1959 Dodge Custom Royal

The close of the 1950s witnessed an increase in luxury, performance, and dramatic styling highlighted by jet-age styling and flamboyant tail fins. The 1958 and 1959 Coronet, Royal, and Custom Royal used a DeSoto chassis but had less ornate trim, brightwork, and accouterments. Power was from the 230 cubic-inch 'Getaway' L-head straight-6 or the 325 cubic-inch 'Red Ram' V8. The Coronet was the entry-level model in 1959, offered as a sedan, club sedan, Lancer hardtop coupe, Lancer Hardtop Sedan, and a convertible. Dodge used the Lancer name from 1955 to 1959 to designate both two and four-door pillarless hardtop models in the Coronet, Royal, and Custom Royal lines. The Lancer designation was dropped for 1960.

The Royal Series was the intermediate trim level and included the features found on the Coronet, plus additional trim and accouterments.

The top-of-the-line model was the Custom Royal available as a sedan, convertible, Lancer Hardtop Coupe, and Lancer Hardtop Sedan. Prices ranged from $3,100 for the sedan and rose to $3,370 for the convertible.

1957 saw the introduction of the new D-501 engine option for all series, which replaced the D-500 from the year before as the top Coronet. The D-501 received Chrysler's 354 CID Hemi V8, which were actually leftover engines from the 1956 Chrysler 300B production. Camshafts from the 1957 Chrysler 392 CID engines were installed in the 354 V8s for added performance. With a 10.0:1 compression ratio and a pair of Carter four-barrel carburetors, the new engine delivered 340 horsepower. Other changes included the addition of the Torsion-Aire Ride (torsion bar) front suspension and a heavy-duty suspension with heavy-duty shock absorbers and a heavy-duty leaf-sprung rear. The standard transmission was a three-speed manual unit with a 3.73:1 rear axle; the automatic cars received a 3.18:1 rear axle. There were 13 optional rear axles available, ranging from 2.92:1 through 6.17:1. Cars equipped with the D-501 also received 7.60x15 tires on 15x8 inch wheels. Stopping power was provided by 12-inch diameter drums.

Dodge produced a total of 21,206 examples of the Custom Royal accounting for approximately fourteen percent of total production. 1959 was the final year of the Custom Roayl, having been first introduced in 1955.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020