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1962 Dodge

Polara 500

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Body Color
Beige
Stock
3643
Engine Size
361 V8
Transmission Type
3 Speed Automatic
Vin
5422127515
Miles
28,142
Drivetrain
RWD

1962 Dodge Polara 500

1962 Dodge Polara 500

The start of the Sixties saw several new types of cars sprouting up in America as Detroit began fine-tuning its marketing. The 1962-1964 Dodge Polara 500 was one example. Aside from compacts, there were also "personal-luxury" cars and high-performance specials built to a formula that included V-8 engines, unique trim, and bucket seats. When Dodge mixed these ingredients, it cooked up the 1962-1964 Dodge Polara 500.

For consignment, an emerging design for 1962 in the form of a 1962 Dodge Polara 500. This example is very nice with good paint and a like new interior. Surfaces are in good condition with only sections of the chrome trimmings and bezels that show some pitting and dimpling, however, remain shiny and rust free. A 361ci V8 is under the hood, and it is fed by a 4-barrel carburetor. Plenty of round bezels for lighting and gauges, and more Fratzogs, (Dodge's badge from the era that denoted nearly nothing, just its shape so it was dubbed the Fratzog which means nothing!). A unique looker and one of the earliest muscle cars. No one would suspect pop has some chutzpah under the hood of his cruiser.

Exterior
Leave it to Virgil Exner who helped pen this unique exterior styling for the 1962 model year for the Polara. The high-beam headlights are tucked into bright recesses in the upper corners of the vertical grille work, while the low-beam headlights are housed in circular chrome bezels nestled under the fender blades. Thus, low beams were mounted low, high beams were mounted high. Both locations have their oddities. The grille was basically undercut, with a short wrap over at the top. In order to mount the high-beam lights, this convex grille plane had to be scooped out for the lamp bezels, somewhat awkward visually. The bright bezels on the outer low-beam lamps were also unusual in that the inner bezel was a ring of white plastic, apparently in an attempt to make the five-Inch lamps look larger than the similarly sized high-beams. At the rear, the staggered-lamp look is repeated in the diagonally biased arrangement of four small, circular lamps, with the inboard lamps again mounted higher than the outboard. An arcing, sculpted blade in the body-side sheet metal curves over the rear wheel and then rises rearward to meet the upper lamp. All sheetmetal is bathed in Shell White, (off white or very light beige). Some chip off scratches and thin spots off the paint due to wear off can be noted throughout, especially next to trimmings and near the gaps. In between the sculptural front and rear, the car's midsection retains the flush body-to-glass relationship of the original design, albeit with straight side glass. The belt line is notched-up aft of the front door to reduce the height, (and cost), of the rear side glass. The base of the windshield is pulled further forward at the centerline to meet the rising "speedboat" cowl, styling touches deposed Vice President Virgil Exner treasured. This example has the upgraded wheel coverings which use the Fratzog as the faux knockoff hub in the centers. Fratzogs also adorn the hood center, trunk lid and rear quarters.

Interior
A swing of the doors and this will throw you back with its early midcentury drippings. The door panels are in a two-tone color way, those tones being light beige and cocoa, and the material is all vinyl. These colors interplay with the cocoa on the sills and lowers, and the light beige in the centers and these air tucked and rolled. Another fratzog is in the center top, shiny handles and actuators are mounted and a cocoa armrest is floating in the light beige centers. Seats are in light beige with smooth bolsters, and tuck ant rolled white stitched cocoa inserts. The seats in front are a wide bomber low back no headrest style and have chrome trimmings at their edges. In the center is an aluminum clad boxy center console which consists of a lighter, ash receptacle and glove box. The rear bench uses the cocoa and light beige with a smooth cocoa center vinyl divider between the tuck and rolled insert seats. The dash is original and in very nice condition. It uses a lineup of round deep set gauges below the speedometer and a central, you guessed it, Fratzog! Below is a series of pushbuttons, drivers left are the transmission selections and drivers right are the climate control pushbuttons. Very futuristic. The remainder of the dash and dash top are lighter painted cocoa metallic, and all is looking smart. Above is a cocoa vinyl headliner with chromed dividing strips in the seams. Like new red carpeting is covering the floors.

Drivetrain
Under the hood is a very clean 361ci V8. It has a 4-barrel carburetor on top, and a 3-speed automatic A727 Torqueflite transmission on back. Rear axle is a 3.23 gear ratio.

Undercarriage
Looking very nice underneath with no rust and like new primer paint on the floor boards and primmer for the centers but then a light coat of black is on top. Independent torsion bar front suspension and leaf spring rear suspension is on providing the ride. Power drum braking is installed in the fronts and power drums for the rears. A turbo muffler system is underneath as well and is looking very clean and no rust.

Drive-Ability
A neato car to drive and it's a looker too! It drives very nicely, smooth acceleration at the use of a button, and solid braking. Power steering makes it an easy, effortless driver. The A/C was inoperable, and the speedometer did not move during my drive.

Certainly can be put in the and now for something completely different category as to exterior design, some love it, some hate it. If you love it, come see it in our full halls at Classic Auto Mall.

VIN DECODE
5422127515
5-Polara 500 V8
4-Polara
2-1962
2-Detroit, MI Assy Plant
127515-Sequential Unit Number

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.