1959 Dodge Kingsway Custom 4-door Sedan

"The Newest of Everything Great! The Greatest of Everything New!"

This Dodge Kingsway Custom is yet another "Plodge" in our collection. This time it's a Plymouth Belvedere, coupled with a Dodge frontend. The habit of the Chrysler Corporation to re-badge Plymouths and sell them as other makes, was originally invented to circumvent canadian trade-laws, as Plymouth's canadian factory could produce other Chrysler-makes as "made-in-Canada" products. Later, the idea spread to other export markets to help selling cars in lower price-classes without damaging the brand image of the higher-priced brands.

"Kingsway" was the name for these badge-engineered Dodges for the export markets. Here in Cuba you can find both versions of 1959 Dodges: the original U.S. specification, and the badge-engineered "Plodges". This is likely because Florida was just a ferry-ride away and although not being sold here, many original Dodges reached the island on this direct way.