Chrysler head stylist Virgil Exner must have worked overtime in designing the “Forward Look” cars of 1957-59. They appeared nothing like what came before them and inspired others in the industry to adopt a lower, longer, wider look to their autos (with or without tailfins). This ’57 Dodge Coronet is the Lancer 4-door Hardtop Sedan and may have been sitting under a carport in Austin, Texas for many years. It will need a complete restoration, but already sports a set of shiny chrome spoke wheels. With a clear title, it’s available here on craigslist for $8,500. Thanks for the nifty Mopar tip, T.J.!
The Dodge Coronet debuted in 1949 as the make’s top-line automobile but found itself shuffled to the back of the pack in 1955. It soldiered on through 1959, disappeared for a while, and then came back in 1965 as an intermediate through the 1970s. Everything was all-new at Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth in 1957, and the Coronet Lancer was crowned as a pillarless sedan in two and four-door configurations. We’re not aware that this honor gave it any special trim or equipment.
Dodges in 1957 and 1958 differed slightly in appearance. Perhaps most notable is that quad-headlights arrived in mid-1957 and the fender had already been designed to accommodate those new peepers. The Coronet Lancer employed a 325 cubic inch “Ram Red” V8 which was rated at 245 hp. The seller’s car had a starting price of $2,550, which today won’t even make a decent down payment if you want to keep payments low. Most Dodges in 1957 came with a push-button automatic transmission, although they look to have gone MIA from the seller’s car.
We’re told this Coronet Lancer has factory air conditioning, but I had trouble making out if any of the hardware has survived from the photos provided. Age and access to Mother Nature have taken their toll as the Dodge is said to need floor and trunk pans, though the exterior sheet metal has held up. The black paint has acquired a “patina” where the surfaces are upward-facing. Though the car hasn’t run in some time and parts of the engine have gone poof, the seller/owner has kept the registration up to date.
Looks like a pretty rough car. Interestingly, the trumpet-like musical instrument is a cornet, not cor-o-net like the Dodge car.
And, according to the trunk lid, this car is an ODGE, not a DODGE.
I think if you crush it you’ll get $500 out of it…
$8500? Maybe if I owned a restoration shop and then it’s still $7500 too much!
Virgil Exner, not Virgin…
Good thing his last name wasn’t Mary
How do you know he wasn’t?
And Forward Look was ’55-’62, the last year which had been erroneously downsized without his knowledge or approval.
That was due to a false rumor that GM was downsizing, Chrysler pushed the panic button, and that’s what gave birth to the funky looking 62-63 Plymouths and Dodges, although the 63 Plymouth was a nice looking car
Actually, Chrysler’s “Forward Look” officially was 1955-59. Never used in advertising after that. Just because Exner’s designs carried into `60-61 doesn’t make them part of the forward look. when he was MIA after his heart attack in 1960, his designs for `62 (`61s were already locked in, couldn’t change them) got nixed and redone according to the false “rumor” Lynn Townsend THOUGHT he overheard at the spring `59 cocktail party about Chevy’s supposed ‘downsized’ models for `62, which turned out to be the Chevy II.
Forward Look was officially `55-`61, because it pertained to Exner’s designs.
The `60 & `61 print ads still included the Forward Look Flookerang logo, and the `60 Savoy had one on it’s tail fin as trim.
It was newly appointed Chrysler president William C. Newberg who overheard Chevrolet general manager Ed Cole discussing the new, small Chevy the division was planning to launch for the 1962 model year at a Detroit garden party.
Former Chrysler’s president Lester L. “Tex” Colbert had chosen Newberg as his successor because they were close personal friends since their days at Dodge where in 1950 Newberg succeeded Colbert there too.
Newberg & Colbert had lived blocks apart, attended the same country club with their wives who were also friends.
Well everyone . . .
The “Forward Look” was introduced for the 1957 model year. Plymouth also advertised their 1957 cars as “Suddenly it’s 1960”.
It was in 1955 that Chrysler introduced “The 100 Million Dollar Look”, because it was said to have cost that much to re-design and tool up for all 4 car lines.
This car is the base full size Dodge 4-door hardtop. Starting in 1955 the name Lancer simply refers to a hardtop. Above the Coronet was the Royal, and at the top of the line was the Custom Royal. If it was a hardtop, it was a Custom Royal Lancer. This is simply a Coronet Lancer. You can see the entire Dodge line-up of cars here: https://classiccarcatalogue.com/DODGE_1957.html
And FYI, This car does not have Airtemp Factory A/C. The A/C vents are not there in the top of the dash, the plenum chamber is wrong, and the Compressor mount is incorrect. It’s got aftermarket A/C and the compressor is missing. The only factory options this car has are tinted glass, Torqueflite 3-speed auto trans, and power steering, it doesn’t even have a radio. As the car is a “base level, low option” vehicle, I suspect the wire wheels were added later.
If the car sold new for $2,550, but considering it’s a non-runner without a radiator or battery, & plenty of unknown mechanical conditions like brakes, steering & suspension. $2,500 is today a bit on the high side, even with a rust-free texas body..
Bill McCoskey, Google 1956 Belvedere, it had the Forward Look Flookerang emblem on the fins.
I’m near 50 years in the Mopar hobby.
Better yet, go to YouTube for dozens of Chrysler Forward Look 1955 commercials.
David,
I stand corrected. I looked closer and found various articles, adverts & brochures listing the Forward Look as beginning in 1955, 1956, or 1957. For example, Hagerty published an article mentioning the first Forward Look cars as 1957.
