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1956 Plymouth Fury

When the Plymouth Fury first appeared in 1956, it was a sub-series of the Belvedere, a position it would retain until becoming a separate series above the Belvedere in 1959. From 1959 to 1961 it was a full-size automobile before becoming a mid-size from 1962 to 1964, reverting back to a full-size from 1965 to 1974, then back to a mid-size from 1978. Production of the Fury lasted until 1989.

Launched at the 1956 Chicago Auto Show, the Fury was a high-performance two-door sports coupe priced at $2,800 and exclusively offered with an off-white exterior with tapering gold anodized aluminum side trim, gold-finished aluminum grille, variable-speed wipers, back-up lights, directional signals, and dual-exhaust system with chrome deflectors. It had dual outside rearview mirrors, gold anodized spoke-style wheel covers wrapped with special tires, and prismatic inside rearview mirror.

Power was from a 303 cubic-inch displacement V8 with 9.25:1 compression, domed pistons, four-barrel carburetor, upgraded valve springs, solid lifter cam, dual exhausts, and offered 240 horsepower.

A Plymouth Fury, on January 10th of 1956, ran the Flying Mile at Daytona Beach, Florida, where it achieved a speed of 124.01 mph. Zero-to-sixty mph was accomplished in 9.6 seconds and the quarter-mile took 17 seconds.

Plymouth produced 4,485 examples of the Plymouth Fury in 1956.

by Dan Vaughan

Sport Coupe

In the early 1920s, Maxwell-Chalmers was ailing. They recruited Walter P. Chrysler to rescue them, as he had done at the Willys-Overland company. Changes came swiftly; in 1923 production of the Chalmers stopped and a year later the first Chrysler was launched. In 1925 the Maxwell brand ended and in 1928 Plymouth was introduced at the low end of the market to compete with Chevrolet and Ford. Plymouths were initially priced higher than the competition but offered standard features such as internal expanding hydraulic brakes that Ford and Chevrolet didn't offer. Plymouth was Chrysler's volume seller until the late 1990s and was discontinued in 2001.

The Fury model was produced from 1956 to 1989. Launched at the 1956 Chicago auto show, the first version cost $2,599. It came in Eggshell white with golden aluminum side sweeps. The interior featured elegant Eggshell white and black upholstery with gold metallic beads running through it. Chrysler engineers opted to forgo the Plymouth 277 cubic-inch displacement engine in favor of the Canadian 303 cubic-inch displacement V8. The addition of 9.25:1 compression domed pistons, solid lifter cam, beefier valve springs, 4-barrel carburetor, and dual exhausts turned the Fury into a fire-breathing 240-horsepower terror. Prior to introduction, a pre-production coupe set class records at Daytona Beach for both the flying and standing mile; at 124.01 and 82.54 miles per hour respectively. In essence, this was Plymouth's first in a long and iconic line of muscle cars.

The Plymouth Fury was introduced in 1956 and continued in production as a model and/or series until 1989. Plymouth had been using the name Fury as the high-performance version of its standard vehicle and in 1956 made its own model designation. The initial desire of the Fury was to highlight the abilities of the Plymouth division and to create a stunning automobile that would capture the attention of consumers and bring that crowd into their showrooms. The styling was typical of the era with the most notable feature being the tail-fins which grew in size during the 1959 model year. It was a popular favorite with many police forces because of its reliability and performance.

In 1959 Plymouth introduced a performance and luxury package called the Sport Fury which featured a larger engine, performance upgrades, and a transmission that could handle the extra torque. This was the only year that it was offered.

1960 marked the beginning of the second generation Fury which continued until 1964. The Fury now sat atop a unit-body construction with a bolted-on subframe which improved rigidity. The tail fins were removed and the styling was updated to give it a modern appeal. The base engine was a slant six power-plant capable of producing over 145 horsepower. A 318 or 383 cubic-inch eight-cylinder in various configurations could be purchased as optional equipment.

Styling and mechanical changes continued in 1961. The Fury was given a new grille which gave it the impression of a 'frowning face'. The performance was increased with the 375 horsepower, 413 cubic-inch engine. A limited-edition turbocharged engine was offered in 1962. A new unitized body and chassis construction was implemented which greatly decreased the overall weight while still maintaining rigidity and interior room. Weight was further reduced with the adaptation of the TorqueFlite transmission replacing the cast-iron, two-speed PowerFlite. The 383 engine was no longer offered but a 413 8-cylinder engine became available half-way through the year.

For 1963, the grille and rear once again received styling updates. The reliability was reinforced by the company with the introduction of a five-year or fifty-thousand-mile warranty. Not much changed the following year. A limited amount of 426 Wedge 'Super Stock' engines were planted into the engine bays with the purpose of being raced and not legal on the streets.

1965 brought the third generation of the Fury. The sedans sat atop a 119-inch wheelbase while the wagons were given a 121-inch platform. A street-legal, 426 'Street Wedge' was now available, promising nearly 400 horsepower. This year also began the Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III naming scheme. In 1966 the VIP name was added to the Fury model line-up. The VIP was an economical, luxury sedan with aluminum taillight panels, wood-grained inserts, and special badging and colors. A popular option on the VIP was the vinyl roof. Luxury could be found on the interior, with its soft carpet, padded dash, individual reading lamps, walnut grain trim, fold-down armrests, and more. Under the hood was a 318 eight-cylinder engine as standard. The VIP name was short-lived, enduring until 1969 when the decision was made to cease production.

The 1965 Fury had changed aesthetically with horizontal bars on the grille and rearranged rear taillights. The interior had undergone very mild changes. The most drastic change was on the Sport Fury which was given a new console, replacing the console that had been introduced in 1964. The Hurst shifter was no longer offered; rather, a willowy Inland unit with a reverse lockout button was offered as optional equipment.

In 1966, a Silver Special edition was offered which featured silver metallic paint with blue upholstery. Window moldings, whitewall, and wheel-covers were included.

The Fury grew slightly in size in 1967. The body panels were all-new but the grille and headlights were carried over from the previous body-style. The 225 slant-six engine was standard and a 318, 383, and 440 were offered in various configurations. Offered as a two and four-door, convertible, sedan, wagon, hardtop, and convertible, there were nearly twenty-five different configurations to select from.

1968 continued the styling changes with it's horizontally split grille, updated rear, and a slight dip in the body-line which mimicked the front vent windows.

The fourth-generation began in 1969. The wheelbase of the vehicle increased offering more interior room for the passengers. The boxy-appearance of third-generation Fury was abandoned with a slight shift toward curvy appearance. Concealed headlamps were added in 1970.

In 1972 Plymouth added the Gran Fury sedan and coupe, equipped with a 383 cubic-inch engine bored out to 400 CID. Two separate blackened grilles with the word 'Fury' in the middle helped distinguish these models.

Styling changes continued in 1973 which saw many improvements to its exterior design. For 1974, the Fury sat atop a new C-body platform which was larger in size to its predecessor. A new grille and bumper made its way onto the standard Fury.

The fifth series of the Fury was introduced in 1975. Plymouth once again restyled the Fury and placed it atop a smaller, redesigned C-body chassis.

The Fury line was dropped in 1979 but a year later, in 1980, Plymouth revitalized the Gran Fury name. It shared a platform and similar body design to the Chrysler Newport and Dodge St. Regis and was available only as a four-door sedan. Sales were never strong and the Fury name was once again abandoned in 1981.

A smaller version was introduced in 1982 and stayed in production until 1989. Minor aesthetic and mechanical changes were applied during this time, but it basically stayed unchanged.

by Dan Vaughan