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86-553: The Fury was a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere from 1956 through 1958. It was sold only as a sandstone white two-door hardtop with gold anodized aluminum trim, in 1956 and 1957. In 1958, it was only available in buckskin beige with gold anodized aluminum trim. These Furys had special interiors, bumper wing-guards and V8 engines with twin four-barrel carburetors . The 1957 and 1958 318 cu in (5.2 L) -engine produced 290 hp (216 kW), shared with

172-915: A Plymouth Prowler , was encased in a vault in Tulsa's Centennial Park (formerly Central Park) in 1998 to celebrate the city's centennial. After discovering what had become of the 1957 Belvedere, the Prowler was moved above ground, and a mound was formed over it. It is to be revealed after the same time as the Belvedere, in 2048. Chrysler C platform Chrysler 's C platform was the basis for rear wheel drive full-size cars from 1965 to 1978. Although often misclassified, 1964 and earlier full-size Chrysler products, and 1966 and earlier Imperials are not C-bodies. C-bodies were built between 1965 and 1978. They had wheelbases ranging from 119 to 124 inches, they were generally loaded with features, and all C-Body cars used

258-451: A "High-Performance PowerPAC" at extra cost. A manual transmission was standard with the push-button two-speed PowerFlite optional and the push-button three-speed TorqueFlite automatic also optional on V8 cars. The front suspension introduced Chrysler's Torsion-Aire Torsion bar suspension shared with all Chrysler products starting in 1957. In 1957, Chrysler products offered a choice of either single or dual headlights. Plymouth installed

344-569: A 217.8 cubic inch (4,107 cc) side-valve six-cylinder engine, imported from Chrysler UK. It was produced as a four-door sedan and as a locally developed two-door coupe utility , along with similar Cranbrook and Savoy models, until it was replaced by the Chrysler Royal in 1957. The Belvedere was reintroduced to the Australian market in early 1958 when Chrysler Australia began assembling the current model Belvedere four-door hardtop which

430-474: A 361 cu in (5.92 L) version of the Golden Commando with a two- or four-barrel carburetor. The dual four-barrel version of the "small block" 318 cu in (5.21 L) was also introduced that year, with the four-barrel available on this engine through the 1962 model year. The Dodge Viscount was an automobile built by Chrysler Canada for the 1959 model year only. It was based on

516-417: A 361. The 225 cu in (3.69 L) slant-six produced 145 hp (108 kW) at 4,000 rpm. The 383 was rated at 330 hp (250 kW). The styling for the 1960 model year had been formulated in 1957 during the height of tailfin era, but the design fell from fashion. While Chevrolet and Ford sales increased during 1960, Plymouth barely continued its 1959 volume. Tailfins were removed for

602-570: A Belvedere. The GTX came standard with the 440 CID engine and the Road Runner with the 383 Magnum, with the 440 six-barrel or the 426 Hemi engines optional. The Belvedere name was dropped at the end of the 1970 model year, replaced by the Satellite name originally reserved for higher-end Belvederes. It lasted only through 1974, becoming the Fury in 1975 when the longer-wheelbase Fury model became

688-420: A block that was inclined 30 degrees to the right to permit a lower hood line with maximum displacement. This engine used a single-barrel Holley carburetor and became known for its extremely rugged construction, exceptional reliability, and longevity. The V8 engines continued to be optionally available, in displacements of 318 cu in (5.2 L) and 361 cu in (5.9 L). Unit body construction

774-575: A hardtop coupe or a convertible. The 1962 range included a Fury 4-door Station Wagon, the wagon equivalent of the Fury having previously been marketed as the Plymouth Sport Suburban. Chrysler Corporation began to restyle and enlarge the Plymouths and Dodges, which improved sales in 1963 and 1964. The 1964 models saw an improvement in sales, especially the two-door hardtop, which featured a new slanted roofline. Engine choices remained

860-525: A one-piece windshield, flush rear fenders, and a lower hood line. In April 1953, Plymouths received the Hy-Drive semi-automatic transmission . The engine was carried over from 1952, with the only enhancement being a slight increase in the compression ratio to 7.10:1, which yielded a rating of 100 hp (75 kW). A total of 35,185 Belvederes were sold in 1953. The Belvedere replaced the Cranbrook as

