Christine Tribute: 1958 Plymouth Belvedere

It’s funny how life throws strange coincidences our way. Last week I finished rereading Stephen King’s novel, Christine. Today, this 1958 Plymouth Belvedere Christine Tribute appeared on my desk. It’s a pretty faithful recreation, complete with the words “Darnell’s Tonight” carved into the hood paint, as happened in the movie. The seller is honest about its appearance, leaving the new owner to decide whether restoration or preservation is the best path. They have listed the Plymouth here on eBay in Glencoe, Missouri, for $54,500 OBO.

When Plymouth released its latest Belvedere range in 1957, the company clearly embraced Virgil Exner’s iconic “Forward Look” design philosophy. The entire range was long, low, and cars like this Two-Door Hardtop featured the enormous fins that were an Exner hallmark. The panels remained largely unchanged in 1958, with Plymouth tweaking the exterior bright trim to differentiate it from the previous year’s offering. This Belvedere’s original paint combination of Toreador Red and Iceberg White faithfully matches the Fury featured in the film Christine. However, the seller is candid when assessing its overall condition. They acknowledge chips and marks and rate the presentation 5/10. I also noticed deterioration on the bumpers and other trim pieces, which may require restoration or replacement. However, it isn’t all gloom and doom. This car spent most of its life in California, and that state’s favorable climate has protected it from rust. Yep, this baby is rock-solid, so any potential restoration won’t involve cutting and welding.

Plymouth offered ’58 Belvedere buyers a selection of motors to power their new purchase, and this car’s first owner teamed a 318ci “Poly” V8 with a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission. The factory quoted 250hp and 340 ft/lbs of torque for the 318, providing respectable performance for a car tipping the scales at over 3,650 lbs. The seller says this Plymouth is essentially unmodified, apart from an alternator upgrade. The engine bay presentation is very tidy, and it doesn’t flatter to deceive. The seller includes a link to this short YouTube video in the listing, featuring the Belvedere running and driving. The motor sounds sweet, and the car rolls along contentedly with no evidence of problems.

Even if the new owner restores this Belvedere, they won’t need to touch the interior. Its red-and-black vinyl-and-cloth trim looks excellent, with no appreciable wear. The carpet and headliner are in the same condition, and the dash is spotless. I’ve always found these cars interesting, because Plymouth didn’t load the dash with acres of bright trim, as was becoming common in the late 1950s. There are a few pieces, but most of the bling is on the door trims. The Deluxe wheel is a later addition, and we can ignore the center proclaiming that this Belvedere has power steering, because it doesn’t. Overall, it ticks the boxes for a respectable driver-grade classic, and needs nothing.

Movie producers often use poetic license during filming, and such was the case with Christine. Although the movie’s subject was a 1958 Plymouth Fury, the vehicle’s relative rarity forced Producer John Carpenter to use several ’58 Belvedere examples during the shoot. Many were destroyed, but a couple survived and are in private hands. Our featured Belvedere is a reasonable Tribute, though the interior trim differs. It is rust-free, so if the buyer wanted to restore it to resemble the pristine iconic Christine, it would be fairly easy. I would probably leave it largely untouched, enjoying the attention it would gain on the streets or at a Cars & Coffee. Do you agree, or would the lure of perfection be irresistible?