We Show You The Differences Between A 1961 Dodge Polara and a Phoenix! We Debate Ugly Or Not on 61s!
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- Опубликовано: 22 дек 2023
- In this video we show you the differences between a 1961 Dodge Polara and a 1961 Dodge Phoenix. We also debate if the 1961 Dodge front end is the ugliest Mopar ever made and the 61 Polara back end is the best? The rocket tail lights are just so awesome, a lot of jet age/turbine influence there. When Virgil Exner had his heart attack the styling studio really went off the rails quickly. Super ugly? So ugly it's cool? Let us know. Also we show you the debut of Hemi our 8 week old Golden pup who is super adorable.
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Ive always liked the Forward Look designs.
That is so cool that it’s from Reedman. They are still in business today and they still take up blocks. I bought a ram from there in 2013. I also love the forward look emblem
Two very rare cars. The 1961 Newport was introduced to replace DeSoto but it also decimated sales of the 1961 Polara on the same 122-inch wheelbase. All 1961 Darts are on the same 118-inch wheelbase as the full-size 1961 Plymouth. The auxiliary taillights on the 1961 Dart were added because the standard taillights were placed too low for other drivers to see. The 1962 Custom 880 was introduced mid year to appease dealers. Both the 1962 Plymouth and 1962 Dart were so unpopular that Virgil Exner was fired.
Those upper taillight pods on the Phoenix were a midyear running change from the factory in response to complaints about Dart taillights being too small and too dim.
A number of these cars were involved in rear end accidents due to the small tail lights which weren't visible enough to following drivers. That is why the large tail lights were added.
Are they ugly? You're damned right they are! So is just about everything Mopar made in the early 60s. And that's exactly why I luv 'em so much!
There were a few exceptions. The 1960 Dodge was pretty nice, and the 60 Chrysler was gorgeous, especially the 300 2dr hardtop. Those boomerang tail lights were just awesome.
Yes, well, to be clear, my use of the word ugly is only a reference to what others would say. I prefer to think of them as unique and in any case; beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I'm what you might call an.. ahem... unique car freak. So the more... unique... a car looks, the more I like it.@@clembob8004
its also important to note that the rear bumpers are different too, not interchangeable between Dart/Phoenix and Polara. Great video, I love the 61 Dodge. I am currently restoring a 61 Dodge Polara CHP squad car.
I can't say I am a fan of the 61 styling. I like the 62 Dodge better than the 61. But it is nice to learn more about some of these lesser known cars. Thanks for the video.
Ugly? Naw, for us true Mopar believers, there are only degrees of "character" in the designs.
(Bad eyesight and some squinting help at times also).
Merry Christmas everyone!
- Ed on the Ridge
Character is a good way to put it.
I don't think the dodge has anything to worry about with the 61 plymouth as a sibling. The dodge actually looks kinda clean in comparison. I love them both...and love the wacky 62's too
Yep, that 61 Plymouth front end is absolutely the most hideous thing I have ever seen. The back end isn't much better. I sometimes wonder if GM didn't pay Virgil Exner to deliberately destroy Mopar styling, given how cutting edge and beautiful the 57-59 Mopars were.
Agreed! The '61 full-sized Plymouth gave new meaning to the word "hideous"...@@clembob8004
At least you can tell what make and model cars from back then were at a glance,unlike today where there’s very little difference 😢
I remember my Fathers reaction when I got a 61 Polara:164 scale die cast for Christmas a few years ago , " Oh great ," 😊
The 1961 Dodge Dart Phoenix was featured in the Elvis Presley movie “Blue Hawaii”. It was a convertible tho and I always loved it!
As much as I love Mopars, 1961 was not a great year for styling at Chrysler. The 61 Dodge would be the most hideous looking car of all time, were it not for the 61 Plymouth which is even worse. That said, they are so hideous they are awesome!
The 1962 Dart would be my choice for Exner's worst design... with terrible body lines, bumpers, and trim.😅
@@SpockvsMcCoy I guess it's all a matter of personal taste, but to me the 61 Plymouth is Exners worst design. The 62 Dart is definitely odd, but it's so funky it's cool in my opinion. Especially the offset headlights. The entire car is like a collection of mismatching styling ideas thrown together.
