The Dodge Polara was introduced in 1960 as a top-of-the-line full-size car in the United States. However, in 1962, with the introduction of the Dodge Custom 880, the Polara was repositioned as a step below the best-trimmed Dodge model. This shift meant that by 1962, the Polara had been downsized to an intermediate or mid-size status. The Polara name was used by Dodge in various forms until 1973 when it was replaced by the Dodge Monaco in the lineup.
The name "Polara" was chosen as a reference to the Polaris star as a marketing strategy to capitalize on the excitement surrounding the Space Race during the early 1960s. In terms of styling, the 1960-1961 Polara and other full-sized Dodges maintained design elements from the previous year, which were an evolution of Virgil Exner's iconic "Forward Look" cars introduced in 1957.
Key Points:
- The Dodge Polara was initially introduced in the United States in 1960 as a full-size car.
- The Polara was repositioned in 1962 to a step below the best-trimmed Dodge model and was downsized to an intermediate or mid-size status.
- The Polara name was used by Dodge in various forms until 1973 when it was replaced by the Dodge Monaco.
- The name "Polara" was a marketing reference to the Polaris star,
