|
|
Expert
Posts: 1898
   
| .
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1961-plymouth-fury/
 (1.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 1.jpg (65KB - 70 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2101
Location: Idaho - where men are men and spuds are spuds | I've always thought of these cars as flat-out butt ugly! But I'll have to admit that one looks pretty snazzy! (Just needs correct white walls). 
Edited by Mope R. Geezer 2021-12-10 3:25 PM
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1740
Location: Alaska | Mope, I agree with you. Many years ago I had a chance to buy a hardtop with the sonoramic engine at a very cheap price, IIRC $400. I just couldn't do it. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | I have to agree as well. I never have liked the '61 Plymouths but if I had to have one, it would definitely be a Fury 2 door HT or a convertible - no substitute.
Stephanie, a member who posts here quite often, has a '61 Fury that is dyno-mite that she and her father restored. It's black with red interior - probably the best I have seen on the forum. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 873
Location: ALABAMA, HEART OF DIXIE | The 61's are a "love it or hate it" style body. I fell in love with a 61 convertible in 1965. Dad wouldn't co sign. He said if it rolls over your gonna die. The 61 captures all of the styling que's of the era. The aro space and rockets are everywhere. Even the wheelcovers have space ships It took me until 2015 to find a decent enough one to restore. Going on a 5 year restoration now. It's well equipped for a Plymouth. PS/ PB/PW/Ptop, all the front bling, headlight shields, grill guard, Aero wheel, padded dash, all vinal interior, HI-FI radio, all tinted glass. Same colors as the OP car here. I'm updating to a sport tone paint, emerald green below the beltline, and changing from black to a white top. OH... I have 5 motorwheel wire wheels and will mount 2 1/2" wide whites.
Edited by rockerarm 2021-12-12 12:10 AM
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 873
Location: ALABAMA, HEART OF DIXIE | This is likely the nicest 61 convertible I've seen. A very nicely upgraded original. The optional vinal interior has the correct stitched pattern but the seats should be all white, not green and white. Correct hose clamps and wide white walls would help to. |
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 5006
| it needs the bumper front guard... helps the looks i think...
|
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 7410
Location: northern germany | The sales slogan in 61 was "The solid beauty" and no one called it ugly back then, not in the contemporary car magazines. Tastes have changed, for sure. I will never get that people think it is ugly. It is a beautifull design, fins or not. Gotta love the front end, that looks eager to eat miles of eisenhower highway, if you are into 50s american cars. Pure americana.
 (61!!!.JPG)
Attachments
----------------
61!!!.JPG (24KB - 67 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 769
| I have several 61s. Good or bad they get lots attention wherever they go.
I often hear (it’s so ugly it’s cool) Doesn’t bother me.
I heard rumor that when Chrysler introduced the entire 61 CPD line that the dealers walked away saying they could not sell these lineups. Don’t know if there’s any truth to that?
I understand sales were down for 61?
61s we’re compared to the 1961 Mothra movie monster.
I have owned mostly mopar muscle cars over the years and have only recently discovered space age Exner styling.
I can also appreciate the space race styling of other makes.
If you go to a mopar car show in a plum crazy challenger you will be one of several there.
Go in a 61 and you will stand out.
Sky High roof line,aero wheel,rocket taillights,spaceship dash,chevron chrome trim,are my favorite features.
Then again I like the oddball styling of a 61 Desto!!! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1898
| .
As stated by seller:
The body tag contains the following information:
Shipping Order 0403 – April 3 delivery date
Number 0058 – Production sequence
Body 335 – Fury two-door convertible
Paint WW1 – White paint
Trim 652 – Green and white upholstery
I can add the next information:
A1 – Power Steering
H5 – Heater and Defroster
K2 – Back Up Lights
Y4 – 318ci V8 Engine
Z3 – Torqueflite Transmission
8 above S (if it’s a 8) – Undercoating and Under Hood Pad
 (1.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
1.jpg (84KB - 68 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 5006
| ill check the 61 magazines... i dont think they were saying it was beautiful...
the 57's won awards like crazy though. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 769
| I believe the entire 61 line up did not get good reviews except maybe 300.