The ‘61 DeSoto would like to enter the discussion.
@@seed_drill7135 Ah, yes, we can't forget the 61 DeSoto with its hideous 2 tiered grille. There is some real competition for ugliest car of all time, and DeSoto is right in there.
I seem to recall a similar taillight setup on a Mercury of about the same era / vintage, turned 90 degrees, while the rear fins are reminiscent of the top of a Volvo 1800ESS. Thanks for the memory trip. Narragansett Bay
Not my favorite Dodge, that's for sure....but I'd take a fully restored one! Who wouldn't?? Your vid still gets a thumbs up! You deserve it....very informative.
Mopar of this era are not for everyone. I personally love them all! I have both a 62 880 and a 62 NY’er.
They are not for anyone except pure Mopar freaks.
Don't that have the pod headlights?
The New Yorker, I mean ...
Years ago i bought a 63 Dodge 880 wagon from the original owner for $85 . It had 300K on it and ran on 7 cylinders but i drove it for a few months and traded a friend for his 74 duster. He drove that dang old 880 all the way from kent washington to witchita falls texas with not much issue ! lol
My family had a '61 Seneca Station Wagon and bought it brand new. I was about 10 years old at the time. My dad wrecked it into a '57 Chevy and the fin from the '57 went into the grill. Dodge replaced the grill with a '62 880 grill. Also, since you were mentioning the rocket taillights, the station wagons all had the rocket taillights, which I also thought was pretty cool. It's color was beige.
CHP ran 61 Dodges but they needed the Polara wheel base to meet the order spec so they had them too.
“Polara-izing” stying, for sure.
As the proud owner of a ‘61 Pioneer 2-door post, I appreciate the info (that I know a lot of, and always extrapolate a little more).
I don’t know…I personally love the looks of these cars.
I had a ‘60 Seneca 4-door (that I paid $70 for and drove for a year with no further investment) back in ‘86.
I set out to find a first-gen Dart 2-door, I would up with a ‘61, and I’m glad this is the one I found.
Thanks for the informative vid.
There are more than a few early 60’s Mopars that are thought to be so ugly. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I love em.
They are definitely unique.
My mom drove a ‘71 Demon from Reedman. Pretty cool to see that badge across the country
Ugly to me was the 1961 Rambler Ambassador. Strangely enough if you turn the picture upside down the front end is good looking.
I think both Plymouth and Dodge got properly good looking in 1964 . 1965 even better.
Thank you for posting this video. I have an old family pic of my mother as a child standing beside the rear quarter of their family car. All you could see of the car is the fin and down along the side of the car. I never could figure out what kind of car it was until now.
Happy to help!
In '61, I actually liked the '61 Dodge. After the '57, '58, '59, & '60 Dodges, the '61 was beautiful. Although, the grill was terrible, but painted flat black, it looked great.
My dog is named Hemi too! The polara is very similar in the front to my 880.
There's something sort of "cute" about how haphazardly ugly they are. Mopar really went off the rails for 1961, but nowadays they're so strange-looking that it's hard to hate 'em.
My first car was a 61 Pioneer station wagon with the 413cid 4 bbl. I was very popular on $5 per car night at the drive in.
Will you be restoring these? To oem or custom if you do? If love to see the process so so good 45-60 minute videos of the whole process
Probably not unfortunately, have enough big projects for now.
back in the 50's the Canadian cars had a lot of mixed up dodges many had the Plymouth interior and body with the dodge front ends and they had different CU IN poly engines Like the 1957 Dodge Regent it was a plymouth body and interior with a Dodge front end and they came with a 313 Poly Cold War Motors has a few old Mopars that have the mixed up cars half plymouth and half Dodge canadian cars if you have never checked his channel out it's a must he did a killer restoration on a 1960 Plymouth Fury it's a must watch
Ya Canada had all sorts of weird cars. At MCACN this year they had a full size Pontiac with a Chevy 409 and it was factory.
One thing I like about Chrysler and AMC is that both dared to be different.
