1960 Dodge Matador Polara

1960 Dodge Matador. The Matador and Polara were the full-sized Dodges for 1960. This was a one year only body style. These were available in 2 and 4 door versions including coupes as well as convertibles and station wagons. This is one of the last of the cars sporting fins of any significant size. The car in this movie has 112,000 miles on it and is the original engine and transmission. It has virtually no leaks. The original spare tire is still in the trunk and still holds air. The 361B V8 engine is quite peppy and moves the car right along. On a good day it will chirp the tires on a 1-2 shift. The car recently came to Arizona from Spokane and March of 2013 I installed the AC in it. I also removed the generator and replaced it with a GM 1-wire alternator as the generator was not up to the task of the electric loads with the AC. Around the 5:00 mark there is video of the engine.

[@Bcroft39]

Detroit made some really beautiful cars in the 50s and 60s.

[@andydanko7074]

That dashboard ,that steering wheel,those rear fins ,that rear window ,this car is awesome! 🚘🚘

[@TheItsmegp46]

A masterpiece of rolling art. Absolutely stunning.

[@knowbodiesfull5768]

That Dodge is a rare machine. The Matador name was used only that year; 11 years later, American Motors picked it up. Isn't it ironic that AMC would be bought out by Chrysler in 1987?

[@doctorzaius4084]

I love how funky the 1960 Dodges and Plymouths were; real UFOs even down to the dashboard layout.

[@donpower7286]

My first car to go to work was Matador 361 2dr that ended up with 413 from a 61 new yorker thaks for the memories

[@andydanko7074]

I just love the day-glow of the speedometer!!

[@mosesberkowitz3298]

I can't get over how QUIET this car drives! (a little alternator belt whine at the start notwithstanding). When you backed it out of the driveway, I thought you were coasting. That's a sign of good upkeep....these cars were whisper quiet in the 50's, and this one still is! I'm sure the exhaust has been replaced, so the owner resisted the temptation to make it sound like a Camaro. Amazing and thanks for posting.

[@pagedown4195]

That dashboard is just so amazing

[@monarch1957]

love the dash on the early 60's Mopar products.

[@Paramount531]

Nice video, nicer car! I can still remember when you saw these on the road.

[@BrokebackBob]

Virgil Exner: Insanely great, no one comes close to Chrysler!

[@alainbrisebois8334]

Ya,Ya....and then they made a PT cruiser.

[@tomfrazier1103]

A different guy was also great, Elwood Engel. They're all good until about '72.

[@ramrider1453]

Love the character of this. Looks great.

[@ToyKingWonder]

It goes to show you, 4 doors can be very attractive also!

[@larryfoster4455]

52 years ago had a '60 Matador 2 dr ht, purple body, white roof, magnum 500 rims WWWtires, swivel seats, HD suspension, and prior owner added a/c AND a 413 cross ram w/ TorqueFlite, had fun, but too many cars, sold it to a friend, love the style.

[@jeromecabral192]

She's a beautiful car. Hopefully I can someday own a car like that

[@cindys1819]

Remember when The Golden Gup at Lead East had a pink polara with the Juke Box sticking out of the Trunk? A super great memory from the 80's.....

[@discerningmind]

I'm glad you mentioned the clock as I thought it was a compass. Very interesting. Thank you for taking me on a drive. That's a very beautiful and unique car.

[@gene978]

Love this 1960 Styling! I bought the 1961 Dodge for it’s unique Styling and I would of looked for a 1960 if I known what they looked like back before I had Internet in 1992. Same Dash. Same color.

[@leemartin2990]

I always liked the 1960 Polaras & Matadors; great sheet metal & dashes. They had a lot of style but were sales-impaired at the time for two reasons: First, 1960 was the first year "compact" companion cars came out and the '60 Dodge Dart sold like hotcakes, robbing full-size Dodge of market share. Second, the awesome body style was considered "retro" by 1960; GM and Ford had started rolling out lean, low, wide cars in 1959. Although I love the design, I do think Exner set the fins too far forward. The car looks fine from the side, but strange from the rear. If the fins had been moved back about 9 inches they would have integrated better.

