1960 Plymouth Fury

The 1960 Plymouth line gained a new compact model called the Valiant, although it was not officially considered a Plymouth, rather a distinct brand of car within the Chrysler Corporation. By 1961, it would wear the Plymouth name. It was an entry-level vehicle with attractive styling, pricing, and features that made it popular with consumers. Above the Valiant V-100 and Valiant V-22 were the Fleet Special, Savoy, and Deluxe Suburban available with either six- or eight-cylinder power. The Valiant's wheelbase measured 106.5-inches, the Suburban at 122-inches, and the other Plymouth passenger cars measuring 118-inches.

At the top of the range were the Plymouth Fury passenger cars and the Sport Suburban station wagons. Body styles on the Fury included a sedan, convertible, and a two- and four-door hardtop sedan. Prices ranged from $2,540 to $2,930. The Fury came with either six- or eight-cylinder power, except for the convertible (Plymouth's only convertible for 1960) which came solely with a V-8.

The Virgil Exner styling of the 1960 Plymouth model line was graceful and elegant, accented by tall rearward-placed fins. Chrome was used sparingly, but dramatically, to accent the long, clean lines of the car. Although Plymouth was considered a 'low priced' manufacturer, its cars were fitted with a level of detail and trim that was unimaginable including the 'floating' speedometer unit on the dashboard, luxurious woven fabrics for the seats, push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission, power windows, and power swiveling seats.

The previous separate frame construction was replaced with new 'uni-body' construction that offered lower weight, higher structural rigidity, and improved noise isolation. The torsion bar suspension used on the 1960 Plymouth also gave it a smoother ride and better cornering capability than the competition.

The base overhead-valve, inline six-cylinder engine displaced 225.5 cubic inches and had four main bearings, solid valve lifters, a Carter one-barrel carburetor, and delivered 145 horsepower at 4,000 RPM. The 383 cubic-inch engine came in two states of tune, including the 'Cross Ram' induction manifold option offering 330 horsepower as its most potent variation.

The futuristic 'Aero' steering wheel, a large, squared-off multi-piece design, gave the Fury the look of a show car. Up-market elements installed in the Fury were front bucket seats and an available four bucket seat interior.

The previous Plymouth Sport Fury, sequestered for a sport coupe and a convertible with a gold side spear and a wider range of colors, was dropped for 1960.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2020