Space Age Patina: 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury

Plymouth rolled out the Sport Fury in 1959 as a top-of-the-line car in terms of trim and performance. Chances are, it may have inspired the Chevrolet Impala Super Sport and Ford’s Galaxie 500XL. With bucket seats and a beefy V8 engine, the Sport Fury may have appealed to a new group of Plymouth buyers, and it found nearly 24,000 takers in its first year. Located with a dealer in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, this Mopar has loads of patina, but unfortunately, ample rust, too. It’s available here on eBay for $25,000 OBO.

The 1959 Plymouths were in the third run of a three-year design and styling cycle. Rear tailfins continued to sail high, and they may have been even bigger with the new unibody Plymouths in 1960. The auto industry was starting to rebound after a recession-racked sales year in 1958 when only economy cars seemed to deliver positive numbers in the showroom. This Flame Red 2-door hardtop has an estimated 74,000 miles and has been placed on consignment by its long-time owner.

We’re told the car has a 350 cubic inch “Commando” V8, which seems to have been a one-and-done in 1958. So, is it a 361 that replaced it, or maybe the original owner was able to order one with a 350? Or it’s a transplant. A 2-speed push-button automatic transmission is along for the ride. This car seems to have just the right amount of patina that you could clearcoat and call it a day. But what about the various holes in the sheet metal and frame that the seller’s photos indicate?

The interior is incomplete (one door panel missing), yet the upholstery has held up while the carpeting has not. The Space Age was in full form by 1959, and this Plymouth shows it, including the dashboard that harkens to the layout in the upcoming manned Mercury launches. The seller is thorough in describing the good, bad, and ugly with this machine, throwing in some marketing gems along the way, too. Would you restore the car and drive it as it is for a while?