[@djplonghead5403]

Incredible how complex these cars were to build and yet they just work...

[@stankeith761]

Your car is beautiful!! My first car was a '60 Dart Pioneer - black with red interior. 318 with only a radio as an option. Tough to park with no power steering!

[@harmstrongg]

This is now my most desired car, taking over the 50 Merc. Absolutely beautiful.

[@shwt121]

Loved the ride....thank you- this car has some of the BEST bells and whistles.

[@jameshenry3530]

The same body shell was used in 1961. The styling was radically different in the fenders, but the same structure and mechanicals were carried from 1960. The 1961 version had the ridiculous reverse tail fins that justly caused a huge sales decline.

[@DougCameraMan]

Who knew a four door sedan could be so cool!

[@tingokuman]

Are you kidding me? I never knew Cars from this era were so 😳 Advanced.

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

There were so many different models which are basically different trim levels. SUCH a gorgeous example here though. Wonder which one was top of the line ? Whichever one it was, this car would be perfect for me. I love every little detail of this car. Every piece of chrome trim, the dash, the seats, the body lines, the engine and that steering wheel are just to die for. Well, it's just an expression...

[@EristiCat]

+MungoidHen The Polara was top of the line. It and the Matador were the "senior dodges" and were slightly larger than the Dart Series. The senior dodges were the same basic car as the least expensive Desoto/Chrysler with different sheet metal. The Darts were the same as a plymouth under the sheet metal. Or you could say the least expensive Desoto/Chryslers were really Dodges. They were all made on Chrysler assembly lines. The 60 Dodges were Unique in that unlike the Desoto/chrysler/plymouth whose basic "look" spanned 57 - 60, these 60 dodges were a one year only design look.

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

EristiCat . Wow Thank you very much. That explains it. First time I ever saw a '60 Dodge Polara it was dumped in a field. Unusual to find an old American car like that, to say the least (-in West Sussex, anyway.) I fell in love with it BUT, of course, the owner was your grumpy eccentric type who would not sell. What a flippin Waste. The steering wheel was kind of clear and glittery. And Dodges, they were actually made by Chrysler ? Thank you for your response. Greetings from the old world.

[@drwho5437]

​@@EristiCatIs the passenger side mirror an addition? Mine doesn't have a mirror on the pass side. Just driver and dash mounted rear view.

[@EristiCat]

@@drwho5437 It was on when I got it and matches the drivers side. My recollection from a long long time ago, when these cars were nearly new, is that if you wanted to you could order a remote-control passenger side mirror to match the driver's side remote controlled mirror. I recall seeing one in a Polara and it had a very long cable to go from the right side of the steering wheel all the way to the passenger door. So I would assume you could also order a non-remote passenger side mirror to save a few bucks but that might be dealer installed.

[@franciscobarajasochoa8615]

Amazing car, very beautiful, everything is special & unique

[@zaidulhassan983]

Amazing car driving through beautiful and well planned town.

[@Mistertudball]

Love love love it. Having had a few early Chrysler's I can even feel the "effort" needed to turn the wheel.

[@67marlins81]

Beautiful, brutal and classic. Hope you upgrade the front brakes to discs - there are aftermarket kits a good mechanic can install. Definitely worth it, these cars were known to be under-braked.

[@peterducodil9890]

I enjoy the ride,thank you verry much,you have a beautifull machine.I like american cars of the fifties and sixties.I have a chevy 56 convertible,the cheapest gm car at the time,love it...grtz from belgium eu

[@ijsmale]

Very cool, I owned a Polara 4 door HT for 21 years.

[@KameraShy]

Our next door neighbor had this exact same car, in this exact same color, bought new. A guy in college had the same car, I think a lighter shade of blue - maybe from fading. Design for the space age.

[@jimdelton1767]

Perhaps the shade of blue of the car in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3apdYSYlM-Zh7M

[@asteverino8569]

Mr storyteller. Great voice and commentary. Oh, I liked the car too.

