Furious Flamboyance - 1961 Plymouth Fury

It seems safe to say that no automobile manufacturer has ever tried to drive customers away. When the designer labored over the drawing board, the goal was to create a car so distinctive and desirable that buyers everywhere would eagerly sign up for years of payments in exchange for the pleasure of owning one.

Asymmetrical Command Seat bench offers extra support for lucky driver

The full-size Plymouth for 1961 was not such a car.

''Teleview'' speedometer and boomerang horn ring set off Space Age dashboard

It wasn't an unmitigated disaster; when 198,444 copies of anything are sold, it has to be regarded as something of a success. But it was not the success that the struggling Plymouth division had hoped for, and needed. It was only by folding in the 133,487 Valiants manufactured that year that Plymouth was able to hang by its fingertips onto fourth place in the sales race, right behind surging Rambler; without the Valiant, which had been its own division the previous year, Plymouth would have tumbled to seventh.

It's generally accepted that the radical looks of the car contributed to its failure in the marketplace, and it's true that buyers and salespeople alike shuddered when they got a good look at the design. In one fell swoop, the soaring fins that had helped Chrysler vault past General Motors in the styling race just four years earlier were gone, with not a trace left behind, while the styling of the front end had become only more bizarre than the year before, if such a thing was possible. Many a diehard Plymouth fan had to ask himself if he really wanted something like this glowering at him across the breezeway. Chrysler had seemingly lost its way, letting GM recapture the lead in styling with its crisp new designs for 1961.

But wait--are we being too hard on the Plymouth? Let's ask Jeff Wright of Portland, Indiana, the proud owner of our immaculate 1961 Fury feature car. "So many people say it's the ugliest car they ever made. To me, the lines of the side are beautiful," Jeff said. He confessed that he finds the front a bit "buggy-looking," and added, "It's got a face only a mother could love. But that's okay--if I'm going to have a car, it's not going to be something everyone and his brother's got." There you have it; what turned off buyers in 1961 is what makes these cars scarce and desirable today. For the record, let's note that the styling is hardly more extreme than the gullwing rear deck of the 1960 Chevrolet, the front fender embellishments of the 1960 Lincoln Continental, or the backward fins of the 1961 Dodge.

In fact, there were other factors behind Plymouth's sales woes, including Chrysler's endless reshuffling of its divisions. What had been Plymouth-De Soto in 1959 became Plymouth-De Soto-Valiant within the year, and then Chrysler-Plymouth-De Soto-Valiant in 1960. The axing of De Soto and the absorption of the Valiant into Plymouth led to the creation of the Chrysler-Plymouth Division in 1961. Chrysler uncoupled its Dodge and Plymouth stores in 1960, hoping Plymouth would fare better on its own, but then undermined that move by giving Dodge dealers the Dart, a full-size car priced just $20 more than a Plymouth Savoy. At the same time, Chrysler, which had filled the vacuum in Plymouth showrooms created by De Soto's departure, introduced its low-line Newport series on a 122-inch wheelbase, priced a scant $300 more than a V-8 powered Fury sedan. Who can turn down swordfish steaks at fish-stick prices?

Profile shows off "Sky-Hi" rear window and unusual shaping of wheel openings; full-size Plymouths were built on 118-inch wheelbase, measured 209.5 inches overall

Plymouth had been riding a crest in the late 1950s, claiming a solid third behind Ford and Chevrolet in the number of cars sold. The public loved Virgil Exner's "Forward Look," introduced on the 1955 Chrysler C300, and spread across the corporate lineup over the next two years; Plymouth manufactured 762,231 cars in 1957, its best performance in decades. These cars featured not only distinctive styling, but innovative torsion-bar suspension and powerful V-8 engines as well.

In 1960, it was time for another major innovation: the switch to unit-body construction for all Chrysler products but the Imperial. Stung by the poor build quality of its post-1957 cars and their propensity to rust, Chrysler developed a tougher body structure and an extensive system of corrosion protection. Plymouth's ad campaign played up the 5,400 welds used to construct each body, and the system of stout inner box-section rails that rose from the sills, outlined the tops of the doors and descended to the rear wheel openings, much like a bridge truss. Ads for the "Solid Plymouth" claimed 100 percent greater body rigidity. To make the cars as quiet as their body-on-frame competitors, Plymouth developed more compliant suspension bushings, and liberally applied sound-deadening coatings and fiber matting. The powertrain was isolated from the body on its own subframe. To keep rust away, Plymouth employed six chemical sprays and seven dunks into chemical baths, and finished each body with four coats of enamel.

Revolutionary on the inside, 1960 Plymouths were evolutionary on the outside. The profile was little changed from 1959, with more pronounced fins--"stabilizers," Plymouth said--and curving rooflines. The wheelbase remained unchanged at 118 inches, while overall length shrank by a half-inch, to 209.4 inches. The roofs were made a bit beefier with the switch to unit-body construction, and the front end came in for a bit of restyling, but, all in all, the changes were mild. Not even The Amazing Kreskin could have foreseen the extreme makeover that would come in 1961.

