| Dodge Royal | |
|---|---|
 1958 Dodge Royal Lancer 2-Door | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Dodge |
| Production | 1954-1959 (model years) [1] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Full-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan [1] 2-door coupe [1] 2-door hardtop [1] 4-door hardtop [1] 2-door convertible [1] 2-door station wagon [1] 4-door station wagon [1] |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Dodge Matador |
The Dodge Royal is an automobile produced by Dodge in the United States from the 1954 through 1959 model years. [1]
The Royal was introduced for the 1954 model year as the top trim level of the Dodge line, above the mid level Dodge Coronet and the base level Dodge Meadowbrook. [1] It was offered only with a 241 cubic inch 'Hemi' V8 engine. [1] The 1954 Royal V-8 range comprised 4-Door Sedan, Convertible, Club Coupe and Sport Coupe, [2] the latter being a 2-door hardtop.
In 1954, Dodge President William Newberg drove a yellow, Hemi-powered Dodge convertible as the pace car for the Indy 500, the first Dodge to ever do so. To commemorate the event, Dodge offered a mid-year package called the Royal 500, a special trim package to add to the Royal convertible. This package included chrome wire wheels, special badging and a continental spare wheel kit on the rear. Officially, Dodge built 701 of these pace car replicas. [3]
The introduction of the Dodge Custom Royal for the 1955 model year saw the Royal moved down to the intermediate trim level, above the now base-model Coronet. [1] The Royal Lancer name was applied to the 2-door hardtop model and Royal Sierra to the new station wagon models. [1]
For 1956 the use of the Royal Lancer name was extended to include a new 4-door hardtop model. [1] Station wagons now included 2-door Royal Custom Suburban and 4-door Royal Custom Sierra models. [1] External changes were mainly the growth of tailfins, redesigned taillight housings and side trim treatments. Changes at the front were limited to the addition of six "fins" in the grille (not to be found on the lower-grade Coronet) and an altered hood ornament. [4]
The Royal continued as the intermediate trim level in the Dodge line for models years 1957 through 1959. [1] A Royal Lancer Convertible was added for 1957 only and the station wagons were moved to their own series in the same year. [1]
The Royal was discontinued for the 1960 model year, when the full-size Dodge line was reduced to two trim levels. [1]
The Chrysler New Yorker is an automobile model produced by Chrysler from 1940 until 1996, serving for several decades as either the brand's flagship model or as a junior sedan to the Chrysler Imperial, the latter during the years in which the Imperial name was used within the Chrysler lineup rather than as a standalone brand.
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The Dodge Coronet is an automobile that was marketed by Dodge in seven generations, and shared nameplates with the same bodyshell with varying levels of equipment installed. Introduced as a full-size car in 1949, it was the division's highest trim line and moved to the lowest level starting in 1955 through 1959. The name was reintroduced on intermediate-sized models from the 1965 until 1976 model years. Muscle car versions were available starting in 1965 with the 383 and 426 wedge cu in Chrysler RB engine, followed in 1966 by the powerful 426 cu in Chrysler Hemi. Other performance models included the "Superbee", and featured, the 383 cu in Magnum, among other engine options. The nameplate "coronet" is a type of crown worn by royalty.
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Meteor was a marque of automobiles offered by Ford Motor Company of Canada from 1949 to 1976. The make was retired for the 1962 and 1963 model years, when the name was used for the Mercury Meteor sold in the United States. It succeeded the Mercury 114, a Canadian-market Mercury based on the Ford, the "114" name being taken from the car's wheelbase.
The Plymouth Belvedere is a series of American automobile models made by Plymouth from 1954 until 1970.
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The Chrysler Windsor is a full-size car which was built by Chrysler from 1939 through to the 1960s. The final Chrysler Windsor sold in the United States was produced in 1961, but production in Canada continued until 1966. The Canadian 1961 to 1966 Windsor model was for all intents and purposes the equivalent of the Chrysler Newport in the United States.
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The 1955 Dodge car lineup, consisting of the entry-level Coronet, Royal, and ornate Custom Royal, was a major departure for the company. Driven almost out of business in 1953 and 1954, the Chrysler Corporation was revived with a $250 million loan from Prudential and new models designed by Virgil Exner. The Dodge lineup was positioned as the mainstream line in Chrysler's hierarchy, between DeSoto and Plymouth.
The Dodge Custom Royal is an automobile which was produced by Dodge in the United States for the 1955 through 1959 model years. In each of these years the Custom Royal was the top trim level of the Dodge line, above the mid level Dodge Royal and the base level Dodge Coronet. 2-Door Hardtop, 4-Door Hardtop and Convertible models were marketed under the name "Dodge Custom Royal Lancer".
The Dodge lineup was refreshed for the 1958 model year, continuing the three-line scheme of the 1955 Dodges with the entry-level Coronet, Royal, and ornate Custom Royal. The Regal Lancer was added as a new top-of-the-line model in spring.
The Mercury Monterey is a series of full-size cars that were manufactured and marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1950 to 1974. Deriving its name from Monterey Bay, the initial Mercury Monterey served as the top-of-the-line two-door sedan model for 1950 and 1951 to compete with the hardtop models of Oldsmobile and Buick. It came with a vinyl roof covering, upgraded upholstery, and other features. The hardtop was introduced for 1952. During its production, the Monterey would be offered in multiple body styles, ranging from coupes, convertibles, sedans, hardtops, and station wagons.
Established in 1900, a division of Chrysler since 1928 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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