1959 Dodge Kingsway Custom 4-door Hardtop

"Everything About It Says, 'Here Is A Fine Car'."

We'd say: "Here Is An Angry Looking Car." This Canada-made 1959 Dodge Kingsway Custom is another "Plodge" in our collection. This time, the bodyshell of a Plymouth Belvedere four-door hardtop was coupled with a Dodge frontend. "Regular" Dodges kept the long tailfins of the 1958 models through 1959, which makes them easily discernible from the export Dodges. "Badge-engineering", as it was practiced for these export models, was possible, because all cars of Chrysler's brands shared the same platform. And since they were based on the cheaper Plymouths, dealers outside the U.S. could offer their Dodges and DeSotos at competitive prices.

While 1958 and 1959 brought the most stunning designs to all other Chrysler divisions, Dodge's styling somehow changed from graceful to garish in 1959. Quad headlights were de rigeur at all american cars now, but these sharp "eyebrows" made the Dodges look pretty strange, if not plain ugly.