“Designer Darin Yazejian recalled an approval meeting with top Dodge management when someone criticized the roof treatment of a proposed 1969 Polara hardtop. This particular roof had rear-extending sail panels that thrust out behind the glass, like the ’68 Charger’s. When the person questioned the Polara sail panels, Engel walked up to the full-sized clay, tore off the panels with his bare hands, grabbed a knife and smoothed over his finger marks. Management immediately approved the more rounded roof and backlight, and that’s how the 1969 Polara went into production. So Engel did have some flair and presence.”
— Michael Lamm and Dave Holls, A Century of Automotive Style (1996)
RE:SOURCES
- Lamm, Michael and Dave Holls; 1996. A Century of Automotive Style: 100 Years of American Car Design. Lamm-Morada Publishing Co.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES:
- oldcarbrochures.org: Dodge Polara (1969)
The coupe greenhouse was too abbreviated on the fuselage-era full-size Mopars, though I think the 1969-71 Dodge wore it best. Sadly, the company chose to go with that roofline for the 1969-71 Chrysler and Imperial – it was fit for the 300 only – which made those coupes look cartoonish compared to concurrent GM mid & high-end luxo coupes.
Funny. This website seems to hate the MoPar “fuselage” styling. I love it. I think they’re the best looking cars that have ever been made. My ’70 Newport Custom 2dr. is definitely not cartoonish to me. I’ve never heard anyone complain about anything Chrysler of this period being “too small.” 😁
Matt, Indie Auto doesn’t “hate” fuselage styling. The 1969-73 big cars didn’t sell as well as their predecessors but did a whole lot better than their successors (go here for further discussion).
That’s OK, more for the rest of us. I’ll moderate by saying many on this website are not appreciative of the styling of late ’60’s MoPars. I understand that. A lot of car people look for things that they certainly don’t provide. Like handling😁. Just see a lot of people rag on them on this website, but they remain among the most desirable on many others.
I always liked the Fuselage Mopars. It looked best on the Chryslers, then Imperial followed closely by Dodge and finally, the Plymouth, where the styling concept went to die. The least of all of them.
Absolutely nothing but an anonymous blob in that iteration.
I thought it at 14 when they came out and still do over fifty years later.
Dodge looked fine in most angles. Sleek. Interesting grille, derivative but appropriate tail lights.
Profiles of the fuselage cars looked sort of pin headed, I will say, but otherwise they still look good to me. Except for the Plymouth version. There was zero effort involved in the design of the Plymouth.
The 67-68 newport & monacos ( all versions ) were old & awful looking, design didn’t know if it was coming or going sideways.