I also see ads for the 100 Million Dollar look beginning in 1955.
I’ve been a MoPaR guy since 1969 when I bought my first Chrysler vehicle. I’ve owned many 1955 to ’68 Chrysler models, but my collection has mostly been restricted to the top-line cars like the New Yorker, 300 and Imperial. [Notable exceptions include 1966 Fury convertible, 1964 Dodge 880 convertible, and ’68 Roadrunner with a 440.]
Nice looking car, of course a 2dr would nicer, or better yet, a D-500 option. Not sure about 245hp from the 2barrel version, but maybe so. Some pretty critical pieces missing, could be hard to find, but I think it’s worth restoring.
They have a huge stroke 3.8″ big torque.With 2 x4 Bbls., they were rated at 310 H.P.. I’m just building one now for a 34 Plymouth Rumble seat Coupe. They are physically the smallest of all the “Early Hemis” so a bit easier to shoe horn into some of the earlier cars & trucks.
This isn’t a Hemi.
” . . . the seller/owner has kept the registration up to date.”
Sorry, I think that’s pretty funny.
Virgin Exner… Hahaha, I spit out my coffee when i read that..
Fixed. Thanks!
Forward Look was officially `55-`61, because it pertained to Exner’s designs.
The `60 & `61 print ads still included the Forward Look Flookerang logo, and the `60 Savoy had one on it’s tail fin as trim.
It was newly appointed Chrysler president William C. Newberg who overheard Chevrolet general manager Ed Cole discussing the new, small Chevy the division was planning to launch for the 1962 model year at a Detroit garden party.
Former Chrysler’s president Lester L. “Tex” Colbert had chosen Newberg as his successor because they were close personal friends since their days at Dodge where in 1950 Newberg succeeded Colbert there too.
Newberg & Colbert had lived blocks apart, attended the same country club with their wives who were also friends.
I STILL kick myself for not keeping my 1958 “Finmobile”.
Those wire wheels have to be worth a bunch of money.
I think those wheels cost more than the whole car.
Big support available for the FL car in both parts and services. Another correction to make is that Dodge did not get the quad headlights in 1957 model cars. Neither did Plymouth. Only Chrysler and DeSoto did. The biggest challenge for restoring these cars is body rust. If this one is decent, the rest is reletively easy. The D500 package is fun to look at, but makes parts and maintenance a problem, should something break. With the price of gas, the bragging rights of zoomie stuff has lost its appeal for me. I want to DRIVE them, not do burn offs or try to show up the tuners This would be a real stunner in all black with that red/grey interior. Dodge had a great interior in 57.
It looks like the car at some point had aftermarket AC although it looks like all AC parts are now missing. It is not a factory AC car.
I 2nd that…The vents on the dash on either side of the mirror are not the type used with a factory A/C car…The A/C cars had flip up adjustable vents with hoods
The flip-up type are 59 and later.
57-58 have round grilles (3 separate grilles in 1957, a single affair with the three grilles in 1958). On non A/C cars the grilles are not adjustable, on A/C cars you can rotate the grilles to send air to windshield or passengers. I can’t attach pics to explain better …..
It’s a factory A/C car ! The two round grilles on the dashboard near the loudspeaker grille could be rotate and this feature is only on A/C car. These grilles are the same on all 57/58 Mopar A/C cars
Frenchie: how about defroster registers?
Is it worth it? Because for some reason to me it doesn’t look like it’s worth it. I don’t know what I’m missing. People said the little red 1930 or 31 Model A pickup truck wasn’t worth it and to me I would have much much rather have that little truck than this car I would have never put it back to stock I’m one of those but I would have traded it right with a Chevy S10 frame and suspension small block under the hood and not chopped one thing on the body it would have to look exactly like it is now except clean but modern so I could drive it around and actually use it now that would be cool
Clean and modern, so you can actually use it ? What kind of BS is that ? I drive a dead stock 1925 TT flatbed as my daily. It hauls more than any of my moderns, or the stupid big F350’s my crew drive. These clowns spend 70K on a Tupperware truck, get crap fuel economy, have huge insurance payments, and parrot this same line of BS about how awesome new is, and how old stuff is not up to snuff. And then I roll up to the job with 2 units of plywood. This mentailty that old is somehow inferior simply points out who has limited understanding of the subject.
Its red ram, and yes they were hemi engines.
Definitely NOT a factory AC car. 1) Factory AC would have come out of the two top round outlets beside the radio speaker-each would have been fitted with a fold up section. Not the case here. 2) Classic re-positioning of the Heater Slide assembly way over to the right (it belongs in the center) to accommodate an aftermarket AC unit. Interesting car, though.
Norman, I agree, it’s a non-A/C car. The vents on an A/C equipped car have a small raised handle at the edge of the round vent so they can be opened. The car in question does not have those raised handles. See the attached photo for the vents in a raised position, you can see the raised handles clearly. Someone else indicated the vents that raised up came out in 1959. That is incorrect, an improved vent appeared in 1959, opening further to increase airflow.
@Kevin. This is not a Hemi, it’s a Poly, look at the valve covers, no spark plug holes, only studs and nuts. Geesh
$7500 too much should be like $1000-$1500 in that condition going to need a lot of work & money to bring back – could be a beauty @ right price
The engine looks like a Poly Hemispherical Engine with a 2 barrel. It is not a Hemi but instead a Poly-Hemi Right? Wrong?