Dodge Coronets for Sale

Dodgeâ€™s Coronet is a story of two halves: starting in 1949 as the top trim for Dodgeâ€™s full-size line, with the name quietly demoted in 1955 and disappearing altogether in 1959. It reappeared in 1965 in the mid-size line, where it remained through its eve...

Dodgeâ€™s Coronet is a story of two halves: starting in 1...

Dodge’s Coronet is a story of two halves: starting in 1949 as the top trim for Dodge’s full-size line, with the name quietly demoted in 1955 and disappearing altogether in 1959. It reappeared in 1965 in the mid-size line, where it remained through its eventual end in 1976.

With the low-line Wayfarer based on a smaller chassis, and the Meadowbrook available only as a four-door, Dodge’s new top-of-the-line Coronet was available in two- and four-door sedans, coupe, convertible, and wood-bodied station wagon on its 1949 launch. Dodge’s sole engine was the 103-horsepower L-head inline six-cylinder. For 1950, two new models—the Diplomat hardtop coupe and the steel-bodied Sierra wagon--were added; this was also the final year of the wood-bodied wagon. Power and models remained thus through the end of 1952.

New power and styling greeted the 1953 Dodge shopper: a fresh 241-cubic-inch, two-barrel, 140-hp Hemi V-8 was standard on the two-door hardtop, convertible, and new two-door wagon models with optional availability in the Club Coupe and four-door sedan. The ’53 four-door sedan, with 135,000 produced, sold better than all 1949 and ’50 Coronet models combined; Coronet’s success saw sales jump 143 percent in 1953. Four-door Sierra wagons returned to the fold for ’54.

New style and new naming conventions saw Coronet become the opening act for the ’55 Dodge model trio, beneath Royal and Custom Royal. Coronet was now standard with the 123-horsepower inline six (two- and four-door sedan, club coupe, Lancer hardtop coupe, two-door Suburban wagon, and six- or eight-passenger four-door Sierra wagons) with three flavors of Red Ram Hemi optional. A four-door Lancer hardtop joined the fold for ’56, as did larger, more powerful Red Ram Hemis rated between 189 and 260 horsepower. For 1957, Dodge expanded Coronet’s lineup: The former club coupe was now a club sedan, the convertible added the Lancer name, and a pair of high-performance Coronet D-501 models featured a dual-four-barrel, 354-cubic-inch V-8 came dressed in Club Sedan or convertible body styles for 1957 only. As part of Mopar’s striking ’57 lineup, sales were up—30 percent year-to-year--for Coronet. The model range remained for ’58, minus the D-501; the two-door Suburban wagon was gone for 1959. The

Coronet name took a sabbatical after 1959 but then returned to Dodge’s new mid-size line for 1965. Coronet was available in basic Coronet (coupe, sedan or wagon), Coronet 440 (not related to the later engine of similar displacement; available in hardtop coupe, convertible, four-door sedan and two- or three-row wagon form), and Coronet 500 (hardtop coupe and convertible only). A Hemi variant was available to in-the-know drag racers, but the basic Coronet and 440 had a standard Slant Six, with the Coronet 500 supplied with a standard 170-hp 383-cu.-in. V-8. The base Coronet was repurposed largely for fleet duty, with a new Coronet DeLuxe coming in at the bottom of the range for the restyled 1966 models, while a four-door sedan appeared in Coronet 500 trim, and the Hemi was more widely available. For 1967, base Coronet was only a four-door sedan, and sporty new R/T trim was available in hardtop and convertible form. The base car disappeared for 1968, making Coronet Deluxe the base trim level. Also for 1968, a bespoke muscle car model, Coronet Super Bee, was available only as a two-door coupe; a two-door hardtop joined the Super Bee line in 1969.

Success of the Charger coupe in the late ‘60s saw Dodge juggle model names for the 1971 redesign, and the two-door Coronet coupe was eliminated. Instead, all B-body Dodge coupes were now Chargers, and all wagons and sedans were in the Coronet line. Sedans were available in Coronet, Custom, and ritzy Brougham trim; wagons were in Coronet, Custom, and new Crestwood trim. The Slant Six remained standard, but engines up to 383-cu.in. were still available. Brougham trim disappeared for 1972, otherwise the model line remained constant through 1974.

For Coronet’s 1975 restyle, a two-door hardtop rejoined the line, in both base Coronet and Brougham form. But the plan may have confused buyers, since for 1976 Dodge returned its Coronet to an all-sedan-and-wagon lineup for what turned out to be its final season, which the two-door body style was branded as Charger. For 1977, the intermediate models would be renamed Monaco for all body styles.

+ Read More