Nuclear Winter Polara in Summer

Nothing said the "Forward Look Must Go" (back to the drawing board) quite like the 1961 Dodge Polara. While the '61 Imperial sent prospective buyers running from the Showrooms screaming, "Shark!", and that year's Plymouth had a face that only a mother could love, the Dodge was holding its own in the "Space Age School of Design" thinkology.

Just ask Jeff Godshall, he was there; better yet, pick up, "Collectible Automobile"'s Volume 16, Issue 4, and read his excellent article on the subject.

Also, consider the times when this Rocket-tube taillighted beauty was built. "Camelot" was playing both Broadway and Washington, the Commies had just erected that Wall in Berlin, and NASA was poised to put a Man in Space.

The Russkies beat us to the punch in the latter, but that didn't stop Chrysler & Company from calling it, "Curtains", on the Exner "Roadshow" over in Highland Park.

Enter the Bowmans, a Charlotte, NC, family out car-shopping in '61. They'd looked over all the mid-priced models in town, finally deciding to purchase the Polara. It mattered not that little Dave Bowman, age 8, was pleading tearfully, "Daddy, buy the Buick!"

Time has a way of healing all wounds (even icepicks in the eyes), and now Dave's really glad his dad did buy Dodge's top model. When the time came to trade in '65 for an Olds Delta 88, the salesman wouldn't even go outside to LOOK at the car as a trade-in.

So it became Dave's first car, and served him well thru High School and on into College. In his sophomore year at Lenoir-Rhyne in 1971, he set his sights on his second car, a yellow '70 Challenger Convertible. Being the collector that he is, he still has both, and they make beautiful bookends for the others in his stable.

And now, out on the road, (shown here by the lovely shores of Lake Erie) this

"Mona Lisa in Baby Blue & White" turns more heads than Linda Blair in the "Exorcist!"

TG

Maybe little Dave was crying 'cause he didn't understand the Showroom Banner...

"Polara for Sixty-one, Prettier than a Citroen Ami 6!"