Let's start at the front. The projecting lip over the front wheels, which had curved up from the rear of the front-wheel openings to form a descending brow over the headlamps of the 1960 cars, now curved back in on itself, taking a bite out of the grille before terminating at the inboard headlamp pod. The lip ended just before the front edge of the doors; on higher-trim cars, a chrome strip along its outer edge extended back the length of the car, following the beltline and curving all the way around the now-finless rear. The heavy, V-shaped bumper was replaced by another stout unit with five heavy strakes in its flat midsection; above the bumper towered a busy, latticework aluminum grille with a golden Plymouth medallion adrift in its center. Turn signals were buried deep between the headlamp pods and the bumper.

In back, smooth, downward-curving sheetmetal took the place of the fins. Below the trunk lid was a tall concave panel with a centered license plate frame flanked by two backup lamps; the back ends of the rear fenders were concave, too, flowing into the rear panel. The taillamps were carried in two nacelles--chrome on top-of-the-line Furys, body-color with chrome optional on lower-level cars--stuck in the concave area on either side of the car. Though they looked like an afterthought, inspiring detractors to made references to flashlights and tape, the taillamps were practical in that they were positioned to be visible from both the rear and the side. Down the center of the trunk lid ran a low fin, terminating in an upright Plymouth shield. "Beauty built to last," the ad copywriters said.

Inside awaited one of the most memorable Space Age-influenced interiors ever to grace a showroom floor. The asymmetrical Command Seat bench, standard on Furys, provided a high back for the driver, offering "extra shoulder support [to help] prevent driver fatigue;" bucket seats on cars so equipped swiveled out for easier access through a set of Bowden cables. The dashboard featured a "Teleview" ribbon speedometer, and gauges mounted up high, flanked by pushbuttons for the automatic transmission and the climate control system. The incredible semi-square "Aero Wheel" that, according to Plymouth, offered more legroom and better visibility, was back as an option.

All in all, it was quite an eyeful to spring on a public already made jittery by the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, the specter of Russians in space and the rise of the Berlin Wall. Critics quite rightly said it looked as if two different people had designed the front and the back of the car. It has been speculated that Exner's heart attack in 1956 and lengthy convalescence from open-heart surgery had left the styling studios rudderless while the 1961s were on the drawing board, but that hardly seems likely. While Bill Schmidt, who filled in during Exner's absence, undoubtedly played a role in the new cars' design, it seems likely that Exner recognized that the buying public was tiring of big fins, and was starting to develop his next look, one reflected in the Valiant.

Jeff Wright's Fury represents the top of Plymouth's full-size offerings for 1961; below it were two series, the mid-priced Belvedere and the low-level Savoy. The Fury was introduced in the midst of the 1956 model year as a Belvedere coupe dressed up with gold trim and a 240hp V-8, following in the tracks of Chrysler's successful C300; by 1961, the Fury had grown into a full range of cars that included two- and four-door hardtops, a four-door sedan, and a convertible. All but the convertible could be ordered with Chrysler's 225.5-cu.in. Slant Six, introduced just the year before. No fewer than six optional polyspherical V-8s were offered, from the 230hp 318-cu.in. V800 that powers Jeff's car to the mighty 375hp cross-ram Sonoramic Commando displacing 413-cu.in. In between were the 305hp Golden Commando 361; two versions of the 383-cu.in. engine, the 325hp Golden Commando and 330hp Sonoramic Commando, and a 350hp version of the 413, without ram induction.

All Furys carried standard Belvedere equipment, including rear armrests, cigarette lighters and tapering contrast panels extending from the back of the doors to the rear corner of the car, with louvers at the forward end. In addition, Furys received upgraded vinyl-and-fabric upholstery, bright full-length beltline trim, a chrome base plate for the rear deck fin, full wheel discs and, on two-door hardtops, a "Sky-Hi" rear window that cut further up into the roof. Backup lights and an electric clock were also standard equipment, and chromed Fury scripts decorated the right side of the hood and both front fenders. On the options list, it was the last chance to buy the fantastic Highway Hi-Fi underdash record player, now highly sought by collectors. For 1961, Chrysler equipped all of its vehicles with alternators, showing off by driving a Fury from Detroit to Chicago without a battery.

Fourteen colors were offered; in addition to the Emerald Green Metallic of Jeff's car, there were Carnival Red, Air Force Blue Metallic, Coral, Bronze Metallic, Fawn Beige, Lavender Metallic, Twilight Turquoise Metallic, Robin's Egg Blue, Alpine White, Silver Gray Metallic, Maize, Jet Black and Mint Green. Optional was a Sportone two-tone treatment, with colors separated by the chrome beltline molding.