946-457: A pair of rakish tail-fins. In early 1956, the Fury joined the Belvedere line as a special-edition high-performance coupe. Belvedere remained the top full-line series through 1958. In 1956, Plymouth added seat belts. In 1956, Chrysler's chief engineer George Huebner in a public-relations campaign took a Belvedere and had a Chrysler turbine engine fitted instead of the standard gasoline engine, and

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1032-457: A plush, luxurious edition of the Fury, called the VIP. Available initially as a four-door hardtop in the fall of 1965, it was joined in early 1966 by a two-door hardtop. Interiors featured plush upholstery, door panels were contoured with ample woodgrain trim throughout the cabin, while the exterior got "VIP" emblems and fender skirts as standard. Although the car was essentially an upgraded Fury III, it

1118-567: A spring-loaded hood ornament with the Plymouth logo. In addition to the Road Runner, the Fury coupes were offered in base, Custom and Sport models. The "sport" was the top-line coupe featuring body pinstriping on the upper door and front and rear fenders, interiors with all-vinyl bucket seats and center cushion and armrest, or optional center console; or split bench seats with armrest, along with plusher shag carpeting on floor and door panels plus lower door carpeting. The wagons were available as either

1204-531: A stereo cassette recorder. The LA 360 cubic engine was introduced, the largest production "smallblock" V8 built by Chrysler Corporation. A new Fury Custom model came out in May and was priced between the Fury I and II. For 1972, the Fury was facelifted with a large chrome twin-loop bumper design with a small insignia space between the loops and hidden headlamps as standard equipment on the Sport Suburban, and

1290-557: A stereo tape player with a microphone, making it possible to record off the radio or take dictation. The 1971 model year offered a new Sport Fury 4-door sedan and a 2-door sedan (similar to the Sport Fury hardtop but with fixed rear quarter windows) in the Fury I series. A hardtop coupe was now available in the Fury II series, and a Formal Hardtop was available for both Sport Fury and Fury III. New options included headlight washers and

1376-574: A thicker grade of carpeting, more sound insulation, and full courtesy lighting. In Australia, the full-size Dodge Phoenix was based on the Dodge Dart and the 440 until 1965, when it became a right-hand drive version of the contemporary Fury. The Phoenix continued in production in Australia until 1972, each based on that year's North American Plymouth Fury. The 1969 model year featured Chrysler's new round-sided "Fuselage Look" styling. The Fury

1462-531: A time capsule in downtown Tulsa on the grounds of the brand-new county courthouse. It was unearthed on June 14, 2007, during the state's centennial celebrations, and was publicly unveiled the following day. In line with the Cold War realities of late-1950s America, the concrete enclosure was advertised as having been built to withstand a nuclear attack. The concrete enclosure, however, was not airtight and allowed water to leak in, which caused significant damage to

1548-569: A torsion bar front suspension design. In 1969, Chrysler redesigned the C-Body platform to incorporate its new “Fuselage” styling that brought the upper and lower sections of body into one uniformly shaped design, in turn changing the look of all the models. This new C-Body design saw Chrysler ditching the last stylistic remnants of the early-to-mid 1960s in favor of a more contemporary silhouette. These emphasized luxury over performance. However, due to economic turmoil and an auto industry reeling from

1634-648: Is prominently seen (Plymouth was a sponsor of the show). Plymouth Belvedere The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970. The Belvedere name was first used for a new hardtop body style in the Plymouth Cranbrook line for the 1951 model year. In 1954, the Belvedere replaced the Cranbrook as the top trim and became a full model line with sedans , station wagons , and convertible body styles. The Belvedere continued as Plymouth's full-sized car until 1965 when it became an intermediate. It

1720-533: The Dodge Coronet (1975-1976), Dodge Monaco (1977-1978) and the corporation's new personal-luxury coupe models, Chrysler Cordoba (1975-1979) and Dodge Charger SE (1975-1978). All the four-door models, wagons and sedans, continued with the basic body shells that were introduced for the 1971 model year, rode on a 118 in (2,997 mm) wheelbase, while the various two-door models—which were restyled with new and more formal sheetmetal and rooflines—rode on

1806-538: The Dodge Coronet . The 1957 models were restyled; longer, wider, with very large vertical tailfins and a new torsion bar front suspension replacing the previous coil springs. While the new styling boosted sales, quality control suffered for all Chrysler products as they were brought quickly to market before their design and construction weaknesses could be fully addressed by engineering. The front suspension introduced Chrysler's Torsion-Aire Torsion bar suspension shared with all Chrysler products starting in 1957. In 1958,

