First Year Sport Fury! 1959 Plymouth Convertible
And now for a bit of Virgil Exner’s best, a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible. I say that with some sincerity as this Fury, a convertible no less, and in spite of its F/A-18 tailfins is, to my eyes, one of ChryCo’s better-balanced designs to surfaced during that era. Looking for a ’59 Chevy or Ford, no problem they turn up all of the time, and occasionally in convertible form. A ’59 Plymouth Fury convertible, that’s an entirely different kettle of fish. This notable drop-top is located in Paterson, New Jersey and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $28,150, reserve not yet met. Thanks to Larry D for this rare find!
This ’59 Plymouth convertible isn’t just any Fury, it’s a new for 1959 Sport Fury, and according to Hemmings, this example is one of only 5,990 Sport Fury convertibles assembled that year. And to add to the fun, the original acquirer specified the top dog 305 gross HP, 361 CI V8 “Golden Commando 395” engine. The 395 designation references the torque output. Describing this Fury’s powertrain, the seller states, “engine runs great, transmission shifts fine” the shifting being accommodated by a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic transmission. He further suggests that this Plymouth is a smooth, strong runner.
The paint is claimed to be in very good shape and it, as well as the extensive Sport Fury trim, shows quite well. No word if the finish is original, and that’s probably unlikely considering its depth and sheen. The mileage is recorded as 2,502, but certainly not claimed as genuine, so I’d run with the assumption that the odometer has been once around. The seller adds, “The power white convertible top and rear window are in excellent condition“. I would concur with that assessment based on the visually provided evidence. While being somewhat facetious about the twin tail, it certainly makes an obvious statement but not in the overpowering way that a ’59 Cadillac’s rear wings clamor for attention. Really, the only thing that is an exterior turn-off, from my perspective, is that ridiculous toilet seat thingee on the trunk lid.
You might need some shades to study that interior upholstery pattern. Don’t get me wrong, the interiors from days gone past were a cornucopia of colors, hues, and patterns that are sorely absent of the current automotive scene, but this is one that is not likely to be forgotten. The red, gray, black, and white kaleidoscope of colors are all competing with each other for attention. Fortunately, it all appears to be in good nick, it has been redone, and shows like it requires nothing. Oh, and note the swivel seats, a feature that is believed by some to have originated with GM’s colonnade A-body platform cars in ’73 – obviously not quite the case!
The bidding action on this Sport Fury is strong, just as it should be. This was a pretty rare car in its day and only made so much more so with the passage of time. As for the competition, appearance-wise, my thought is that this Plymouth wins hands down over a ’59 Impala or Galaxie is just seems like a much more notable and substantial car. What’s your call?
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Comments
We had a ’59 coupe & a ’60 convertible. Though my young life is intertwined with memories of both, the ’59 was one snappy car. The better looking of all the forward look Plymouths.
I liked the styling but the eyebrows over the headlights never lasted, if you lived in snowy areas, junk built up and the rust worm tool over in those eyebrows.
I had a 60 Sport Fury. Loved that car. It had the 360 Commando in it and it passed everything but gas stations. The back window broke in the middle of the winter and it took almost 2 months to find one to replace it. Love this one BUT not a Drop Top Person.
I remember as a child my father had a 4dr in black. My brother and I rode in the back (no seat belts) and it was quick. My mother would say slow down a lot to my father. I have two pictures of it with me and my brother. It was different times back then . To me better than today. 🐻🇺🇸
This is a beautiful Fury, inside and out! The only thing that I can nitpick is the wrong rearview mirror atop the passenger side fender (61-66); it doesn’t match the correct for 59 & 60 only driver’s side.
Very rare to see these days, and what a beauty!! This is probably in the neighborhood of $40K, and I can understand why. The 305HP 361 was a mover in it’s day. And that correct interior will surely draw crowds at shows with the top down and boot in place. Wish I could swing it.
One of my favorite Plymouth’s ever!!!! Beautiful at every angle. Wish it was in my garage.
That embossed spare on the trunk was a bad move on Chrysler s part. Before 1959 it was strictly an Imperial accessory. But once it appeared on a Plymouth it became a cheap gimmick.
The attention to design detail from this era never fails to amaze me.
What is the current bid and when does bidding end ? The turn out seats were on
The Imperial
This is a white version of my (gold) 1st car. Bought it from a friend of Mom’s in ’66 for $25.00. That poor car… I did what most kids do with their 1st car…
Powerball is $190 million tonight. The auction ends in three days. I still have a chance to put this in my garage!
Jim, please don’t ever refer to the “spare cover” on those cars as “that ridiculous toilet seat thingee on the trunk lid”. That’s way too insulting.
Old Sprung – I call ’em as I see ’em.
JO
Had a ’59 Sport Fury in ’73 or ’74. I bought
it off a friend of Dad’s who sold it because
he couldn’t find a set of exhaust tips! Mine
was turquoise with a black and white interior. His loss was my gain though. All
I did was slap a set J.C. Whitney tips on it
and sold it to a friend for $2K As for those
swivel front buckets, you could get ’em on
any upscale Chrysler product. Too bad these cars rusted into powder within 5 years.
I had a 59 Savoy 2dr and it had the Sport Deck. It was my first car. I had to sell it when I went into the Air Force. I loved that car.
Bids are now over 30K. This is a PLYMOUTH! These were laughed at when I was a kid and they were new.
However, obviously many people disagree with me.
I love this hobby.
Beautiful!!!! I was born and raised in primitive Africa, the first car my family bought when we returned to the USA WAS A 1960 Plymouth Sport Fury, powder blue , push button shift, oblong steering wheel dazzeler that could pass everything on the road!!! It’s no wonder I’m spoiled!!!!
I had one just like this one except three on the tree. I was a Junior in high school. I am from East Tennessee. In 1966 I bought it off a bootlegger’s son who was a high school teacher out in the hills. He had hauled his Daddy’s moonshine to the taxi drivers in the town where he graduated from college. It was one of those you hear of “you can’t reach up to the dash and pull off a $20 bill in low gear” cars. I brought it home ratcheted down the torsion bars in front and put 21/2″ lowering blocks on the rear with 4 Dodge Lancer spinners. It had 2 1/2″ pipes from the factory and the I added twin glass pack mufflers. She was hopped up a little and I ate stock Chevy’s and Fords up especially on the curves! Now, as for Burgers comments on the looks, when I dropped the top, I had a hard time keeping the Daisy Dukes out of it! There was this thing you could do in the back seat of that convertible when you pushed the backs of those swivel seats forward! ha (and you thought Vans had a lot of room!) My wife now likes my Porche red ’65 4 speed, “A” code convertible Mustang. Since it doesn’t have the big back seat, it more fits my age. By the way Burger, I like the ’58 Furys too. But I love the 59s. Thank you for finding this car. It brought back many very pleasant memories. Also, my wife doesn’t read Barn finds! ;)