|
The Dodge Custom 880 was an automobile sold by Dodge from 1962 through the end of the 1965 model year. It was brought to market quickly to remedy Dodge’s vulnerability in the mid-price fullsize field, as well as to help fill the void in Chrysler's lineup left by the discontinuation of DeSoto in 1961. ==Origins== The Custom 880 was a quick solution to consumer demand for a full-size Dodge passenger car during the 1962 model year. The 1962 Dodges introduced in the fall of 1961 had their origins in a rumor heard by a Chrysler executive that Chevrolet was planning to downsize their full-sized automobiles for the 1962 model year. Not wanting Chrysler to play catch-up, and wanting to beat Chevrolet at its own game, Plymouth and Dodge designs were placed in an emergency downsizing program that took the previously approved full-size designs and shrank them to smaller vehicles that would compete head-to-head with the rumored smaller Chevrolet. But to Chrysler's shock and dismay, Chevrolet's 1962 full-size lineup emerged slightly ''larger'' than the 1961 models, with the mid-range Chevrolet Bel Air (on a wheelbase) growing a longer in its body, although the car weighed less than its 1961 predecessor. The rumored "small Chevrolet" turned out to be the new Chevy II compact, which was intended to bolster Chevy's position where the Corvair had faltered in that segment of the market. The "full-size" Dodge Polara and Dart that emerged for 1962 were built on a shorter () wheelbase and were shorter overall than the comparable Chevrolet, placing Dodge in the precarious position with consumers of not offering a true full-sized automobile. Ford also brought their new intermediate- or mid-size Fairlane and Mercury Meteor to market for 1962 with a wheelbase. They were roughly the same size as the new standard-size Dodges, which made the new Mopars intermediates by default. Compounding the size issue were the designs themselves, which did not translate well from their full-size origins to what amounted to intermediate size. In the rush to shrink the cars, the proposed curved side glass was deleted in favor of flat glass, which blunted the effect of the graceful curve of the body sides. They also reduced the total glass area, which made the cars look smaller as well. An unpopular design for second year in a row — the 1961 models had awkward-looking "reversed" tailfins and a pinched grille, among other unusual features — combined with the cars' smaller overall size, threatened Dodge's viability enough that Chrysler was forced to move immediately to stem Dodge's financial and market share losses. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dodge Custom 880」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|