1950 Dodge Coronet
The Dodge Custom Royal
The first Dodge Custom Royal was produced in 1955
but the reason for its existence began a bit earlier.
After WWII all makes of cars were selling like
hotcakes. Chrysler Corporation had the mistaken idea
that their products were just fine the way they were
but starting in 1953 the buying public grew more
sophisticated tastes. So much so, in fact, that for
Dodges and Plymouths, which hadn't changed much
over the years, sales dropped to almost zero. 1953/'54
almost saw the end of Chrysler Corp with quite a few
new cars being sold in used car lots just to keep sales
going. Only the fact that they could make a 250
million dollar, 100 year loan saw them through.
It became apparent to Chrysler executives that the company had to come up with a new concept in cars to remain viable and to that end show car designer Virgil Exner had been tapped to pull the company out of its slump. Exner had been with Chrysler since 1949 as head of advanced styling but in 1953 he became director of styling. Since new car designs are created a couple of years before their actual appearance on showroom floors, Exner had little say over the '53/'54 offerings but the '55s were of his design.
Dodge, being third in the Chrysler line-up, after Chrysler and Desoto, was deemed the obvious choice for major updates since it had no luxury model and a totally new kind of car was wanted.
(The Chevy 265 cubic inch engine and the Ford 272 engine each produced 162 horsepower in '55.)
The '55s had 3 transmissions available, the 3 speed manual, 3 speed manual with overdrive and a 2 speed automatic. The PowerFlite 2-speed automatic transmission was shifted with a new dash mounted gear-shift lever which was located to the right of the steering wheel. This feature was later used in some of the mid 60s Dodge and Fargo trucks.
The '55s were an all new design
for Dodge and Plymouth though
they retained 6 volt ignition
systems and coil spring front
suspension. The '55 Dodges also
came in a La Femme model
which was a special package
based on the Custom Royal and
aimed at women who were
buying their own cars more and more often. One of the perks that came
with the Heather Rose and Sapphire White La Femme was a gift of ladies
accessories which included a cape, boots, umbrella and shoulder bag. There were even built-in
compartments in the seatbacks for the ladies to store their new accessories.
1956 saw some changes which included the addition of more pronounced tail fins and 12 volt
electrical systems. The dash mounted gear selector lever used in the '55s was not used in the '56s.
They were fitted with a push-button gear selector in the upper left corner of the dash. This type of
gear selector, in varying configurations, was used on most Chrysler makes until they were phased
out in 1963. Another new feature for '56 was "HighWay Hi-Fi" This was a specially balanced and
dampened record player that could be played while the car was in motion without the needle
skipping on the disc. The records were just 7 inches in diameter and would hold a total of 45
minutes of music
The '56 Dodges still included the La Femme model. Unfortunately, the ladies were not impressed and the La Femme was discontinued.
The '57 Dodges and Plymouths again got a new look with
much larger fins and tail lights. The new design was longer
and lower, sporting 14 inch tires for the first time. The new
"Swept - Wing" Custom Royal series retained its place near
the top of the Dodge offerings. The front fenders and hood
were typical Dodge but from there to the rear bumper the
changes were pronounced. Chrysler also changed front
suspension to a horizontal torsion bar design which had the
added feature of being adjustable to change the ride via an adjusting bolt at the torsion bar front
end socket. The new Dodge and Plymouth design also featured more room in the interior with the
Custom Royals getting an instrument panel that was markedly different than its less expensive
sisters. Also new for Dodge and Plymouth was the 3 speed
Torqueflite automatic transmission operated through the
dash mounted push-button gear selector introduced in
1956. One unusual feature of the Custom Royal gear
selector was that the starter switch was coupled to the
neutral button. The starter switch was routed through a
vacuum operated solenoid which disconnected the starter
when the engine was running so it would not engage when
the transmission was shifted into neutral.
The '57 Custom Royals standard engine was the 325 cubic inch, 245 horsepower "Red Ram" V8 .
"Highway Hi-Fi" was again offered in 1957 but due to the small selection of the special records that were required, not many were installed in the new cars.
Exner's 300 million dollar gamble payed off with sales numbers so high that Chrysler Corporation factories could not keep up with dealer demand in 1957.
The '58 Custom Royal series was virtually unchanged from '57 getting only a restyled grill,
simplified chrome and a redesigned front bumper. Another added feature was dual headlights. The
'57s had been designed to accept dual headlights but they were not fitted with them due to the fact
that in most jurisdictions they were still illegal. That was changed for 1958 and most makes of
cars got dual headlights.
The horsepower of the "Red Ram" engine was boosted to 252 with the "Super Red Ram" getting 265 horsepower. A new "Ramfire" engine came in either 285 horsepower 350 cubic inch or 305 horsepower 361 cubic inch versions.
The US recession of 1958 meant fewer jobs and less
available cash for new car purchases and Chrysler
Corporation was again in financial straits so Chrysler
budgeted $150 million to try and retain their market share.
Though much of this money went to the Plymouth Division
all their makes got a substantial facelift for 1959. All
Chrysler built cars of 1959 got a completely restyled body
on the frame that was introduced in 1957. The new look of
the 59 Custom Royal seemed extreme, even garish to many
people. All models retained the pushbutton gear selector
for their automatic transmissions but the Custom Royal had
a redesigned rear end including exaggerated fins and larger,
more gaudy tail lights. Despite the garish appearance of the
'59 Dodges, or maybe because of it, they sold fairly well.
One option that was quite popular was the "Swing-out
Swivel Seat". It pivoted out while the driver sat down and
when he swung his legs into the car the seat followed and
locked in place. This seat design was last used in the 1960
Dodge Polara which replaced the venerable Custom Royal.
The re-designed '59 Custom Royal came from the factory with the "Ram-Fire"361 V8 but they
could be ordered with the new 345 horsepower 383. The "Hemi"engines were no longer available
and wouldn't be seen again until 1964 when the 426 "Hemi" made its appearance for street and
racing applications.
I had heard a story while working for a Chrysler dealership about the demise of the pushbutton gear selector.
(Top line Edsels and Mercury/ Monarchs used them, too, in '57 - '59. Electric shift for Edsel and cable for Mercury/ Monarchs.) The story went that the pushbutton shift was discontinued because when the ladies shifted gears in cars so equipped they would accidentally get their long fingernails caught between the button and the housing and break their nails off. Since the female of the species carries a lot of clout when it comes to buying cars this very unique gear selector was discontinued.
This, to the best of my knowledge, covers the history of the Dodge Custom Royal. I have no doubt that there are errors and some important omissions in this history and anyone having more information on this subject is invited to get in touch with me at del.mar.rivertrail@sasktel.net
This article is based on the American version of the Custom Royal. In Canada the history of this line of cars played out somewhat different. For example: the 325 engine did not become available in the Canadian Custom Royal until 1958 and even though Chrysler USA went to a 318 cubic inch standard V8 in '59 Chrysler in Canada used the 313 engine through 1964.
Photo Credits
All photos are courtesy of John MacDonald of Nova Scotia, Canada and they (and much, much more) can be seen at http://www.oldcarandtruckpictures.com/