1957 Plymouth Fury Hardtop Coupe

Advertising for the radically shaped 1957 Plymouth declared 'Suddenly it's 1960,' and it sure seemed that way in the fall of 1956. This futuristic Virgil Exner creation instantly overhauled Plymouth's workaday image and catapulted the brand into third place in industry sales.

Although the finned 1957 looked much longer than the 1956 Plymouth, in reality, overall length was virtually unchanged. Two-door hardtops were about four inches lower, though, contributing to the impressively long, low and wide look.

The showcase model was the high-performance Fury. Its standard 318 cubic-inch V8 delivered 290 horsepower, and optional engines offered even more. For 1957, the Fury was available only as a two-door hardtop, and only in one color: Sand Dune White, with gold-anodized side trim and a unique beige interior.

This Fury was restored by the Walter P. Chrysler museum and has been on display since 1999.

The Plymouth Fury was introduced mid-year in 1956. The following year, this high-performance sports coupe was assertively restyled. It was longer and lower than its rivals and available in a single body style - a two-door hardtop finished in Sand Dune White with gold-anodized aluminum inserts which swept from its grille to the tops of its tailfins. It had a new Torsion Aire torsion bar front suspension with leaf springs and a live axle in the rear.

The Fury was powered by a 318 cubic-inch V8 V-800 Polysphere engine with dual quad carburetors and offering 290 horsepower.

By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2010