Plymouth Fury

Infobox Automobile
name = Plymouth Fury


manufacturer = Plymouth
parent_company = Chrysler Corporation
production = 1956-1978
class = Full-size (1956-1974)
Mid-size (1975-78)
assembly = Windsor, Ontario, Canada
layout = FR layout
successor = Plymouth Caravelle (Canada)The Plymouth Fury was an automobile made by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a premium-priced halo model (a production automobile designed to showcase the talents and resources of an automotive company, with the intent to draw consumers into their showrooms).

First generation: 1956-1959

Infobox Automobile generation
name = First generation
production = 1956-1959


engine = 5.7L V8
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
2-door convertible

The Fury was sold only as an off-white hardtop coupé with gold anodized aluminum trim in 1956, 1957 and 1958. From 1965 to 1974, Plymouth sales owed a great deal to the Fury's popularity. When Plymouth reintroduced a full-size car in 1965, the Fury was available in four trim levels, dubbed Fury I, Fury II, Fury III and Sport Fury, which were priced to meet Chevrolet's Biscayne, Bel Air, Impala and Impala SS models, body style for body style.

In 1959 Plymouth introduced the Sport Fury as its top model, and the Fury name was stepped down to replace the Plymouth Belvedere at the top of the regular Plymouth line-up. In doing so, the Fury range now contained sedans and station wagons as well as a hardtop coupe and sedan, while the Sport Fury series had only a 2-door hardtop and convertible.

The Sport Fury was dropped at the end of 1959, but was reintroduced in mid-1962.

tephen King's "Christine"

Although the 1958 Plymouth Fury is identified as the car in John Carpenter's adaptation of the Stephen King novel "Christine", two other Plymouth models, the Belvedere and the Savoy, were also used to portray the malevolent automobile.

Several statements about the car in the book version were factually incorrect for the 1958 Fury, referring to features that were found on the Belvedere model and not on the Fury. Some of these include:
* "rear doors" (Christine is referred to as a four-door, but the Fury was only available in a two-door model until 1959)
* the automatic transmission (called a Hydramatic in the book—a GM transmission; Chrysler Corporation transmissions were called TorqueFlite)
* "gearshift lever" (refers to the transmission shifter; all 1958 Chrysler automobiles with automatic transmissions used push-button drive).

Another slight inaccuracy was shown in the film version of "Christine": In the scene where Leigh Cabot chokes on a hamburger, Arnie is locked out of the car and can't help her. The door lock button clearly goes down by itself, yet these cars did not have lock buttons. They required the door handle to be rotated counter-clockwise to lock them.

However, the author did note that Christine was "a special order", which could explain these inconsistencies. Also, since the car is possessed by a supernatural force (the previous owner in the book and an unknown force in the movie) it is possible that the car could do just about anything it (she) wanted.

econd generation: 1960-1964

Infobox Automobile generation
platform = B-body
name = Second generation
production = 1960-1964
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
2-door convertible


engine = 5.2L V8
6.3L 330 hp V8
3.7L I6
5.9L V8
7.0L V8

The Fury remained Plymouth's sales volume model through the troubled early 1960s, when the full-sized Fury was saddled with odd styling cite web | url=http://auto.howstuffworks.com/plymouth-cars8.htm | title=HowStuffWorks: 1961-1964 Plymouths | accessdate=2008-08-18] and an intermediate (or mid-sized) platform. The first year a Fury convertible was offered was in 1960.

Also in 1960, Chrysler introduced its Ram Induction system of manifolds, which increased low end and reduced high end torque for drag racing. The Fury also moved to unibody construction for greater rigidity and better cornering. The fins dropped off completely. The original 318 and 383 were available (not related to the later 318 and 383), along with a 361 and the brand-new Chrysler Slant-Six 6-cylinder engine, producing 145 hp at 4000 rpm. The 383 produced 330 hp. cite web | url=http://www.allpar.com/model/fury.html | title=History of the Plymouth Fury | accessdate=2008-08-18]

Starting in 1962 and ending in 1969, the Sport Fury was offered as a hardtop coupe or a convertible.

