58L-Y8 Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 For Sale: 1961 Dodge Polara 4dr Hardtop - $7,500 - Canistota, SD 1961 Dodge Polara - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle automotive sale (craigslist.org) Selling my 1961 Dodge Polara. It has been sitting the last 2 years had it running the other night looks like it's going to need at least a power steering hose maybe some valve cover gaskets. Not sure what's going on with the transmission has a push button tranny you have to let it run for a little while before it will go into reverse. Need to free up some space 7,500 make offer. odometer: 57732, title status: clean Contact: Jeremy call or text: (605) 4-2-one-4-one-7-7 Copy and paste in your email: 6b2ec587c69f345ba7aca43c2693bf0a@sale.craigslist.org I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1961 Dodge Polara 4dr Hardtop. Note: Presently away from my home base, not set up to save and include pictures. If someone else will, it will be appreciated. Reposted this because its such an Exner oddity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6T-FinSeeker Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Pictures for posterity, as requested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6T-FinSeeker Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercub Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Looks pretty good condition wise but the front is kind of doggy looking. Kind of an odd place for the rear view mirror. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 21 minutes ago, supercub said: Kind of an odd place for the rear view mirror. That's factory. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooklyn Beer Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Still had the rearview same spot in 63 but even lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 Just the strangest design put on paper and the production line. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 My Dad had a 1960 Seneca 225 and manual trans. Four door. Felt as strange to drive as they looked. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deac Posted September 17, 2021 Share Posted September 17, 2021 That's wild design especially the rear fenders and taillights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted September 18, 2021 Author Share Posted September 18, 2021 At any angle other than straight on, one or the other taillight disappears from view. Later production 1961 cars have a wrap-around second set of taillights mounted just above the bumper corners. Thanks to 6T-FinSeeker for posting the pictures since I can't just now...didn't want you to have to wait to see this truly 'uniquely-styled' Dodge. The 1961 Polara was a low-point in top-line Dodge sales, 14K cars total comes to mind. The 1961 Dodge Dart models were consuming the majority of sales...and eating Plymouth's lunch at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 I could warm up to the design of this car if not for the front bumper. Super Cub said it best "doggy looking". My first thought was that the bumper had been damaged and was replaced by one from another car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suchan Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 Took me until now to notice the white bumpers... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 (edited) 17 hours ago, supercub said: Looks pretty good condition wise but the front is kind of doggy looking. I don't care for the concavity of the front grille. On the higher-end Dodges such as this, the large center grille ornament makes the concavity less noticeable; but the lesser models have no grille ornament, and are especially unappealing to me. 5 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said: Later production 1961 cars have a wrap-around second set of taillights mounted just above the bumper corners. Steve, I'm quite sure that you are picturing the lesser Dodge models in your mind. Their taillights were different: the low wrap-arounds that you mention. Then, later in the model year, round can-shaped taillights were added, probably for more visibility. Edited September 18, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 5 hours ago, 58L-Y8 said: At any angle other than straight on, one or the other taillight disappears from view. You make a good point. I never thought of that. I like the upper-level models' taillights, but now that you mention it, it's not a safe design. 23 hours ago, 6T-FinSeeker said: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooklyn Beer Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 When I see the front of this car why does this come to mind? 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooklyn Beer Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 This just popped up in my mailbox. This is new to me. Never thought they used a cross ram. https://journal.classiccars.com/2021/09/18/pick-of-the-day-1961-dart-phoenix-d-500-convertible-rare-piece-of-dodge-history/?utm_source=infusionsoft-pod&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pod&inf_contact_key=f6fa3f47cc5fd5b9ffde0961ac275f681b0a3f0fd3ee5d9b43fb34c6613498d7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted September 18, 2021 Author Share Posted September 18, 2021 7 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: I don't care for the concavity of the front grille. On the higher-end Dodges such as this, the large center grille ornament makes the concavity less noticeable; but the lesser models have no grille ornament, and are especially unappealing to me. Steve, I'm quite sure that you are picturing the lesser Dodge models in your mind. Their taillights were different: the low wrap-arounds that you mention. Then, later in the model year, round can-shaped taillights were added, probably for more visibility. John: You are right! The Dart series had those low-mounted wrap-around taillights originally that were invisible once cars were close enough together in traffic. The upper set was added after that fact was experienced. One supposes the visibility of at least one taillight was enough for the Polara. On either series, those reverse fins are among the most bizarre of Exner's reign. BTW, For folks who didn't get enough of that 'doggy' front styling and liked the 1962 Chryslers except the front styling, there was the Dodge Custom 880! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 Dodge styling in the early 60's went through some troubled waters. Don't know how they kept the doors open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 According to what I have read, Chrysler Corporation wasn't doing well financially around that time. For those around in the early 1960's: What did people think of the increasingly bizarre styling of Virgil Exner? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 4 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: For those around in the early 1960's: What did people think of the increasingly bizarre styling of Virgil Exner? I've never understood what happened to Exner with the '61 designs for Dodge and Plymouth. Yes, they are just bizarre, there's no other word for it. It was as if he dropped some really bad acid! As a kid during those years I used to look forward every year to September when the first issues of Life Magazine would arrive at the house with the ads for the new models. As a 12-year-old in 1960 I remember just being dumbfounded when I saw the new designs for Dodge and Plymouth. The Plymouth front end is even worse than the Dodge. And, in contrast, it was a fabulous year for GM! I remember vividly that the '61 Pontiac just blew me away -- and it was in the era when Pontiac had those wonderful illustrations in their magazine ads. I wanted my Dad to get one so bad! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 19, 2021 Share Posted September 19, 2021 (edited) 42 minutes ago, neil morse said: I've never understood what happened to Exner with the '61 designs for Dodge and Plymouth. Yes, they are just bizarre, there's no other word for it. It was as if he dropped some really bad acid! Neil, if you think the 1961 Plymouth is bad, you should see the asymmetrical designs that Exner was proposing for the coming years. You have never seen anything so astoundingly ugly! And I can't think of a strong enough word to describe their horrible looks. See this thread, which pictures a couple of proposals. The discussion was based on an article in Collectible Automobile's October 2018 issue: Edited September 19, 2021 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 With any of these weird designs, what were the designers thinking? They had numerous chances to stop these odd projects, rather than let them proceed to the next step. The initial sketches should have been rejected. Then, they probably made smaller models. Couldn't they have seen that the models had no grace and beauty? Then, full-size clay models should have stopped them in their tracks. Then, the long process to get the cars ready for production. At any step, an executive could have intervened. Was Exner at that point still so respected that anything he did was accepted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 John, I've often wondered the same thing. These weren't just tiny mistakes that somehow "fell through the cracks" and went unnoticed. As you say, the process is very lengthy and involved many opportunities for people to intervene or veto the decisions that were being made. On the other hand, it would be interesting to look at the sales figures for '61. These designs offend our sensibilities, but I wonder whether they made much difference with the general public? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil Posted September 22, 2021 Share Posted September 22, 2021 It's nothing short of a miracle that Chrysler survived to see 1964. It was almost like they were intentionally driving off customers. Can't think of one vehicle during that time frame that set any kind of positive design standard. Torsion bar suspension was a plus but they hid it under some very unappealing designs. The slant 6 and dependable V-8's probably helped keep them going. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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