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1892-585: The Dodge Monaco (1974-76) and Royal Monaco (1977) as well. Styling was more squared off with lower beltlines and greater use of glass than with Chrysler's previous fuselage generation (1969-73), also with cues more similar to the model year 1971 and later GM "B" bodies and model year 1973–74 Mercurys. The unibody structure with subframe for engine/transmission was retained along with other typical Chrysler Corporation engineering features including torsion bar front suspension and asymmetrical multi-leaf springs in

1978-736: The Suburban badge returned to station wagons after having been retired in 1961. The Suburban, Custom Suburban, and Sport Suburban corresponded to the Fury I, II, and III models. From 1966 until 1969, a luxury version of the Fury called the "Plymouth VIP" (marketed as the "very important Plymouth" in 1966) was fielded, in response to the Ford LTD , Chevrolet Caprice , and the AMC Ambassador DPL. These models came with standards such as full wheel covers, vinyl tops , luxuriously upholstered interiors with walnut dashboards and door-panel trim,

2064-607: The 115 in (2,921 mm) wheelbase. Before 1975, the Plymouth Satellite had a 117 in (2,972 mm) wheelbase, while the Dodge Coronet had a 118 in (2,997 mm) wheelbase. For 1975, the mid-size Plymouth Fury had a 117.5 in (2,984 mm) wheelbase and the 1975 Dodge Coronet had the same wheelbase. Before 1974, the Plymouth Fury had a 120 in (3,048 mm) wheelbase, while

2150-668: The 1950 Chevrolet Bel Air and the Ford Victoria , the first two-door hardtop in the low-priced American market. The Cranbrook Belvedere was the name for the two-door hardtop version of the Cranbrook and was built on the same 118.5 in (3,010 mm) wheelbase. Powering the Belvedere is the Chrysler flathead 217.8 cu in (3.6 L) straight-6 engine with a 7.00:1 compression ratio producing 97 hp (72 kW; 98 PS) (SAE gross). For 1952, Plymouth kept

2236-436: The 1952 Plymouth. In overdrive, the engine made three revolutions for each rear wheel revolution and four without overdrive. The engine was a complete carryover from 1951. Production for 1951 and 1952 totaled 51,266 units. The Belvedere remained a part of the Cranbrook series through the 1953 model year, which saw all Plymouth models completely restyled. Significant changes include a shorter 114 in (2,900 mm) wheelbase,

2322-405: The 1961 model year. The Fury remained Plymouth's leading sales volume model through the early 1960s. The 1962 Fury emerged as a downsized model riding on the new Chrysler B-body unibody platform , the product of a Chrysler Corporation embroiled in multiple corporate controversies at the time. Sales of the new model were slow, prompting the reintroduction of the Sport Fury trim package, offered as

2408-542: The 1975 model year, Chrysler moved the Fury name, which had been part of the full-size C-body Plymouth model line up during the previous ten model years, over to the restyled mid-size B-body line, which had been marketed as the Satellite previously. The "Road Runner" was offered as the top-of-the-line model of the redesigned Plymouth Fury 2-door line up, then it was moved over to the Plymouth Volare line up during

2494-436: The 1978 Plymouth Fury was Plymouth's largest car with the discontinuation of the full-size C-body Plymouth Gran Fury after 1977. TorqueFlite automatic transmission and power steering were now standard on all Fury models and the same selection of V8 engines was still available. Few appearance changes were made from the previous model year. The 1978 was the last model year for the Plymouth Fury and its Dodge Monaco counterpart, which

2580-486: The 273 cu in (4.5 L) "LA block" V8 as standard equipment. The line was restyled in 1966, and the high-performance GTX was added in 1967. The pilot episode for the television show Adam-12 featured a 1967 Belvedere as the standard LAPD police cruiser. Engines: In 1968, the Belvedere—along with the rest of Chrysler's B-body offerings—was reskinned with " Coke bottle styling ." The Belvedere II

2666-468: The 360 two-barrel V8 was now the standard engine on station wagons along with the TorqueFlite automatic transmission, both items of which were optional on other models. The 1977 model year mid-size B-body 1977 Plymouth Fury received a new front end with a chrome vertical bar grille and outline along with stacked rectangular headlights. Model and drivetrain offerings were unchanged from 1976 except that