Desoto,dodge,Plymouth,lancer,valiant,imperial is the most radical Exner designs yet.
My favorite year for FL….. JMO
Mothra pic
Attachments
----------------
F96AE127-C2FC-4145-8817-FCB2303A893D.jpeg (46KB - 65 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | Dad was a DeSoto-Plymouth dealer when these ‘61 Plymouth models were introduced. At the dealer introduction, there were lots of moans and groans that were not
complimentary at all. No one that I was aware of walked out but comments like the grille looked like a lettuce grater and the tail lights looked like they were tacked on as an afterthought were quite common. There were no comments regarding “space age” designs but the biggest concern was how were we going to compete with Chevy and Ford in the looks department with what we we’re looking at? The answer became apparent when sales plummeted. For 1962 things were not any better. People were much more conservative then and big change was not in their wheel house. It wasn’t until 1963 that things picked up in a hurry. And as a bonus the 5/50 warranty was standard with all except the factory produced Super Stock race cars. It boils down to give the people what THEY want and THEY will let you know the success rate.
Edited by Viper Guy 2021-12-13 3:59 PM
|
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 7410
Location: northern germany | mikes2nd - 2021-12-13 2:06 PM
ill check the 61 magazines... i dont think they were saying it was beautiful...
the 57's won awards like crazy though.
Show me a car mag from the early 60s in which they call a big 3 product "beautiful".
Anyway, tastes are different and just 3 or 4 years later, mid 64, people listened to beat music, looked like beatniks, wore garish colors and fell in love with a terrible designed car (at least as a non-fastback) Fords biggest success, the Mustang.
Todays majority is even more disgusting with less style and class, and the majority of course still loves these turds on wheels and if that majority calls this gracefull, sleek space age machine "ugly", I can live with that.
Edited by 1960fury 2021-12-13 5:44 PM
 (solidbeautyds.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
solidbeautyds.jpg (47KB - 63 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2101
Location: Idaho - where men are men and spuds are spuds | The more I look at that aardvark, the more I like it, and I could set a bucket list goal for collecting the most "ugly car" trophies. Each time I've looked at it, the bid has always shown $24,000. Does anyone know whether that was the opening bid or how many bids there has been????? |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2003
Location: Branson, MO | There have been only 4 bids with the $24K bid placed Dec. 9. There are only two days left. The first bid opened at $10000.00. This auction is not progressive bidding - you bid a number higher than the last bid and that's it as long as the minimum increment is met.
Edited by Viper Guy 2021-12-14 12:24 PM
|
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 769
| mikes2nd - 2021-12-12 2:21 AM
it needs the bumper front guard... helps the looks i think...
Looks like the 61 conv from crime story only without the bumper tie |
|
| |
|
Board Moderator & Exner Expert 10K+
Posts: 13054
Location: Southern Sweden - Sturkö island | Exerption from the book Virgil Exner Visioneer by Peter Grist;
"The Plymouth was the unluckiest recipient of Cliff Voss' styling. The main body of the cars were simple and delightful, with finely shaped rear fenders. Unfortunately, a design that had been created as a rear end treatment was chosen to go on the front, given the car a very sour-faced look. Sales for all division, except Chrysler, plummeted"
I always liked the 61 Plymouths, with the flying saucer look, fugly, but really cool |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1223
Location: Ramona, CA | Viper Guy - 2021-12-13 12:51 PM
Dad was a DeSoto-Plymouth dealer when these ‘61 Plymouth models were introduced. At the dealer introduction, there were lots of moans and groans that were not
complimentary at all. No one that I was aware of walked out but comments like the grille looked like a lettuce grater and the tail lights looked like they were tacked on as an afterthought were quite common. There were no comments regarding “space age” designs but the biggest concern was how were we going to compete with Chevy and Ford in the looks department with what we we’re looking at? The answer became apparent when sales plummeted. For 1962 things were not any better. People were much more conservative then and big change was not in their wheel house. It wasn’t until 1963 that things picked up in a hurry. And as a bonus the 5/50 warranty was standard with all except the factory produced Super Stock race cars. It boils down to give the people what THEY want and THEY will let you know the success rate.
