Dodge Diplomat

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The Dodge Diplomat was a mid-size car and it was manufactured from 1977 to 1989 by the Chrysler Corporation's Dodge brand and practically identical to the Chrysler LeBaron of 1977, the Plymouth Caravelle sold in Canada, and the Plymouth Gran Fury from 1982. It was also sold in Mexico between 1980 and 1981 as the Dodge Dart, and in Colombia as the Dodge Coronet.

Background

The Diplomat name was originally used from 1950 to 1954, to designate the 2-door hardtop body style in Dodge's line. It was also used on the export version of the DeSoto from 1946 through 1961. Later between 1975 and 1977, The Diplomat name was also used on a trim package available on the Royal Monaco two-door hardtop.

History

1977 saw the return of the Diplomat as a full model line rather than as the name of a particular body style. The new Diplomat was based on the Dodge Aspen, designated the M-body. While the Aspen had the F-body, the M-bodies were related to it: the wheelbase was often identical and doors often interchangeable. Hence, another M-body sedan, such as the 1989 Chrysler Fifth Avenue, had interchangeable doors with the 1976 Aspen. Like the Aspen, the Diplomat had coupe and station wagon variants.

The Diplomat was offered with a base 225 in³ six-cylinder engine. In 318 in³ V8 form (and an optional 360 in³) it, and its Plymouth Gran Fury twin, were widely favored as a police car in the US. After 1984, the only engine offered was the 318 in³ V8.

Following the demise of the Dodge St. Regis in 1981, the Diplomat remained, becoming the largest sedan in the Dodge lineup, despite being a mid-size. Dodge would not market another full-size car until the Monaco debuted as a 1990 model.

In 1982, the coupe was discontinued and Canada's Plymouth version of the Diplomat came south of the border. The Plymouth Caravelle was offered in the US as the Plymouth Gran Fury.

1980 Dodge Diplomat coupe

As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat (in part because of a lack of advertising and also because people favored more modern models), and the Diplomat (along with the Plymouth Gran Fury and Chrysler Fifth Avenue) was dropped in 1989. Diplomats built from mid-1988 until the end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side airbag as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup.

The Diplomat was replaced by the Dodge Dynasty, which was introduced for 1988.

External links

Dodge Vehicles	([http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit])
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	Cars:	024 \| 330 \| 400 \| 600 \| 880 \| Aries \| Aspen \| Avenger \| Challenger \| Charger (B-body) \| Charger (L-body) \| Colt \| Conquest \| Coronet \| Custom 880 \| Dart \| Daytona \| Demon \| Diplomat \| Dynasty \| Intrepid \| La Femme \| Lancer \| Matador \| Mirada \| Monaco \| Neon \| Omni \| Polara \| Shadow \| Sierra \| Spirit \| SRT-4 \| St. Regis \| Stealth \| Stratus \| Super Bee
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	Corporate:	Fratzog \| John Francis Dodge \| Horace Elgin Dodge

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