Plymouth Fury - Misplaced Pages Continue

2752-452: The 440 cu in (7.2 L) four-barrel was only as a "police" option on four-door sedans. A three-speed manual transmission was standard with the automatic TorqueFlite optional. The 1976 model year mid-size B-body 1976 Plymouth Fury saw very few appearance changes from the previous year other than the availability of a dual opera window roof on Sport Fury two-door models. Engine and transmission offerings were also unchanged except that

2838-476: The American car market). During the entire 1979 model year, there were no Fury models marketed by Plymouth. Only minor styling changes occurred from the 1975 through the 1978 model years, most notably, during the 1977 model year when quad stacked square headlights (see photo) replaced the previous round dual beam headlights, the front turn signals, previously on the outboard edges of the grille, were moved over to

2924-416: The Belvedere for Commonwealth export markets such as New Zealand, India, and South Africa, in either CKD form or in factory right-hand-drive. Australia's local Chrysler operation built its own variation of the model until 1960. The Plymouth Cranbrook Belvedere was introduced as a two-door pillarless hardtop on March 31, 1951. It was Plymouth's first such body design. The model was developed in response to

3010-461: The Belvedere model between 1956 and 1958. The 1957–58 Belvedere two-door hardtop gained notoriety from the 1983 movie Christine based on the novel by Stephen King. In the opening scene, in which the title is set as "Detroit, 1957," Christine appears near the end of the assembly line as a lone bright red car in a long line of Buckskin Beige Furys being built for the new model year (1958). (In

3096-409: The Belvedere was "a very pleasant transportation package." Another advantage of the smaller and lighter body was in drag racing. The 1963 and 1964 models used the same unibody platform as the 1962s, but were restyled to look longer and wider. The 1964 Belvedere (and corresponding Fury hardtop coupes) featured a new "slant-back" roofline that proved to be popular, and sales improved significantly over

3182-487: The Chrysler Corporation and for the Plymouth line. Plymouth's design was so revolutionary that Chrysler used the slogan, "Suddenly, it's 1960!" to promote the new car. Standard on all body styles except the convertible was the "Powerflow 6" L-head engine. The convertible was only V8 powered and V8s were available in other Belvederes with an optional "Fury" 301 cu in (4.9 L) version as well as

3268-510: The Cranbrook Belvedere essentially unchanged. The most significant upgrade was to the color scheme; to further distinguish the top-level Belvedere from other Plymouths, the two tones now flowed from the roof over the beltline onto the trunk, referred to as the "saddleback" treatment. Two-tone color schemes were "sable bronze" over suede, black over "mint green", and gray over blue. Overdrive was made available as optional equipment in

3354-652: The Dodge Monaco/Polara had a 122 in (3,099 mm) wheelbase. For 1974, the Plymouth Gran Fury and Dodge Monaco had the same 121.5 in (3,086 mm) wheelbase. Fury was offered in three basic subseries for 1975 in sedans and coupes and two for the station wagon. The sedan was offered in base, custom and salon models, with interior and exterior trim ranging from austere to luxurious. The salon featured plush velour bench seats with recliners and folding armrests and carpeted trunks, along with

3440-507: The Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III, the sport-model Sport Fury, and the top-line VIP. The 225 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine continued as standard on the Fury I, II, and select III models, with the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 standard on the Sport Fury, some Fury III models, and all VIP models plus the station wagon. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, with the TorqueFlite automatic transmission optional. The six-cylinder engine/three-speed manual transmission power team – along with

3526-532: The Fury Suburban or Fury Custom Suburban. Engine offerings included the 225 cu in (3.69 L) slant-six that was standard on all models except Fury Sport, Road Runner, and station wagons, which came with the 318 cu in (5.21 L) V8 as the base engine which was optional on other models. Optional engines on all models included 360 cu in (5.9 L) and 400 cu in (6.6 L) V8s with two- or four-barrel carburetor, and

Plymouth Fury - Misplaced Pages Continue

3612-440: The Fury a full-size car, and Belvedere ostensibly became the intermediate size offering. However, the Belvedere was little changed, and most dimensions and weights remained the same—the Fury was merely enlarged, restoring a full-sized line which Plymouth had been lacking. The Belvedere line was divided into the Belvedere I, Belvedere II, and Satellite subseries, the latter available only as hardtop coupe and convertible, and featuring

3698-796: The Gran Fury. Belvederes were used in police service from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, when they were replaced by the Plymouth Gran Fury . They were prominent in both the LAPD and New York Police Department . The Plymouth Belvedere was also produced by Chrysler Australia . The first model, based on the 1953 US Plymouth, featured a high level of Australian content, with body panels pressed in Chrysler Australia's Keswick facility in South Australia and matched with