Their controversial looks aside, the 1961 V-8-equipped Plymouths were undeniably good performers, their "Torsion-Aire" front suspensions earning them high marks for handling. By the standards of the day, it was a compromise that favored handling over ride more than most. "It can drill through hard bends and switchbacks as adroitly as many top-rated sports cars," Mechanix Illustrated reviewer Tom McCahill wrote of the mechanically similar 1960 model. He was able to record a 0-60 time of 8.2 seconds in a Fury equipped with the 305hp "Golden Commando" engine.

Jeff Wright knows about quick Furys--as a 19-year-old, he owned a 1961 in Lavender Metallic equipped with the fire-breathing, 375hp, 413-cu.in. Sonoramic Commando engine and a three-speed manual, which he swapped out for a TorqueFlite. His memories of that car led him on a three-year search to find the car on these pages. So, is the 318 much different than the Sonoramic Commando? "Well, yeah," Jeff said, laughing. "There's a lot of difference. It's slow." But the engine makes good sounds, delivers 18 miles per gallon on the highway, and is reliable, he added. "My dad had 318s all the time when I was growing up, and never had any trouble with them."

"It drives really nice," he continued. "There's play in the steering wheel, but I think we're so used to front-wheel drive now that it's not as bad as we think." With new shock absorbers and tires, "it rides smooth--it kind of floats." Visibility is good, and the front corners of the car are easy to locate, although the back is, "Kind of iffy," Jeff said. "It would be better if you had the old fins back there," to show where the fenders end.

Jeff found his Fury for sale in Tompkins Cove, New York. "I had just about given up on finding a nice '61, but I was on the Internet one night checking out the cars-for-sale sites when I came across this car." The Fury was owned by a banker who had bought it from a Missouri museum four years earlier. The steering and brakes had recently been overhauled; Jeff had the rear quarter panels and rocker panels repaired, and had a new headliner installed. He puts about 2,000 miles on the car each year, figuring that he has shown the car more than 30 times in the past two years.

"I've attended 18 shows and won 12 trophies. I think the car being rare has a lot to do with winning," he said.

As it turns out, the 118-inch-wheelbase unit body introduced in 1960 lasted just two years. Fooling himself into believing that Chevrolet was downsizing its full-sized cars for 1962, Chrysler vice president William Newberg panicked, ordering that the new '62 Plymouths and Dodges be downsized as well. The design themes Exner had worked out for 1962 did not translate well to the new 116-inch wheelbase, leading him to famously refer to them as "plucked chickens." Shoppers looking for full-sized cars looked elsewhere, Plymouth dropped to eighth place, and Chrysler dropped the curtain on the Exner era.

Today, the 1961 Fury is a reminder of a time when a major automobile manufacturer would take a big risk with the styling of its bread-and-butter cars. It seems safe to say that nothing like the Fury would ever escape from today's focus-group-driven design process, and everyone who loves interesting cars is the poorer for it.

Owner's View

"One of the things I most enjoy about the car is that people do a double-take when I drive by. A lot of people have never seen a 1961 Fury. They may recognize the shape, but they don't recognize what it is.

"People say that Ward Cleaver drove one on the TV show Leave It To Beaver. (Ed: True fact. The Beaver's dad got a new Fury every year from 1959 through 1963.) I made a bill of sale saying I bought the car from Ward back in 1962, for $2,000. I'm amazed at how many people ask me if I really bought the car from Ward Cleaver when they see the bill of sale.

"I have checked the gas mileage on trips, and it runs about 18 miles per gallon on the highway. I drive the car about 2,000 miles a year, going to car shows and taking short trips. The 1961 Plymouth Fury has always had the reputation of being one of the ugliest cars ever built, but I am still glad I own it!" - Jeff Wright

What to Pay

1961 Plymouth Fury

Low: $4,000

Avg: $8,000

High: $12,000

PROS:

Do you thirst for exclusivity? You're not likely to see another one of these at the cruise-ins.

Torsion-bar suspension provides a limousine-like ride.

Wild, sci-fi dashboard lets you pretend you're George Jetson headed for your job at Spacely Sprockets.

CONS:

Mothra-meets-Godzilla styling is not to everyone's taste.

Trim parts and body panels are awfully hard to find.

Everyone is going to want to know what it is.

Club Scene

The Walter P. Chrysler Club

P.O. Box 3504

Kalamazoo, Michigan 49003-3504

www.chryslerclub.org

Dues, $32; Membership, 5,000

Plymouth Owners Club

P.O. Box 416

Cavalier, North Dakota 58220-0416

www.plymouthbulletin.com

Dues, $28; Membership, 4,000

Specifications

Base price: $2,718

Engine

Transmission

Differential

Steering

Brakes

Chassis: & Body

Suspension

Wheels & Tires

Weights & Measures

Capacities

Calculated Data

Production

1961 Plymouth Fury and Sport Suburban wagon two-door hardtop sedans-16,141. Total Plymouth station wagon production-60,147