Encyclopedia:
Dodge Diplomat
Dodge Diplomat was a
mid-size car and it was manufactured from
1977 to
1989 by the
Chrysler Corporation's
Dodge brand and practically identical to the
Chrysler LeBaron of
1977, the
Plymouth Caravelle sold in
Canada, and the
Plymouth Gran Fury from
1982. It was also sold in
Mexico between
1980 and
1981 as the
Dodge Dart, and in
Colombia as the
Dodge Coronet.
Background
The Diplomat name was originally used from
1950 to
1954, to designate the 2-door hardtop body style in Dodge's line. It was also used on the export version of the
DeSoto from 1946 through 1961. Later between
1975 and
1977, The Diplomat name was also used on a trim package available on the Royal Monaco two-door hardtop.
History
1977 saw the return of the Diplomat as a full model line rather than as the name of a particular body style. The new Diplomat was based on the
Dodge Aspen, designated the
M-body. While the Aspen had the
F-body, the M-bodies were related to it: the wheelbase was often identical and doors often interchangeable. Hence, another M-body sedan, such as the
1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, had interchangeable doors with the
1976 Aspen. Like the Aspen, the Diplomat had coupe and station wagon variants.
The Diplomat was offered with a base 225 in³ six-cylinder engine. In 318 in³ V8 form (and an optional 360 in³) it, and its Plymouth Gran Fury twin, were widely favored as a police car in the US. After
1984, the only engine offered was the 318 in³ V8.
Following the demise of the
Dodge St. Regis in 1981, the Diplomat remained, becoming the largest sedan in the Dodge lineup, despite being a mid-size. Dodge would not market another full-size car until the
Monaco debuted as a
1990 model.
In
1982, the coupe was discontinued and Canada's Plymouth version of the Diplomat came south of the border. The Plymouth Caravelle was offered in the US as the
Plymouth Gran Fury.
thumb|250px|left|1980 Dodge Diplomat coupeAs the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat (in part because of a lack of advertising and also because people favored more modern models), and the Diplomat (along with the Plymouth Gran Fury and Chrysler Fifth Avenue) was dropped in
1989. Despite fewer consumers, the Diplomat (and Gran Fury) had another market niche - as fleet vehicles for taxicab and law enforcement use (this was the last RWD Mopar used as a police vehicle).
Diplomats built from mid-
1988 until the end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side
airbag as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup.
The Diplomat was discontinued in
1989, with the
Dodge Monaco replacing it as Dodge's top-of-the-line sedan for
1990. Another successor for the Diplomat was the smaller
Dynasty (introduced in 1988).
External links
*
http://www.dippy.org Farley's Dodge Diplomat Community*
http://www.allpar.com/squads/diplomat.html The Dodge Diplomat / Plymouth Gran FuryDiplomatCategory:Rear wheel drive vehiclesCategory:Mid-size carsCategory:CoupesCategory:SedansCategory:Station wagonsCategory:1970s automobilesCategory:1980s automobiles