[@EristiCat]

Thanks!

[@1911beauty]

Thats the best looking dodge ive ever seen

[@alanhooper2417]

I arrived over from England in June 1968 to St. Louis Mo. I paid $450 for a 1960 4 door Dodge Matador Sedan and kept it for two years, using it every day and enjoyed every minute of it. I still don't know why I traded it in.

[@retroolschool]

very nice! thanks for the ride!

[@1940limited]

That's beautiful. I forgot Dodge still didn't have Park in 1960.

[@barsixful]

g bridgman My 61 dodge doesn't have park either. That came in 62... bugger

[@1940limited]

@@barsixful It's surprising Chrysler Corp. took so long to pick up on something as basic as Park on an automatic transmission.

[@IgoRAZ12345]

brilliant car! as well as condotion!

[@beenbeatenbybishops5845]

Delco 10 SI alternator under the hood. Excellent upgrade to the charging system. The car is a beautiful, work of art. I am jealous. At the same time, I am glad you have it and enjoy it. If only there were a company that would make these cars again using modern powertrains and braking systems.

[@bensonsspeedshop1191]

I used to have a '60 Dart Pioneer Wagon, 36k miles! Bought it from original owners when they were too old to drive. Excellent driver, Bronze over Pink, 318/2spd Powerflite and electric back window! Had it parked out with some friends cars, and, it disappeared from the place with about 15 other old Mopars when we took off looking for more old cars. This was back in the late 80's. I spotted it through a fence at a salvage yard that had a Reputation for scams/thievery. Went to get police and by the time we got back, and entire row of cars had went 'missing'! Apparently, they were being investigated AGAIN for stolen cars and parts, but, Somehow they were always a step ahead. I Really miss that car!

[@albertcarello5489]

I had a 1972 AMC MATADOR with a 360 cube inch 2 barrel engine. From a standstart I stayed right alongside a 69 Cadillac we're both at wide open throttle from a stoplight. We both stayed right alonside each other up to 45 miles per hour when the Cadillac started to pull away from me when our transmissions made that 1 to 2nd gear upshift.

[@albertcarello5489]

Bensons Speedshop: AMC cars especially the Matadors were hot with car thieves. I parked in the Ohare Airport Parking garage and it looked like someone was trying to get into it; saw pry marks between the window and the door but didn't break in probably because they got scared off by onlookers. This happened twice at that airport parking garage!!

[@troyboy2050]

What a beautiful American car!!

[@TDBash]

One of the most beautiful examples Ive ever seen - but why has no one addressed / repaired that damaged dash pad ? I was a professional vinyl /leather mobile repair tech for 25 yrs...and I repaired many dash pads in my time. Look up 'vinyl repair" in your yellow pages or on the net ! Get Er Done !

[@STRATUS1995]

Very nice car!

[@tomfrazier1103]

I think its neat how the fin drops a foot in front of the rear of the car. When I was a kid there were very few of these cars on the road, "Old lady cars". Why did they always have the most awesome cars? I was a supermarket boxboy in the later '80s and was almost given a '69 Bonneville, and looked at a parked '35 Lafayette in s backyard. It was a project, and I already had one. The Pontiac was a clean harvest gold runner. Lafayette's were small Nashes competing with Pontiacs/Chevrolets. The car I liked the most was a clean '59 Edsel Villager, white over blue.

[@dunlopkuhmoii7025]

I still have dreams of my buddy showing up at work with his new 60 dodge phoenix ??? 413 long tube ram .After taking it for a ride & scaring the pants off me----I had a new dream car,what a machine.

[@dennisleporte2327]

My dad had Fury of the same vintage. He recalled that the rear view mirror on the dash wasn't much use unless you wanted to see the passengers in the back seat lol

[@observerofmadness4170]

I'm not too impressed with that rearview mirror either. Looks like it could cause some bad injuries in an accident.

[@alvincash3230]

That's a beautiful car!