3784-540: The M-body (and L-body) cars in late 1988, midway through the 1989 model year. That brought over 30 years of Plymouth Fury history to an end. A 1958 Plymouth Fury was the title subject of the 1983 best-selling novel Christine by Stephen King . Later in the same year the book was adapted into a movie of the same name directed by John Carpenter . In the television series Leave it to Beaver (S3:E33, "Beaver and Violet"), character Fred Rutherford's 1960 convertible Fury

3870-462: The Slant Six now had two-barrel carburetion replacing the one-barrel pot of previous years and was now standard on the Sport Fury two-door models. Optional V8 engines included the 318 two-barrel, 360 two- or four-barrel and 400 two- or four-barrel. The 440 four-barrel V8 was only offered in four-door models as part of the police package. The 1978 model year was technically a mid-size B-body car, but

3956-517: The advertised number did not change, and significant weight reduction. The 318 LA engine did not appear on export or cars sold in Canada until 1968. The 1968 model year Furys received only minor grille updates along with side marker lights and shoulder belts for front outboard occupants (except the convertibles). At the rear, however, all models except the station wagons received new sheet metal, including reshaped rear doors on four-door models. Meanwhile,

4042-421: The car a longer, more luxurious appearance. A new, formal two-door hardtop body style appeared which featured smaller rear quarter windows and a wider, back-slanted "C" pillar. Called the "fast top", it was offered alongside the restyled thin "C" pillar hardtop in both VIP and Sport Fury series (as well as on corresponding big Dodge models). The 1967 model year introduced new safety regulations, which meant that for

4128-476: The car for a motorcycle in the dark. For 1970, the VIP was dropped, with the Sport Fury line expanded to include a four-door hardtop sedan. An optional Brougham package, which included individually-adjustable split bench seats with passenger recliner and luxurious trim comparable to the former VIP series, was available on Sport Furys; a Sport Fury GT and S/23 models. The S/23 was dropped for 1971, with new options including an electric sunroof (for top-line models) and

4214-411: The cleaner, finless look was certainly on the way in, and today the Belvedere looks distinctive." Despite being good cars in performance, handling, modest weight, and appealing interiors, sales suffered. Plymouth yielded third place in U.S. sales to the 1960 Ramblers . The 1962 model year full-size Plymouths were "downsized," with more compact outside dimensions. American car buyers at the time were in

4300-408: The company's efforts to make ordering a well-equipped car easier, two special model packages were available: a basic group (which had items already ordered on a majority of full-sized Plymouths, such as an AM radio, air conditioning, light group and tinted glass) and a luxury group (which added items such as cruise control, power windows and an AM/FM stereo radio). The Brougham package, whose centerpiece

4386-414: The contemporary Plymouth Fury, but featured a 1959 Dodge front clip assembled to the Plymouth Fury body. However, there was no sport model counterpart to the Sport Fury sold in the U.S. The 1960 models were the first year for unibody construction, the first year for Chrysler's ram induction system, and the first year for Chrysler's new slant-six engine . The original 318 and 383 were available, along with

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4472-512: The cutouts in the front bumper. Tail lights received amber turn signal lenses in place of the previous red turn signal lenses. Various 2-door models had no centerposts and some of them were true hardtops with roll-down rear windows. Other two-door models had fixed rear windows even though they had no centerposts. For the most part, the Plymouth Fury two-door models, during the 1975 and 1978 model years, were labeled as "hardtops". The Plymouth Fury, 1975-1978, shared its B-body and unibody structure with

4558-437: The engine's stroke was increased by a quarter inch, increasing displacement from 217.8 to 230.2 cu in (3.6 to 3.8 L) and increasing power from 100 to 110 hp (75 to 82 kW). For 1956, Plymouth styling evolved from that of the 1955s. Most notable would be the introduction of the first push-button automatic transmission to appear in an American automobile, and a more dramatic rear-end treatment highlighted by

4644-445: The first time, all Plymouths included dual-circuit brake master cylinders, energy-absorbing steering columns and wheels, recessed instrument panel controls, and shoulder belt mounting points for outboard front seat occupants.1967 also marked the end of the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8, replaced by the thin-wall-casting LA (lightweight A) engine, now the base V8, with wedge-shaped combustion chambers, producing more power, even though