There used to be an excellent series of articles on Allpar about memories from a dealership year by year with the new cars and such but I can't find it on their new site. They talked about how they felt about the new products every year.
Here's how one DeSoto dealer felt about the 1961 DeSoto.
 (El_Paso_Herald_Post_Fri__Sep_2__1960_400.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
El_Paso_Herald_Post_Fri__Sep_2__1960_400.jpg (119KB - 71 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1223
Location: Ramona, CA | This dealer was way more excited about the 1961 Plymouth. Most of what I saw in the newspaper archives was talk about the fins going away and Plymouth's previous claims about them being stabilizers.
 (The_Austin_American_Sun__Sep_4__1960_.jpg)
Attachments
----------------
The_Austin_American_Sun__Sep_4__1960_.jpg (219KB - 66 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Expert 5K+
Posts: 7410
Location: northern germany | Plymouth, or Chryco, had the worst, the W-O-RS-T Madison people of all car makers in automobile history. Look at the official ads! They praised enthusiastically the 59 in 59 (of course) in 60 they use a 59 body to show how bad frame cars are to push the unibody sales.... The people who just bought a 59 must have been realy happy about that. My guess is, they never ever bought a Chrysler again.
In 60 Plymouth hyped the fins, almost as if cars without fins are not driveable. In 61 they cut them completely and praised the totally fin-less 61s. In 61 they advertise the new alternators with a picture of a 60 MOPAR in the background with a worried face driver standing in a traffic jam idling... I don't know, but I guess these guys, doing the ads, must have been paid by GM. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1223
Location: Ramona, CA | 1960fury - 2021-12-14 3:59 PM
Plymouth, or Chryco, had the worst, the W-O-RS-T Madison people of all car makers in automobile history. Look at the official ads! They praised enthusiastically the 59 in 59 (of course) in 60 they use a 59 body to show how bad frame cars are to push the unibody sales.... The people who just bought a 59 must have been realy happy about that. My guess is, they never ever bought a Chrysler again.
In 60 Plymouth hyped the fins, almost as if cars without fins are not driveable. In 61 they cut them completely and praised the totally fin-less 61s. In 61 they advertise the new alternators with a picture of a 60 MOPAR in the background with a worried face driver standing in a traffic jam idling... I don't know, but I guess these guys, doing the ads, must have been paid by GM.
That's a common problem with corporate marketing. I deal with that at the company I work with. The marketing people don't get irony. Development will leave a needed feature out of a product update and then add it back in when customers complain and then marketing will make a big deal about it being a new feature.
Same with car manufacturers. Chrysler touted many features or slammed other manufacturers for what they did and then did it themselves later one. Imperial mocked Lincoln for doing away with a frame at the same time Chrysler was touting unibodies. And of course the excellent pushbutton shifters gave way to column shifters in the end. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Lubbock, TX | Sold for $30,250, a really reasonable price for a #3 car, considering that the best restored 1961 Plymouth Converts sell for $90-110k. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1886
| CaprockClassics - 2021-12-15 4:29 PM
Sold for $30,250, a really reasonable price for a #3 car, considering that the best restored 1961 Plymouth Converts sell for $90-110k.
Where are you seeing those prices, outside of 1, maybe 2 outliers? |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
Location: Lubbock, TX | Well, you're right, I only know of 3 #1 condition 1961 Plymouth Converts selling in the past 4-5 years.
In addition to the Gold Staluppi car for $99k this year, I know of a Red one that changed hands privately 3yrs ago for $85k and a Black one was sold to a friend of mine for $110k. So that's about all the market can indicate to valuation. Otherwise, most cars you see are in this condition, weak #3 cars with 318ci. Hardly ever see a 361 convertible. I'd guess there are probably only a couple dozen total surviving. Do an image search, you'll only turn up 10 unique cars or so. Pretty Rare!
~Peter |
|
| |
1961 Plymouth Fury Convertible
