Dodge/Plymouth full-sizers

With the 1963 Dodge 330/440/Polara grown in wheelbase to 119 inches to give it ‘standard-size’ interior length, after the premature 1962 down-sizing, the new 1965 models grew in width as well to 79 inches, as had the 1964 (Custom) 880.

The 1965 Canada–United States Automotive Products Agreement (the "Auto Pact") that permitted trans-shipment of vehicles without duty or tax between Canada and the United States, resulted in Canada starting exporting 1965 model year full-size Dodges across the border, and the following year Plymouth as well.

From 1963 (some models also in 1960 and 1961) up to 1966, after which the Auto Pact took practical effect, the Dodges for the Canadian market had a Plymouth dashboard and interior trim. This practice allowed Chrysler Canada to offer a wider array of vehicles at lower development cost.

As for the United States, the 1965 (full size) 119-inch wheelbase Plymouth Fury sold better than the 1964 (intermediate) Plymouth Fury, though the share shrunk a little, due to the booming, one million units larger market. It is surprising, that the Fury sold more than twice the full-size Dodge (3.4% vs 1.5%), probably partly due to its appealing front with vertically placed headlamps, denied to the Dodge on the 2 inches longer wheelbase. The Fury came close to the share of the previous year intermediate, which itself nearly halved. Another reason for the Fury’s success might be the fact that prices started lower with roominess grown, after in 1964 it was the top trim level of the intermediates.

In a way, this reflected the earlier view at the Chrysler Corporation, that the days of the large cars were gone, as while the ‘standard-sized’ 1964 Dodges on the 119-inch wheelbase were on 90% level of the 116-inch wheelbase Plymouth, this shrunk to under half by 1965 (121-inch vs 119-inch), and close to one-third two years later, when the Dodge’s wheelbase was stretched another inch.

The intriguing beltline treatment of the 1967 Fury probably widened the market share gap with the Dodge even more. When this treatment at the front doors was repeated reversely at the rear doors/fenders the next year together with a similar opposing ridge in front of the rear wheel-wells (both not at the wagons), the production for the USA neared the 350,000 mark, hitting a for the Chrysler Corporation record industry share of over 4.3% at the time of the multiple car size segments. The Canadian production share rose from one-fifth in model year 1967 to one-third in 1968 and 1969.

At an expanding market, the Fury production number reached a record 366,625 units by 1969 model year when Engel’s fuselage design created impressive heavy-looking vehicles with a high beltline, where the earlier front doors treatment was now moved to the rear doors/fenders. These bodies were carried on through 1971, with the shares of all standard-size and intermediate Dodge and Plymouth cars dwindling by 1970, due to the popularity of the compact Valiant Duster and Challenger pony car.

The reshaped 1972~1973 Fury models added the opposing ridge in front of the rear wheel-wells, while all hardtop roofs were new. With some 19,000 built, the Plymouth-only 2-door formal hardtop that despitefully looked rather conventional, lasted for only one year. The ‘regular’ hardtop roof model had the ridge behind the rear wheel as well.

The full-size Dodge for 1965 on a 121-inch wheelbase certainly had restrained but distinctive looks with a 6-window sedan in the Custom 880 series, both abandoned the next year, when changed front fenders gave the car a more determined look. The Monaco 500 added three vents on the bodysides, reminiscent to Buick’s ventiports.

The reshaped 1967 Dodges, now on a 122-inch wheelbase, still lacked the now obligatory curvature to the rear fenders (contrarily to the 124-inch Chryslers), but the Monaco 500 suggested this with its lower trim line, repeated the next year. The negative share gap with the Fury had increased to over 2.5 percentage points.

The 1969 Dodge models finally received the contemporary voluptuous body shape, and the production share gap with the more modestly shaped Fury now exceeded 2.8 percentage points, but this figure was rapidly reduced to 1.9 by 1971.