4730-707: The following model year (1976). The full-size Plymouth, now known as the Plymouth Gran Fury , lasted through 1977. The entire mid-size Plymouth Fury line up was discontinued at the end of the 1978 model year, replaced in Canada by the rebadged Dodge Diplomat model called the Plymouth Caravelle (not to be confused with the E-body Plymouth Caravelle from 1983 until 1988 and also the 1985 through 1988 Plymouth Caravelle for

4816-449: The former LeBaron and Canadian Caravelle models, respectively, for the US market. The Chrysler New Yorker (1982) and New Yorker Fifth Avenue (1983) (renamed Chrysler Fifth Avenue for 1984) shared the Gran Fury and Dodge Diplomat body. The M-body cars were available through the 1989 model year, and the Gran Fury and Diplomat were very popular choices for police cruisers. Chrysler discontinued

4902-421: The headlights in a facia that accommodated dual headlights while offering both single and dual lamps. This appearance can be seen with front turn signal lamps installed inboard, next to the headlight, while vehicles installed with dual headlights offered a concealed turn signal above the headlights in the headlight alcove. The Belvedere would once again return as a top-level trim for 1958 for the last time. Styling

4988-614: The mid-size B-body platform, including the Chrysler Cordoba and Dodge Magnum (renamed from Charger in 1978) would soldier on for one more year until they were downsized (and renamed Mirada for the Dodge version) in 1980 to the M-body platform used for the Dodge Diplomat and Chrysler LeBaron. For 1980, Chrysler's venerable B-body chassis/unibody structure was reengineered and restyled into the new R-body full-sized car, which

5074-410: The newly introduced Fury Gran Coupe and Gran Sedan, which eventually would become the Plymouth Gran Fury ; the Sport Fury and GT models were dropped, while the new Fury Gran series offered an optional Brougham package. The six-cylinder engine, strangled by emissions requirements, was no longer offered in full-size Plymouths. On the other hand, a 400 cubic inch V8 was now an option. For 1973, the front end

5160-538: The novel, it is revealed that her first owner, Roland Lebay, had ordered her with custom paint, as the standard 1958 Fury came only in beige.) For the movie, Christine was painted "toreador red" with an "iceberg white" top. Starting in 1960, Belvederes got a brand-new standard inline six -cylinder engine replacing the venerable valve-in-block "flathead" six. Colloquially known as the Slant Six , it displaced 225 cu in (3.7 L), featured overhead valves, and

5246-463: The optional engine was a "big block" 350 cu in (5.7 L) called the "Golden Commando" with two four-barrel carburetors producing 305 hp (227 kW). A 315 hp (235 kW) option with fuel injection was available, but the Bendix electronic fuel-injection system was recalled by the factory and owners were given a conventional dual four-barrel setup. The Golden Commando engine

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5332-661: The previous design. The 1964 Belvedere was also the car used to introduce the 426 Chrysler Hemi engine , which used a canted large-valve arrangement. This was such a significant high-RPM breathing improvement that Hemi-equipped Plymouth Belvederes won first, second, and third at NASCAR's 1964 Daytona race. One of the winning drivers was Richard Petty . 273 cu in (4.5 L) LA V8 318 cu in (5.2 L) LA V8 361 cu in (5.9 L) B V8 383 cu in (6.3 L) B V8 426 cu in (7.0 L) Wedge V8 426 cu in (7.0 L) Hemi V8 In 1965, Plymouth once again made

5418-655: The rear fenders. An entry-level nameplate, the Plymouth Plaza, was introduced sharing the same design and technology at a lower price. In March 1954, Plymouth finally offered a fully automatic transmission, the Chrysler PowerFlite two-speed. Also new was a larger standard engine: a 230.2 cu in (3.8 L) I6 that was also used by the Dodge Division. Power was now rated at 110 hp (82 kW). Belvedere production totaled 32,492 for

5504-647: The rear. Model lineup again included the Fury I, Fury II, Fury III and Gran Fury series, plus the Suburban and Sport Suburban station wagons. Engine offerings included a standard 360 cu in (5.9 L) V8 with two-barrel carburetor on sedans and coupes, a two-barrel 400 cu in (6.6 L) V8 standard on wagons and optional on other models, and four-barrel carbureted 400 and 440 cu in (7.2 L) V8s optional on all models. All 1974 Furys came standard with TorqueFlite automatic transmissions, power steering, and power front disc brakes. As part of

