The 1956 Dodge Coronet was an ordinary passenger car. But when it was built as a D-500 to NASCAR specs, it became something quite potent for the day. We’re told the seller’s car is a D-500, of which 500 were made for street use per NASCAR requirements. This one was purchased back in the day as a pursuit vehicle by a Yakima, Washington, police entity. It was running as recently as five years ago and looks like a solid, rare restoration project. Located in Kennewick, Washington, this Hemi-powered former sleeper is available here on craigslist for $6,000.
D-500 designations turned mild-mannered machines into Supermen in short order. The 500 meant that at least 500 had to be built, and we’re not aware if the actual number of assemblies exceeded that. The car looks like an ordinary ’56 Dodge Coronet 2-door sedan. At the core of the vehicle was a “Red Ram” 315 cubic inch “Hemi” V8 that was rated at 260 hp but was likely closer to 285. Not bad by mid-1950s standards!
Back in the day, this Dodge cruised around Yakima looking for speeders and other lawbreakers. A 2-speed automatic transmission kept the driver busy looking forward, not having to shift gears manually. After the cop car served its time, it was sold at a police auction in 1966 and may have stayed locally for the next six decades. When it was last driven, the odometer read 85,000 miles. The cop spotlight remains, and you can probably find where the police antenna was once connected.
Since the motor still turns freely, there should be hope to get this thing going again. The body seems okay; the paint and interior are tired. Only one piece of glass is cracked. Once restored, this Dodge should be an awesome conversation piece. It’s one of several vehicles the seller has on the market, including a 1964 Ford F100, a 1969 GMC Sierra, and a 1987 Chevy C10. An attaboy goes to “Curvette” for this boss tip!
Never seen one, nice power as you mention wow… thanks for the article Dixon 👍
I thought the 1956 D500 had a crossed checkered flag emblem on the front of the hood on the driver’s side. Anybody? Bueller?
My Grandpa ordered and bought a 56 Custom Royal Lancer D-500. It was delivered to him in late January 1956. It most certainly had the crossed flags on the hood and trunk lid. It was black on top, white in the middle, and red on the bottom. He used it for couple of years delivering moon shine here in East Tennessee. My Dad bought it 59, and drove it until 61. A guy hit my Dad and totaled the car. Dad said it was of the fastest car he ever drove.
A two door police cruiser. Don’t remember too many of them.
As I remember, the Ohio State Highway Patrol used 2-door cruisers up until they were no longer available. They even had a few Camaros – and possibly the odd Corvette and Firebird as ‘halo’ vehicles. I don’t remember seeing any Mustangs, but those may have existed in small numbers as well.
I can remember that – in the late ’60s – the 396 and 427 Biscayne 2-doors always got snapped up by the local drag racers when they came up at government auctions.
The Alabama Highway Patrol had a fleet of AMC Javelins in 1971 and 1972. That was probably the most unusual use of a 2-door muscle car in law enforcement.
Should have dual four barrels.
RBIG 18, the last 2-door one I recall seeing was the one that Darren McGavin drove as Officer
Damon in the film The Delicate Delinquent with Jerry Lewis. Other than that one, I’m with you
as to never having seen one in the flesh. Now if this car was a ’56 Buick Special, I could say with
certainty that I did see one of those in 1988 or thereabouts at a
car show in Winter Haven Florida.
The owner told me that it was an
original CHP cruiser that was a dead ringer for the car used in the
TV series Highway Patrol with
Broderick Crawford. And as for where the antenna 📡 was mounted, it was usually a 108 inch whip type mounted to the rear bumper. There was also a clip on the drip rail so they could
lower the antenna while the car was being serviced. One thing I
don’t see in the interior shots is
the police spec speedometer that’s usually mounted below the
regular unit. There would also have been at least a 500 watt
linear amp in the trunk to boost
the signal of the radio too. And how do I know this? My father was a Nebraska Highway Patrol
officer before he married my Mom and this is the car they drove at one point. And yes, the
Nebraska Highway Patrol cars did indeed have 2 4bbl. Carter carbs on them. They also had dual exhaust and a high lift cam
too. Dad drove one when they had that big manhunt for Charles
Starkwether back in ’58. Dad said
that he killed and robbed a lot of
people when he went on a crime spree that year. Dad said that it
Was the most shocking crime spree in Nebraska for a long long
time and I wanna say that a TV movie was made in the 70’s at some point as well. Aside from all the police stuff, this car looks
to be pretty much complete and
A should be a straightforward restoration. The only things that would be hard to find would be the radio gear and a vintage Krispy Kreme donut 🍩 box for the dash LOL!
With regards to the radio, I was once told by a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper that the radios they used (like Nebraska HP maybe?) had that huge whip antenna. He said that more than once someone latched onto as the trooper began transmitting and got shocked big time!!
He went on to say that times are a-changing..instead of Hostess donuts or Krispy Kreme the new kids are into Starbucks lattes and Einstein bagels!
Interesting information that may be helpful.
https://www.hotrod.com/features/dodge-d-500-may-1956-982-390-24-1
I’d put a cross ram on it!
from the picture it also looks like a radio delete car so was bought for speed police or just Sunday drives 1/4 mile at a time