Totally agree
The cars with the slim tail lights could not be sold in certain markets, because the tail lights were so dim.
I had a neighbor who wanted to buy one of these, and she had to put disc lights on the parcel shelf just like a cop car. 😮
What engine would the B/RB inline dual AFB carbs be called a D 500 also?
Soooo if Hemi has a son some day will he be Semi-Hemi? Maybe a sister named Poly?
I like this. His middle name is sphereical.
How about Max , as in max wedge!
Elvis drives a 61 Dodge in "Blue Hawaii".
1960 Dodge and 1963 dodge Custom 880 are my favorite cars for that platform.
Like the 63 as well, have come really close to buying a couple 63 CHP Dodges over the years.
I learned to drive on the hardtop one in the 60s my father's friend Tom had won like the convertible red with a white top it was a beautiful car
I'm not a Dodge fan, but I liked the '61 Dodge.
I like em both but prefer polara
Big agree on that
YOU KNOW, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THOSE TAILIGHTS USED ON A HOT ROD OR CUSTOM CAR!
THEY WOULD LOOK SO COOL!
Few guys have used those, best part of the car.
I've owned several 1961 dodge cars and driving down the highway on a windy day the car will move around, during high winds the car gets pushed around pretty good.
I purchased a 61 Phoenix and honestly at the time wished it was the 60 model. She grew on me that I'm glad I did get the later model. I can't go anywhere without someone asking what it is cause it's something you just don't see anymore.
The 1960 Dodge cars had much better styling than the 1961 models. The 1961-62 Dodge and Plymouth cars did not sell well at all due to their odd styling. They were the main reason Virgil Exner got fired and was replaced by Elwood Engel who previously worked at Ford. My late grandfather owned a 1961 Pioneer 2 door hardtop and my late uncle owned a 1961 Seneca 4 door sedan. Both were powered by the 318 V8.
60’s just have a way more cohesive design, 61’s are just kinda all over the place.
@@rocketresto You can tell someone that the 60 Dart/Polara is Christine's cousin but if you tell them the 61 is they have to squint.
@@1575murray I brought mine over to my uncle when I got it road worthy a couple years ago and he instantly said 'that's a 61 Dart and your Grandfather had one and it was the first car I drove'. I asked about it and I guess Grandpa put a good 'whiskey dent' in it to the point of totaling it. It was all before my time by a few years so I found it interesting.
I remember the fake louvers when I was a kid.
Appreciate you detailing the differences between the models
The Virgil Exner Era was
Definitely unique 🏆
I enjoyed them but ,
Not for everyone 🙏
It a shame , these weren't more Appreciated . More might have been saved .
Got to have , a shop dog 🐕
Hemi is adorable 💖
Have a longer video with him starring in it tomorrow.
@@rocketresto Nothing beats the 60
my 61 Seneca 2 door post has the grille with the extra slots
Ya think slots mean 61, no slots means 62 880, should do more research before I do these.
That yr polara always makes me think of the brain smart bug, from Starship Troopers.
Not even close the Valiant of that era was...I mean not saying its the best looking but,you know..
Looks like the front of the car is going to get crunched before the bumper. That would be a bad car for me, I need the bumper to take the impact before the hood.
Tom, why was my comment deleted mentioning a diecast Matchbox car was made of the '61 Dodge Dart Phoenix convertible.
Don’t think I can delete comments? Can assure you I did not delete it sorry it is gone.
@@rocketresto > well it looks like RUclips did it again...ie- I posted a reply to you again here, and within a minute it went poof again... I think they didn't like that I posted the word that ends in "_bay", but here is the reply that was just deleted- but edited slightly > Ok, well my deleted post basically said I love both cars and would love to have either one in a fully restored condition (which I could never afford unfortunately😞. I also mentioned that the small diecast car maker -Matchbox, actually MADE a '61 Dodge Dart Phoenix Convertible back in 2006 I believe, and you could probably find one on that place by the *bay if you looked for a while.
@@justralphajerseyguystuckin3671 fyi if your reply is too long they won’t post it, guessing that probably is why it didn’t get posted.