5590-521: The same throughout this three-year cycle. In 1965, Chrysler returned the Fury to the new, full-size Chrysler C-body platform . The new 1965 Plymouth line included three special Furys: the Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III. The Fury I was the basic model, while the Fury II and Fury III offered more trim and features. Full size Furys had options such as automatic transmissions , power steering , white sidewall tires (along with full wheel covers), stereo radios, vinyl tops , and air conditioning . The Sport Fury

5676-401: The thought mode of "bigger is better", and sales of these models suffered. However, the smaller Plymouth provided greater owner approval in their actual use. A Plymouth Belvedere with a six-cylinder engine and automatic transmission was compared to the intermediate-size Ford Fairlane and the compact-size Chevrolet Chevy II in an economy test by Popular Mechanics and the road test concluded that

5762-435: The three-speed manual transmission on the 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 – continued to be available until midway through the 1971 model year, after which all full-sized Plymouths were built with a V8 engine, including the new 360 cubic inch engine and automatic transmission. Parking lights now illuminated with the headlights, which meant that if one headlight was inoperative in low beam, so oncoming drivers would not mistake

5848-414: The top of the Plymouth line-up. The Fury was now available in 4-door Sedan, 2-door Hardtop and 4-door Hardtop models and the Sport Fury as a 2-door Hardtop and a Convertible. The station wagon version of the Fury was the Sport Suburban, which was not marketed as a Fury. The Sport Fury was dropped at the end of 1959, but was reintroduced in mid-1962 and discontinued in 1971. In 1959, the 350 was replaced with

5934-434: The top-line offering for 1954. Now, a separate model instead of just a two-door hardtop, the Belvedere was also available as a convertible , two-door station wagon , and four-door sedan . The two-door hardtop version was now called the "Sport Coupe." The 1954 Belvederes featured full-length rocker sill moldings. Minor styling updates adorned the carry-over body design. For the first time, small chrome tailfins appeared on

6020-443: The vehicle. The controversial televised vehicle customizer Boyd Coddington was to have been the first to start the unburied car, had it been operable. The car was the prize of a 1957 contest to guess the population of Tulsa in the year 2007. The winning entrant, Raymond Humbertson, guessed 384,743 versus the actual figure of 382,457. However, Humbertson died in 1979 and now only distant relatives remain. A second car, this time

6106-470: The wagons)—1 in (25 mm) longer than before. The 426 "street wedge" V8 was introduced, rated at 385 hp (287 kW) and finally street-legal. The 1966 Furys kept the same profile as the 1965s, with a split front and rear grille motif. To complete with the new luxury-focused models such as the Ford Galaxie 500 LTD , Chevrolet Impala Caprice , and AMC Ambassador DPL, Plymouth introduced

6192-531: The year. All Plymouths underwent a major overhaul for the 1955 model year. This was the first year of Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner 's "Forward Look." The Belvedere returned as top-of-the-line, and the Plaza remained the entry-level model. Chrysler promoted the all-new appearance, showing cars built at the Lynch Road Factory in a featurette movie Here . Midway through the model year (on February 26),

6278-567: Was a considerably downsized replacement of the 1974–78 C-body cars. The R-body included the 1979-1981 Chrysler Newport , Chrysler New Yorker , and Dodge St. Regis The 1980-1981 R-body Gran Fury, although not common in retail sales, did quite well in fleet and government/public safety sales. After Chrysler discontinued the R-body halfway through the 1981 model year, they decided to anoint the M-body platform with "full-size" status for 1982. The New Yorker and Gran Fury nameplates were thus assigned to

6364-470: Was a continuation of the 1957 models. A 350 cu in (5.7 L) big-block "B" V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors—dubbed " Golden Commando "—was optional on all models. For 1959, the Fury became the top range with a full array of sedans and coupes, and the Belvedere became the middle range. The Savoy became the least expensive model, and the Plaza was discontinued. The convertible was only available in

6450-628: Was again available as a 2-door hardtop, 2-door convertible, 4-door hardtop, 4-door sedan, and 4-door station wagon. For 1970, the VIP was discontinued and a 4-door hardtop was added to the Sport Fury range, which also gained a new hardtop coupe. This was available in "GT" trim; the 1970 and 1971 Sport Fury GTs were powered by the 440 cu in (7.2 L) engine, which in 1970 could be ordered with three 2-barrel (twin-choke) carburetors (the "6-Barrel on Plymouth and 6-PAK for Dodge") producing 390 hp and 490 ft-lbs of torque. The base model engine produced 350 hp (261 kW). The 1969 models included