[@vernonnorfleet8396]

Beautiful car make sure you replace that belt

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

THANK YOU. I Really did enjoy that. It's great for me to see this because many years ago I noticed a 1960 Dodge Polara sedan languishing away in the weeds in an old contractors yard. The owner would not sell it and ordered me off his land. So I always longed to see a nice one driving around but never ever have seen one in the UK since.

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

Ha Ha. Funny channel name ! Yes, I know there are LOADS of American cars in Sweden. (Thanks to Magnus !) They have some GREAT HUGE shows out there, and this year I will be going to take a few million snaps. Great response, so Thank you = )

[@unclemikeb]

WOW! Gorgeous car.

[@alwanner]

I like the 1960 Dodge lineup, but prefer the Darts because their fins seem more integrated with the overall design. I saw one of these Matador/Polaras with the fins cut off and it looked nice - straight shot back to the taillights. When I see these fins, they look too tall and too stubby, tacked-on, not coming back to the lights as they do on the Dart. If someone extended these fins at the same height back to the taillights this would look completely awesome!

[@IgoRAZ12345]

awaiting other vids on this car

[@Imintune...]

Things you don't see anymore. Dash mounted ignition , mirrors, fender mounted mirrors, cigarette lighters and ashtrays .

[@pony053]

Today's cars ALL look the same...they've run out of ideas. This- was the golden age of motor-cars. You knew a Chrysler, from a Ford, from an Olds. Thanks for caring for a beautiful piece of Americana

[@donaldpowers5557]

I bought a 2dr ht.white 361 engine went bad I put a GOLDEN Lion 413 from a 61 NEW Yorker. lots that car and with the 413 fly fly

[@TigerDominic-uh1dv]

Beautiful Car And I Am A 4 Door Guy ❤

[@TigerDominic-uh1dv]

The Whole Style Is Very Good Nice Color 😂❤.

[@Eagle4448]

1957-1960. The best american cars era.

[@summitdrinker]

I grow up riding in the back seat of a 60 Dodge, Not A Matador thou, it was a Phoenix. When I Got older like in my teens people always told me how ugly they were. I never thought they were ugly. But Now that I'm almost old and grey I like the looks of them more. I think the 60 Desoto and Chrysler are more beautiful cars, But really I think the 60 Dodge has more style and character. The 60 Dodge line up is interesting.

[@cindylawrence1515]

First of all..the 60-61 Dodges has the absolute Koooolest STEERING WHEEL in the universe. I think its above the 59 Chevy , the Dodge reminds you (and all your relatives, coworkers etc) that you opted for power steering. My uncle bought a 60 Dart and then he upgraded to a package deal the dealer had (I suspected it was a repo) the car he traded up to was a 2 door matador hard top. My brother warned him to put locks on those customizer classic hubcaps which he did...oh did zi mention the engine was a 413 with the CROSS RAM!!! UH, only problem it was the SHORT cross ram so he had to get up to like 50 mph before the power really came on. He DID go back and change out the brakes for the severe duty export units,which Did stop (somewhat better) Golden Memories in my family we at one time or another had every conceivable good to great car of well, it WAS the American century. Now it looks like this will be the chinese or Guatemalan or GKW century....

[@tworegon]

My first car - 60 Dodge Dart Seneca station wagon (light blue).

[@canadianHAWK3]

Very Nice

[@kjchicago1]

The Cruiser's Hot Rod-Sharp 1960 Dodge Matador Polara

[@romie1967]

"a bicyclist on... a bike." LOL!!!

[@IgoRAZ12345]

just wow

[@leewatts5956]

Old girl seems as smooth as silk. Would like to see a video of that Firebird in the garage.

[@jimdelton1767]

I have since sold both the firebird and the Dodge. Wish I had done a drive video of the Firebird. Live and learn. I now have a 57 Thunderbird as my toy. Just got it and am doing fixup starting with the brakes. I'll be doing a drive it video when it's back together.