Third generation: 1965-1968

Infobox Automobile generation
platform = C-body
name = Third generation
production = 1965-1968
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
2-door convertible


engine = 7.0L V8
6.3L V8
5.2L V8
3.7L I6
wheelbase = Auto in|119.0|0
Station Wagon: Auto in|121.0|0
aka = Plymouth VIP
transmission = 3-speed automatic
3-speed manual
4-speed manual

In 1965, Plymouth came up with three special Furys: the Fury I, Fury II, and Fury III. The Fury I was marketed to police and taxi fleets, or sold to private customers wanting a basic, no-frills full-sized car, while the Fury II and Fury III were the bread and butter lines. Many Sport Fury models (as well as Fury III models) came loaded with options such as automatic transmission, power steering, white sidewall tires (along with full wheel covers), stereo radios, vinyl tops and air conditioning.

The overall design changed, with the grille losing chrome but gaining two vertical stacked headlights on each side. All new Furys got a new 119" wheelbase (121" for the wagons) - one inch more than before. The 426 "Street Wedge" V8 was introduced, rated at 385 hp but finally street-legal. cite web | url=http://www.allpar.com/model/fury.html | title=History of the Plymouth Fury | accessdate=2008-08-18]

From 1966 to 1969, a luxury version of the Fury, called the Plymouth VIP (marketed as the "Very Important Plymouth" in 1966) was fielded, in response to the Ford LTD, Chevrolet Caprice, and the Ambassador DPL. These models came with standards such as full wheel covers, vinyl tops, luxuriously upholstered interiors with walnut dashboard and door-panel trim, a thicker grade of carpeting, more sound insulation, full courtesy lighting, four door hardtops, etc. In addition to options ordered for the Fury III and Sport Fury models, VIPs were often ordered with such items as automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, and power seats.

Fourth generation: 1969-1972

Infobox Automobile generation
platform = C-body
name = Fourth generation
production = 1969-1972
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
2-door convertible


engine = 7.0L V8
6.3L V8
5.2L V8
3.7L I6
7.2L V8
wheelbase = Auto in|120.0|0
aka = Plymouth VIP

For 1970, the VIP was discontinued, and the Sport Fury range added a four-door hardtop sedan. The Sport Fury added two new hardtop coupes to retain some semblance of a sporty
carburetors.

Fifth generation: 1973-1974

Infobox Automobile generation
platform = C-body
name = Fifth generation
production = 1973-1974
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
2-door convertible
engine = 5.9L V8
5.2L V8
6.6L V8
7.2L V8
wheelbase = Auto in|120.0|01973 was the last for the C-body and full-size Fury.

ixth generation (Gran Fury and the end of the Fury): 1975-1978

Infobox Automobile generation
platform = B-body
name = Sixth generation
production = 1975-1978
body_style = 4-door sedan
2-door coupe
4-door station wagon
engine = 3.7L I6
6.6L V8
5.9L V8
5.2L V8
wheelbase = Sedan: Auto in|117.5|0
Coupe: Auto in|115.0|0In 1975, Chrysler moved the Fury nameplate to Plymouth's redesigned mid-size models that had previously been marketed as the Satellite. A Fury Road Runner was offered on the redesigned coupe, but was moved to the Plymouth Volare the following year. The full-sized Plymouth then became known as the Plymouth Gran Fury. The Gran Fury was dropped after 1977, and the mid-sized models were dropped after 1978, replaced in Canada by the rebadged Dodge Diplomat model called the Plymouth Caravelle (not the be confused with the E-body Plymouth Caravelle from 1983-1988). There was no 1979 Fury, Gran or otherwise.

In 1980-81 a new Gran Fury was available, in what was a virtual twin of the concurrent Chrysler Newport intended mainly for fleet sales. For 1982, Dodge Diplomat was rebadged to create yet another Gran Fury. In reality, this was the Canadian-market Plymouth Caravelle sedan which had been available since 1977. This version was available through the 1989 model year, and was sold mainly as a fleet vehicle, and was a popular choice as a police cruiser.

ee also

*Plodge
*Dodge Monaco

References

"The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975", John Gunnell, Editor. Krause Publications, 1987. ISBN 0-87341-096-3

External links

* [http://www.cbodydrydock.com 1965 - 1978 Plymouth Fury and Related Full Size Mopars]
* [http://www.fuselage.de 1969 - 1973 Plymouth Fury at Fuselage.de site]
* [http://59sportfury.net 59sportfury.net]
* [http://www.66sportfury.com 1966 Plymouth Sport Fury in the Netherlands]
* [http://www.70sportfury.com 1970 Plymouth Sport Fury]