Dodge's full-size comeback came with a catch: 383-powered Polaras of this era averaged just 13.8 mpg, a number owners complained about even in an era of cheap gas.
Lead trim: Polara 318 V8 · up to 385 hp
Dodge PolaraPOLARA-1965 · 1965–1968
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Dodge Polara yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactDodge's full-size comeback came with a catch: 383-powered Polaras of this era averaged just 13.8 mpg, a number owners complained about even in an era of cheap gas.
For 1965 Chrysler moved the Polara back to the full-sized Chrysler C platform shared with Chrysler and Plymouth models, once again in a full range of bodies (sedans, hardtops, station wagons), replacing the 880 and remaining a step below the Custom 880, with the new Monaco hardtop coupé Dodge's top model; the previous mid-sized Polara 500, Polara, 440 and 330 continued as the Dodge Coronet on a 117 in wheelbase. These Polaras were criticized for low fuel economy, owners of 383 cars averaging 13.8 mpg (US). In 1966 the Monaco replaced the Custom 880 as the mid-level model and a new Monaco 500 replaced the 1965 Monaco; the 1967 models received a facelift, a semi-fastback hardtop roof with a reverse-slant rear quarter window and the new US government-required safety package, and 1968 added shoulder belts and side marker lights. From 1965 until 1970 the Polara was the only full-sized Dodge available in the US as a convertible. Engines: 318 and 383 cu in V8 (1965–1968), 413 and 426 cu in (1965 only), 440 cu in (7.2 L) (1966–1968); wheelbase 121.0 in (1965–1966) and 122.0 in (1967–1968), length 213.3 / 219.6 in, width 80.0 in, height 62.0 in. The page gives no power figures.
Collectors Spotted in the Dodge Polara Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Dodge Polara yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
5 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polara 318 V8 | 1965–1968 | 5.2 L V8 | 230 hp | 340 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Polara 383 V8 | 1965–1968 | 6.3 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Polara 413 V8 (1965) | 1965–1965 | 6.8 L V8 | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Polara 426 V8 (1965) | 1965–1965 | 7.0 L V8 | 385 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Polara 440 V8 (1966–1968) | 1966–1968 | 7.2 L V8 | 375 hp | 480 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
A plain-looking police Polara held a speed record for 25 years: 149.6 mph, the fastest four-door sedan on Chrysler's test track, until a 1994 Caprice finally beat it.
The Argentine Dodge Polara borrowed its name from Dodge's big American sedans, but underneath it was really a reskinned 1967-69 Dodge Dart.
Argentina's hottest engine ever lived in this car: the Dodge GTX's 318 cubic-inch V8 is considered the most powerful engine Argentina ever produced.
Dodge's full-size comeback came with a catch: 383-powered Polaras of this era averaged just 13.8 mpg, a number owners complained about even in an era of cheap gas.
The downsized '62 Polara exists because Chrysler's president overheard Chevy's chief and misread it as a sign GM's big cars were shrinking — so Dodge frantically shrank its whole lineup to match a Chevy downsizing that was never actually happening.
This Polara exists because of a rumor gone wrong: Chrysler's president overheard and misunderstood a GM executive, and panic-shrunk the whole lineup to match a downsizing Chevy never actually did.
Virgil Exner's reversed-fin 1961 redesign bombed so badly that full-size Dodge sales crashed to their lowest since the company's 1914 founding — just 14,032 built.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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