[@leewatts5956]

@@jimdelton1767 I’m old enough to remember riding in old classic cars like that Dodge and drove and owned cars like that Firebird. I owned two Challengers back in the day. I had a mint 71 back in 78 and restored a 72 back in 92. Now they are everywhere with unimaginable horsepower. Hope you make a video about that Thunderbird. Are you going to paint it red like Dan Tanna’s from the old show Vega$ ? 😂

[@jimdelton1767]

@@leewatts5956 A friend of mine just bought a 500 HP charger. OMG is that thing fast... had it up to 114 by the end of the on ramp and had to slow down to merge. The Tbird will NOT be red! There are way too many red ones already.. plus it's already got pretty good paint in the original willow green.. and no rust other then a little surface rust. Was a CA car all it's life except for the last 5 years in TX and now AZ.

[@leewatts5956]

@@jimdelton1767 I use to know an older fellow that owned a 57 Ford Ranchero. It was almost mint. It had a 312 Thunderbird engine in it. He use to drive it in parades. He had the original sales receipt’s in the glove box. The truck cost him $2400 back in 57. He received a trade in allowance of $600 for his 51 Ford. Poor old fellow past away around 20 years ago. But he did allow me to drive it a couple of times. What a sweet ride for a truck.

[@kipbrown1549]

Kool car, love it /////////////////////////////

[@neildickson5394]

I can sure see Ward Clever in this. Back then you knew a car a mile away, and it's price class. Today you can't tell a Buick from a Kia, and chances are they sell for the same sticker price. No wonder there are almost no domestic brands left.

[@BrokebackBob]

Love that PT Cruiser!

[@rickmagley9640]

I want a ride!

[@MrTrack412]

The beauty of the paint job comes out strong immediately when the video comes on. This is the 1960 Matador or is it the Polara. The type in big letters calls it a 1960 Dodge Matador Polara. I thought there was no such animal.

[@EristiCat]

I will tell you from experience that how paint jobs look on video is usually WAY better than the look in person. The paint on this car was what people call a 20 footer, looks good from 20' and as you get closer you start to see the flaws. It does look good just not as good as you'd think. As to the Matador Polara question. This car is a Matador. The Polara was almost identical. A few trim bits were different, hubcaps on Polara came standard with the "spinner" arms, the interior door panels were a little fancier and the fins had a lighted red insert.

[@BrokebackBob]

I bet you can get that dash pad replaced easy!

[@bikdav]

What kind of camera did you use to do this video? The picture and sound is really good.

[@EristiCat]

Shot with a Sony HX-100V Prosumer grade camera. Does good HiRes video. The original video is even better than what youtube serves up. You can see the camera peeking out in the rear view mirror around the 2 minute mark.

[@ronkey4796]

Beautiful car. I learned drive in one of those, my father' car. Actually is in Venezuela. I can't bring to the USA by the stupid "dictator's laws". Everything same, the only thing different the doors not have the window frame & still the original pink color. Congrats yours are beautiful.

[@kfl611]

Are the hub caps original to the car? I like them. Well the whole car is super neat and really a show stopper. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@EristiCat]

Hard to be sure. The ones on it were standard for the next higher model, the Polara but I’m sure could have been ordered at extra cost for the Matador. The standard ones on the matador were the same except without the “spinner fin” part.

[@kfl611]

@@EristiCat But the spinner fins, are what makes them look so stylish.

[@EristiCat]

@@kfl611 I agree!! I love those hubcaps.

[@moelarrythecheese4507]

Had a 60 ridiculous placement of rear view mirror

[@EristiCat]

It's a testament to the tenacity of "not giving up" even when what seemed like a good idea doesn't work well in practice.

[@davidd1395]

Takes off good, but how does it stop with those 4 drum brakes? I remember well when rear view mirrors were on the dash.

[@jimdelton1767]

It stops pretty well actually. Far far better than the 64 T-bird I had. But yeah, not like having disk brakes!!

[@fairfaxcat1312]

Was there an uptick in speeding tickets after these cars came out ‘cause the cops could see right through the speedometer? Dead giveaway if you were speeding with that see-through speedometer.

