Two-Tone And Tail Fins! 1959 Dodge Coronet
Wow, what a visual! That one year of 1959 may have just been thee year of the most outrageous styling ever. I even know where there are office buildings designed and built during that late ’50s period that exude the same sort of attention-getting architecture. Throw in chief Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner’s influence, and this 1959 Dodge Coronet is what you end up with. There was a time when I eschewed this style of mid-century design but no more – I find it brazenly chic, especially after a couple of decades of “blob” styling. We have to give this Dodge two-door sedan the once over. It’s located in Santa Barbara, California and is available, here on craigslist for $25,000.
Dodge offered three trim levels in ’59, the Custom Royal, the Royal, and the Coronet which sufficed as the bottom rung of the hierarchy ladder. In keeping with the times, pillarless hardtops wore an additional designation, and in Dodge’s case, it was “Lancer”. Only the Coronet featured a two-door sedan body style such as our subject car and it’s one of approximately 5,400 assembled that year.
This Coronet has all of the late fifties styling cues going on, characteristics such as the rear fins and protruding taillights that resemble jet exhaust ports, a complex and heavy grille, two-tone paint separated by wide stainless trim, and a “bubble-top” greenhouse with tall windows and more curvaceous windshields and backlights. The seller claims 90K original miles and I’ll admit it, this Coronet makes an impressive visual statement. I wouldn’t think that American Racing Wheels’ Torque-Thrust model would be an appropriate choice for this car but they work fine.
Under the hood is a 230 CI, in-line six-cylinder engine which relies on a three-speed manual transmission to channel its 135 HP. The seller refers to it as “strong running” and states that only 4% of total ’59 production was so equipped. The research that I dug up indicates that number to be more like 26% which seems logical for total Dodge production but he may just be referencing so-equipped Coronet two-door sedans. Oh, and the seller adds, “WE ALSO HAVE A FRESHLY BUILT RACE ’57 392 HEMI ENGINE, FOUR SPEED TRANSMISSION, HEADERS, EXHAUST TIPS, SCATTER SHIELD BELL HOUSING FOR SALE SEPARATELY“.
The original-style interior is not actually original as it’s wearing seat covers along with a replacement carpet and package tray. As with the rest of the car, it has a very period look about itself. My favorite aspect of this Coronet’s innards is the instrument pod – that’s some pretty high style for a mid-tier brand – it’s just fantastic! The only non-original item spied is the inclusion of under-dash mounted engine gauges.
If you want to make a statement, this Dodge Coronet will do it for you – it’s an eyeball feast and a solid reminder of what we once had, automotively speaking. Now, how about that price, what do you think, priced right or not quite?
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Comments
Visual feast! Absolutely. Great write up, on these late 50’s Dodge Coronet’s with their angry git the h#ll out of my way front ends.
The face on this beast manages to look angrier than todays soccer mom/ninja samurai razor edge styled SUV front ends coming up in the rear view mirror at 90mph
Also cool.
The rear is also Amazing. Would love it with a meaner engine, great car.
Mean looking ride. But the 6 cylinder wimps it out. Buy the 392 Hemi install with the 4 speed and update the brakes. That would be a super mean ride!! 🐻🇺🇸
Man what a car! This car has it all going on here with if im not mistaken the leaning tower of power for efficiency & reliability or you can have your cake & eat it too with the option of a 392 hemi with 4 speed, are you kidding me! This car has A/C ! Talk about over the top Cars & Coffee ! Unbelievable car we are looking at here! IMHO worth the price of admission! I’m about to start begging for a loan here!
this car doesn’t have a 225 slant six as you say. the listing says it has a 230 cubic inch inline 6. But I’m betting the 392 four speed would be the way to go if it fits without too much work.
It would probably bolt right in, basically the same car as a DeSoto
Those wheels are terrible on this car. What’s with guys thinking they can improve on the styling of the automobile masters of Detroit? They can’t. Usually they start off by swapping the cool steering wheel with some jakey-looking chrome thing. It’s predictable. Honor the designer and find the stock hubcaps and some whitewalls and stop pretending it’s some kind of hot rod….it isn’t.
Good gravy! Is that a flathead six under there?
I don’t know whether to be disgusted – SO Stone-Age – or intrigued – so simple and bulletproof. A car with such daring lines, with 1930s-era technology under there.
Sure, I know, the do-everything Slant Six was born in the Valiant a year later.
Anyway, it’ll be a smooth runner.
A 59 Plymouth, and now a 59 Dodge, rare birds are suddenly appearing. Too bad this one was plagued with a dated flathead 6. Price seems a little high, maybe that vintage hemi should be included. Sharp looking Dodge, but personally I prefer the 57-58s, the front ends were more “friendly” looking
A really good write up. It said almost everything I was thinking. I don’t recall seeing a paint job like this on one, but it certainly accentuates the look. I like the wheels too. But the six just doesn’t match the visual.
Fugly wheels and aftermarket gauges for a six-banger?
It’s a beautiful car, but certainly not worth the asking price.
Agreed. Too bad the rest of it is so nice, I’d have to do a clone of the final-season patrol cars from the syndicated HIGHWAY PATROL tv series.
For a number of years our family car was a ’59 Dodge Sierra six passenger station wagon. It had the 361 V8 and pushbutton automatic transmission. It wasn’t all that quick off the line but once it got rolling, better get out out of its way. That mean looking front end was backed up by some serious ability.
Where are the usual “I’d drop in a 440 V8 comments?”
Or LS swap
😆😆😆
The seller wants 25 large for a car with a lame 6 cylinder and 3 on the tree, absolutely insane
I remember finding one of these for a friend in the late 80s. It was a mid year Club Sedan with a 325 ci V8 with 26k on it, all for $1500! I loved borrowing from her and have always had a soft spot for 59s.
Club member Rex is right……..
When I was 12 (about 1970) my father bought me a “59 Dodge like this one, for 50 bucks. It was badly rusted, holes in the floor, huge holes in front of the back wheels, and no trunk (there was a piece of plywood on top of the gas tank). The flathead 6 smoked like a chimney and the clutch slipped. I had a lot of fun driving up and down the street. It was a 2 tone like this one but green and white. I love the styling of these, and that was STYLE. Something like this was my vision for the car, but that never happened, it went to the junkyard instead. And they didn’t even want it, we had to call them 3 times. He only came and got because he had drive by on his way home.
Wow what a cool car
These fabulous fifties fin mobiles have become more attractive to me over the last few years. This is a nice example. I think that the reason I’m looking at these with more appreciation is because the vehicles of today are amorphous blobs IMO. Unless you look closer you can’t tell a Kia from a Hyundai. Yeah I know that the manufacturers are making these SUVs because that’s what most people want. And I’m an old geezer. So who cares about what I think. I’m not buying a new car anymore. And that’s my cranky old man’s rant for today LOL.
and a good rant it was bob, even if i have to disagree with the fin cars growing on me. yes it’s a beautiful car. but those fins just never did it for me. maybe cuz i’m a not quite as old geezer as you.
i gotta admit though i do like the head on view. what a beautiful nose
That particular model was probably driven by Broderick Crawford at the end of production of “Highway Patrol” to Earl Scheib’s with a stop at Fingerhut’s and Western Auto and stored until now.