubbed walnut cabinet housed a built-in television set and an AM/FM radio. A separate heater and air conditioner pampered passengers.  There was space for a telephone, a built-in dictating machine or beverage comportment.  The limo and its conversion equipment were fully warrantied by Ford, which introduced the industry’s first 40 000-kilometre (24,000-mile) warranty.

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For 1965, only 78 (some sources say 85) of these fine limousines were built.  It is not known how many were sold in Canada but total Lincoln sales for the calendar year reached 711 units. That placed the luxury mark in third place behind Mercedes-Benz with 736 sales and Imperial delivering 257 cars for fourth place. Cadillac continued to lead the luxury pack with 3,389 vehicles registered throughout the Dominion.

Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!
Visit my old car website at: The Oilspot Eh!
Copyright James C. Mays 2015 All rights reserved.