Why did they let those cars rust out and crumble? That is awful. Too many folks could not afford a garage. Ziebart rustproofing and exterior finish should have been a standard feature. Rorry, Rorge!
Oh, but have you seen a 1960 Plymouth yet?
Or the '61s with the incongruous bi-level grills?
Or what about the entire 1962-1964 MOPAR lineup? 🤮
The kicker is that I'm a dyed in the wool Mopar man...
Mama had had a Polara hardtop.383 4V..see-thru speed-o-meter.
Not quite as ugly as my gramma's 1962 Dart 440.
4 bbl would be a D500 on a 61 pretty rare!
'Hemi' is a cutie..
When Mama got the Dodge I was lamenting the 'loss' of her 1955 DeSoto Coronado.
The next year my gramma traded her 1954 New Yorker coupe for a butt-ugly 1962 Dart 440.
Ugly as a mud fence and twice as fast.@@rocketresto
Chrysler was in my blood from birth, other than a few Packards.
I was with Mama when she bought a 1950 Coronet Deluxe - buttercream yellow with brown mohair and chocolate wool carpets -
it was like crawling into a butterscotch sundae., which was followed by a Chrysler Imperial Town Sedan in 1952, then the DeSoto.
My first new car was a 1964 Chrysler 300 convertible..throw in a few more Imperials and 4 New Yorkers then Chrysler stopped being Chrysler.
the hood and grille both came from the 880.
Other way around, 880 stuff came from the 61 Dodge
@@rocketresto ? there's no 880 in the video. hoods without fake vents and grilles without slots are 62 880. one thing I have noticed is there are way fewer 2 door post 1961 Dodges than any other body style still in existence, you tube and Google Images show just a few 2 door post cars. if I had the money I'd have a bunch of 60 - 61 Dodges and Plymouths in all body styles
Those cars are FUGLY man. My uncle had a 61 polara back in the early 1970s. It was a pukey beige color. I even told him back then that was the ugliest car I had ever seen. But hey, to each thier own.
I prefer the term "hideous". But a satin black paint job with some red pinstriping helps bring out the hideousness to a new level of coolness.
Polara is beautiful.
They have a certain charm
Guess I am weird I think it's B E A ute Ifell
If you are a Mopar guy you are probably weird, I am!
No it was the 62 Plymouth Lancer
Early Valiant gets my vote as ugliest Mopar ever. Dishonorable mention for the '61 Plymouth full size front end.
I think the 61 full size Plymouth is ugliest, followed by the 61 Dodge, and THEN the Valiant as a close 3rd.
Id say Dodges version ,the Lancer looked worse.
@@barrycuda3769 The Lancer had a much more normal looking grille.
@@barrycuda3769 Strangely enough, I think the Lancer actually looks slightly better than the Valiant. That said, they are both so weird, oddball, and funky they are cool as hell.
Oh I don't think that Dodge is nearly as ugly as the 61 Plymouth.
Not sure why but like the Plymouth better
They were in hot competition with each other for "Most Hideous Car Ever Built". Plymouth won by a fender length.
The '62 was the ugliest by far. ...bias because I have a '61 Seneca 2-door sedan.
I always thought the 62 was more weird and funky and less ugly than the 61. And the downsizing was actually a plus for performance.
@@clembob8004 I also own a '62 300 2-door coupe.
@@denniscarroll7696 Actually, I think the 62 Chrysler 300 is a pretty decent looking car.
@@clembob8004 Yes indeed, love the interior as well as the exterior.
Looks good compared to the funky mid 60's PLYMOUTH VALANT, quite possible the most funky ugly czr ever made!
Call those Valiants road toads!
That Dodge is weird now the 61 Plymouth is ugly but now it's cool
It must be Lexus copied the grill
The 62 Dodge is ugly + wierd
I love the weird funkiness of the 62 with the offset headlights and the way the body line spins up off the back wheel.
Tesla truck is far ugluer than 1961 Mopar !!!!! Not into the Mad Max style, old school rules!!!!!!!
Think the cybertruck is a whole different conversation.
They are both terrible looking cars.