Dodge Diplomat Classic Cars for Sale

The Dodge Diplomat, produced between 1977 and 1989, is a mid-size sedan and wagon that was designed and produced by Dodge for the American market. The car was also sold in the Canadian and Columbia markets in 1981 and 1982, where it was named the Dodge Dart and Dodge Coronet for Columbia respectively. The Dodge Diplomat was initially available in coupes and sedans, but in 1978, the company introduced the first wagon, which was meant to offer a replacement to the full-size C-body wagon. The base model of the Dodge Diplomat came with a 3.7 litre straight-six-cylinder engine. There was also a 5.2 litre V8 engine and a 360 cu 5.9 litre engine.

History of the Dodge Diplomat

Originally, the name diplomat was applied in the two-door models made between 1950 and 1954. It was also used in the DeSoto version made between 1946 and 1961. But from 1975 through 1977, the name Diplomat was given to a trim package that was the two-door hardtop Royal Monaco. It was in the year 1977 that Dodge Diplomat was implemented fully to a full model as opposed to a name to specific kinds of bodies. The mechanical components of the Dodge Diplomat made in 1977 were identical with previous models and were interchangeable, save for the body, which was slightly executive and larger. In 1980, the Dodge Diplomat was redesigned to include a new exterior sheet metal and manual transmission versions were no longer in line of production. The 1981 Dodge Diplomat would become the largest sedan produced by Dodge despite the fact it was merely a mid-size car.

The 1982 era saw a discontinuation of the coupe and station wagon versions of the Dodge Diplomat, and the company introduced the Plymouth version made in Canada. The Plymouth Caravelle was sold in the U.S. market and marketed as the Plymouth Gran Fury. 1983 marked an end of the Slant Six engine, so the only engine available was the 318-cid V8, which used a 2-barrel carburettor. The four barrel was only available as an option and would only be used in custom versions. Later, an upscale version of the Dodge Diplomat was produced in 1984, branded SE, and it was made with better trim for both the interior and exterior. Due to poor sales on the M-body, the company dropped the design in 1989 and this was mainly due to fuel economy concerns that most buyers expressed. More automatic transmission units were made in that period to match with competitors like Ford and General Motors.

Dodge Plymouth Prowler

With the discontinuation of the Dodge Diplomat and Plymouth Gran Fury, the company dropped rear-wheel drive for all non track models save for Dodge Viper. This ushered in the Dodge Plymouth Prowler in 1997, which would be placed in the same league as the Chrysler Fifth Avenue.