[@stardustdreamfactory1947]

Interesting clock - still working? Driving with one hand while holding a camera - worse than amateur porn LOL! Thinking '61 was the first year for the alternator in Chrysler products - ahead of GM and Ford at the time. Nice ride - thanks for sharing!

[@Gunny426HemiPlymouth]

These would be great wagons... did they make matador wagons?

[@EristiCat]

Yes they did and they were great looking wagons.

[@FrankieNY59]

Mopar Volkswagen My uncle had the wagon when I was a kid. Very cool car. My mom had a 59 Chevy Kingswood, and today I have a red 59 Impala 2D Sport Coupe Love this era!! Beautiful car eristicat!!

[@tomfrazier1103]

Used to see one on the road in our town in the late '80s.

[@bill90405]

Looks like a GM alternator, whatever for? The Mopar/Motorola unit is about as simple and reliable as anything. Nice color combo! The wa6 the car looks and handles so vastly superior to anything from Ford or GM in that period.

[@EristiCat]

The GM kits and mounts were readily available. Don't know why mopar's are not but didn't see any.

[@eldar3414]

Super

[@cat_daddy]

My uncle said he could pass everything but the gas station

[@walnutcove8583]

Idle seems high, maybe to do with the AC?

[@larryhawkins3294]

Looks like aftermarket air conditioning. The factory vents were atop the instrument panel.

[@jimdelton4087]

Yes, it's aftermarket. Getting proper brackets and belt system was a real PIA.

[@lamarrharding4776]

After market air conditioning and alternator. Nice car, but today's cars almost drive themselves with stay in lane, adaptive speed control, hybrid mileage, GPS, and so much more, especially collision passenger protection!

[@BrokebackBob]

What is that display saying 142 when you released the parking brake?

[@EristiCat]

Don't know how I never saw this comment from 2 years ago but better late than never. That's 14.2, it's a voltmeter.

[@scootergeorge7089]

What is that in in front of the Speedometer? A compass?

[@jimdelton1767]

No, that is a clock. Usually called a satellite clock. A one year only thing

[@rareblues78daddy]

That thing's like the ugly puppy in the litter. You know it's not that good looking, but it's still a puppy... so it gets a pass. Very garish, even for 1960.

[@jamesveach6918]

you got more for your money back then cars was built with Quality cars now day maybe nice but 95 percent of them are junk.

[@ChristopherPlatt]

So that's a Matador (NOT)!

[@JrGoonior]

You're a schmuck!!! Dodge used the name a good ten years before AMC did....

[@ChristopherPlatt]

Normally I don't reply to people who call me names, but my post was a reference to an old TV commercial. Perhaps you were but a babe in diapers when it originally aired. Next time hold your tongue and Google it, or search KZbin...

[@JrGoonior]

I'm 43, so it probably is. I'm no fool when it comes older cultural references, this one obviously went over my head. Sorry, with all the trolls around anymore the gloves are always up and ready for a fight...;)

[@spahjrp]

+Chris Platt You might want to go back and review the video. Next, you should inform Chrysler/Dodge they put the wrong nameplate on that back fender. Or...you might have to accept the fact that you are completely full of sht. I had one with a 413 cross ram engine that could put a smile on a republican's face.

[@pheidgerd60]

One hand on the steering wheel? You should watch Signal 30-- kzbin.info/www/bejne/lYeugKKbo9aVhc0 Happy Cruising!

[@EristiCat]

If you are squeamish, don't watch the video

[@frequencyfluxfandango8504]

pheidgerd60 Ha ha, yeah right ! Interesting comment and I think there is one of these in Signal 30' too, isn't there ??

[@tassoss1]

+pheidgerd60 Dont try this in a Modern Plastic Car

[@davizote77]

Terrible!

[@brianshanahan216]

gross...

[@EristiCat]

Oh Yeah, (sticks out tongue)

[@STRATUS1995]

Very nice car!