6536-424: Was driven across the U.S. The 1956 models came with more V8 power upgrades: options were the 180 bhp 270 cu in (4.4 L) V8, 187 bhp 277 cu in (4.5 L) V8, 200 bhp 277 cid V8, and for the Fury, a 240 bhp 303 cu in (5.0 L) V8. Tail fins featured for the first time, in what Exner described as the "Forward Look." The 1957 model year had high sales for

6622-629: Was dropped, but the Sport Satellite was added to the overall lineup, using the same sheet metal. The new LA-style lightweight 318 engine was introduced this year and would remain available on the Belvedere throughout its production. The Plymouth Road Runner was introduced as a low-price, high-performance alternative to the GTX. Richard Petty won the Grand National championship in NASCAR in

6708-463: Was imported from the U.S. in knocked-down form . The 1959 model was equipped with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and push-button automatic transmission. Chrysler Australia replaced their Plymouth Belvedere, Dodge Custom Royal and De Soto Firesweep models with the Dodge Phoenix in 1960. During Oklahoma 's 50th anniversary, a new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was sealed in a concrete enclosure as

6794-484: Was introduced throughout the line, though it appeared on certain Plymouths in earlier years such as the 1953 hardtop coupe. This eliminated the frame and was advertised as Unibody. Under Chrysler president William Newberg , Virgil Exner's styling team was encouraged to go "over the top" with distinctive styling, leading the 1960 models to be popularly dubbed the "jukebox on wheels" and the 1961 models were not well-received and "unfairly maligned just for being different...

6880-499: Was marketed as a separate model. The VIP included Chrysler's 318 cu in (5.2 L) V8 mated to a three-speed manual transmission, although the vast majority were ordered with the TorqueFlite automatic. For 1967, the body was restyled with a sharp, angular profile. The stacked quad headlight bezels were curvier and set more deeply into the body, giving the car a more muscular look. The roofline had sharper angles and gave

6966-405: Was optional on any Plymouth Plaza , Savoy , Belvedere , Suburban , and Fury, as was the dual four-barrel 318 cu in (5.2 L) (dubbed the "V-800 Dual Fury"; four- and two-barrel 318s also arrived for 1958 and were simply called "V-800s"). In 1959, Plymouth introduced the Sport Fury as its top model, and the Fury as its second from the top model to replace the Plymouth Belvedere at

7052-428: Was redesigned with a new grille and headlamp setup, along with bumpers capable of withstanding 5 mph (8 km/h) impacts. The 360 became the standard engine for Fury Suburbans. For 1974 model year the Fury shared Chrysler's all-new full-size C-body platform in common with the concurrent flagship Imperial (1974-75); Chrysler New Yorker (1974-78), Newport (1974-78) and Town & Country (1974-77); and with

7138-424: Was renamed as such during the start of the previous model year (1977), which, in turn, was called the "Dodge Coronet" (1965, 1966, and 1967, from 1968 until 1974, and from 1975 through 1976), while the former full-size C-body Dodge was renamed the "Dodge Royal Monaco" during the start of the previous model year (1977) up until it was discontinued after just one model year. The personal-luxury coupes, which were based on

7224-620: Was replaced after the 1970 model year by the Satellite , a name originally used for the top-trim level Belvederes. The word " belvedere " is Italian for "beautiful sight" or "fair view." Chrysler also had the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Belvidere, Illinois , which began vehicle production in 1965. However, the Plymouth Belvedere was never assembled there. During the 1950s and 1960s Chrysler Canada built

7310-626: Was the highest trim and feature model, positioned to compete with the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport and Ford Galaxie 500/XL . It offered a sportier interior and exterior trim package. The Fury II was available as a two-door hardtop in Canada only; in the U.S. it was only available as a two- or four-door sedan, and as a station wagon. The overall design changed, with the grille losing chrome but gaining two vertical stacked headlights on each side. All rode on new 119 in (3,023 mm) wheelbases (121 in (3,073 mm) for

7396-448: Was the individually-adjustable 50/50 divided front seat with individual center armrests and recliners, was still available for Gran Furys. New options included Chrysler's chronometer (an electronic digital clock), a gauge alert system that used light-emitting diodes to monitor engine functions and automatic temperature control. For information on Chrysler's full-size C-body Plymouth (from model years 1975-77), see Plymouth Gran Fury . For

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