wheelbase									wheelbase SW
119	Fury		Fury	Fury	Fury			Fury	121, '67> 122
121, '67> 122		Dodge	Dodge		'68 Dodge	# ’68 Dodge		Dodge	121, '67> 122
124		Chrysler	Chrysler		'68 Chrysler	# ’68 Chrysler		Chrysler	121, '67> 122
'67/'68: 127		Imperial			(# NY)	Crown	Le Baron
1965	2S 4S	4S(+6w)	2H, # NY		4H	4H, NY 2H		SW	1965
1966	2S 4S	4S(+6w)	2H, # NY		4H	4H, NY 2H		SW	1966
1967	2S 4S	4S	2Hf	2H	4H	4H, Crown + 2H	4H	SW	1967
1968	2S 4S	4S	2Hf	2H	4H	NY, Crown 2H 4H	4H	SW	1968
			Hf: fast top			NY: New Yorker
120	Fury		Fury 2C 2H			Fury		Fury	122
122	Dodge		Dodge			Dodge 4H		Dodge	122
124		Chrysler	Chrysler				Chrysler	Chrysler	122
127		Imperial	Imperial				Imperial
1969	4S	4S	2H			2S 2Hf 4H	4H	SW	1969
1970	4S	4S	2H			2S 2Hf 4H	4H	SW	1970
1971	4S	4S	2C 2H			2Hf 4H	4H	SW	1971
1972	4S	4S	2H			2Hf 4H	4H	SW	1972
1973	4S	4S	2H			4H	4H	SW	1973
						Hf: formal 6902
	Convertibles until 1970 (Imperial until 1968)
						identical roofs grouped

Body-wise, the 1965~1966 Fury wagon on Chrysler Corporation’s 121-inch standard-size wagon wheelbase, had the lower bodyside ridge lifted over the rear wheel-well, probably to discern it from the Dodges. All wagon roofs were the same until 1968. With the Plymouth rear wheel-wells for the 1969~1971 wagons more like the ‘open’ Dodge shape, Plymouth and Dodge full-size wagons appeared to be look-a-likes to some extent. All 1969~1973 sedan and 1969~1973 wagon roofs were identical.

			wheelbase						wheelbase
		119	121, '67> 122	124	127			120	122	124	127
		Plymouth	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial			Plymouth	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
my	roof					my	roof
1965	2S 4S	Fury				1969	4S	Fury	Dodge
1966	2S 4S	Fury				1970	4S	Fury	Dodge
1967	2S 4S	Fury				1971	4S	Fury	Dodge
1968	2S 4S	Fury				1972	4S	Fury	Dodge
1965	4S		Dodge	Chrysler		1973	4S	Fury	Dodge
1966	4S		Dodge	Chrysler		1969	4S			Chrysler	Imperial
1965	4S6w		Custom 880			1970	4S			Chrysler	Imperial
1966	4S6w		Custom 880			1971	4S			Chrysler	Imperial
1967	4S		Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial	1972	4S			Chrysler	Imperial
1968	4S		Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial	1973	4S			Chrysler	Imperial
1965	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler # NY		1969	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
1966	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler # NY		1970	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
1967	2H	Fury				1971	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
1968	2H	Fury				1971	2C	Fury
1967	2Hf	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1972	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
1968	2Hf	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1973	2H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler	Imperial
1965	2H			New Yorker		1969	2S	Fury
1966	2H			New Yorker		1970	2S	Fury
1965	4H		Dodge	Chrysler		1969	2Hf	Fury
1966	4H		Dodge	Chrysler		1970	2Hf	Fury
1967	2H				Crown	1971	2Hf	Fury
1968	2H				Crown	1969	4H	Fury	Dodge
1967	4H		Dodge	Chrysler	Crown	1970	4H	Fury	Dodge
1968	4H			New Yorker	Crown	1971	4H	Fury	Dodge
1965	4H	Fury				1972	2Hf	Fury
1966	4H	Fury				1972	4H	Fury	Dodge
1967	4H	Fury				1973	4H	Fury	Dodge
1968	4H	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler # NY		1969	4H			Chrysler	Imperial
1967	4H				Le Baron	1970	4H			Chrysler	Imperial
1968	4H				Le Baron	1971	4H			Chrysler	Imperial
						1972	4H			Chrysler	Imperial
						1973	4H			Chrysler	Imperial
			wheelbase						wheelbase
		121, '67> 122	121, '67> 122	121, '67> 122				122	122	122
		Wagon	Wagon	Wagon				Wagon	Wagon	Wagon
1965	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1969	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler
1966	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1970	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler
1967	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1971	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler
1968	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler		1972	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler
						1973	SW	Fury	Dodge	Chrysler

Wikipedia, and Ward’s Automotive Yearbooks

American Cars 1962-1977