Chrysler redesigned its basic
Plymouth and
Dodge models for 1962. But created a marketing problem because they were noticeably smaller than competing cars from General Motors and Ford. I cite that in my post "1962 Plymouth Walkaround and Overheads"
here.
Their styling is of interest because they represent final elements of Chrysler's styling vice-president Virgil Exner's thinking. For some background, link to my post "Virgil Exner's Final Themes for Chrysler Corporation"
here that includes images of some of Exner's proposed designs for '62. Management ordered a reduction in size for standard Plymouths and Dodges for '62, so Exner and his staff had to compromise his preferred designs.
Today's post compares the styling of hardtop coupe models of each brand. Shared bodywork will be noted, as well as difference used for brand identity.
Gallery
1962 Plymouth Sport Fury - Mecum Auctions photos
Both brands share passenger compartment "greenhouses" along with related elements such as door cutlines. The Plymouth has broad, horizontal sculpted elements front and rear. At the front, this includes the horizontal lip above the grille that continues as side sculpting. The grille is interesting due to its concave shape that reduces its brightness as reflected light. Perhaps it was Exner's intention to de-emphasize grille brightness in order for viewers to focus on other aspect of the design.
1962 Dodge Polara 500 - Mecum photos
Dodges retain the front fender side sculpting, but there is no across-the-front carry-through as on the Plymouth. The Dodge front end ensemble is complicated. Some headlights are housed within the grille frame, the others are in sculpted housings at mid-level fender frontage. This visual disconnect creates clutter that's enhanced by the small horizontal "eyebrow" chrome strips above the outboard headlights. The bumper sags in the middle, but not in complete sympathy with the lower grille framing.
The chrome strips on the forward and aft side sculpted elements align, creating an interrupted continuity line. However, the separation is so wide that recognition of the alignment is difficult. This model does have a thin chrome strip running along the beltline, but it's so subtle that it doesn't really help tying the car's front and rear visually. Otherwise, the car's sides are plain, uncluttered.
On the other hand, this Dodge features a strong, colored accent along the beltline, enhancing visual length. The front fender sculpting has little visual reinforcement detailing. The rear fender zone carries an awkward, upward sculpting that becomes horizontal at the same level as the horizontal front fender sculpting. That relationship is difficult to notice. That blue panel at the rear with chrome dashes is unnecessary visual jazz.
The frontal lip-cum-side-sculpting is echoed at the rear. The separate rear-lighting assemblies add clutter, yet might serve as accents in what otherwise is a fairly simple theme. (I can't make up my mind whether or not integrated light assemblies would be an improvement.)
Like its front, the Dodge's rear end contains fussy, unrelated elements. The disconnected quad headlights are mimicked at the rear with respect to separated tail light assemblies. The rear bumper, like the front bumper, is V'd, and unrelated to the otherwise horizontal aft end detailing.
