Worst Cars of the 1960s: The 1962 Plymouth (Savoy/Belvedere/Fury) - A Car You Hate to Love

Marc is back! Learn more about this 1962 Plymouth Fury, including how it got Chrysler's then-styling chief Virgil Exner fired and sent Chrysler into a continual seesaw of financial performance--and woes--from which it never recovered. This was the wrong car at the wrong time on many levels, and Chrysler paid dearly for it.

[@EarlGuyton425]

I am age 66 and being a retired mechanic, I will say that anyone who owned one of these back in 1962 had the most dependable car. I felt as a child when I saw one some people owned up the street saw it as a sissy wimps car, but that was because in the 60s we had some mean looking chrysler imperials and cadillacs and some big mean looking oldsmobiles, so based on that the manufacturers timing was off BAD. If I owned one today? I would keep it until my death because its mechanical dependability and reasonable to work on. I love your car to the guy in the video

[@soundrecordings2659]

Special Guest Mark is terrific and you both are the best.

[@MrTPF1]

My Dad had an early 60's Valiant, and I never realized that it was the Belvedere/Fury's little brother/progenitor. I think this car looks great. It was just ahead of its time.

[@DSP1968]

I'm with Marc -- this is quite a design, and there are a lot of interesting details on these cars. Thank you for asking Marc to share it with us.

[@sirmister4411]

That is a beautiful automobile! Love the body lines and unique grill. Had one o those back in the 70s and it still stood out then also.

[@JeffKing310]

I remember seeing these in the late 60s/ early 70s and they seemed hideous to my young eyes. Now, they look funky and cool.

[@cryan4041]

The first time I saw a '62 Plymouth was in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world, and it was my least favorite car in the film (a film that's a feast for eye's of classic car buffs). This video is a testament to why education on a topic enlightens perspective. Your presentation makes me truly appreciate Exner's intent, and I'm suddenly finding myself reconsidering a long-held bias. Thank you.

[@cdstoc]

I always thought these were "interesting" looking cars. My first car was a used 1964 Dodge Polara that shared some design cues with this car. It was already a 10-year old car, but I liked it. The 318 and TorqueFlite were solid, too.

[@bellendcottage8820]

Add me to the list of people who love the car.

[@roccosophie6498]

This car is the closest I think we've ever seen to an American concept car becoming a reality. I think it's pretty magnificent for that reason alone. And this car is in exceptionally great condition!

[@ProjectFairmont]

I actually liked these. Perhaps because it was so much less off putting than the valiant or they made a good looking police car, I am not sure. Regardless they did appear to be well made.

[@624radicalham]

This is better than anything Jay Leno has done in his entire KZbin career. The amount of design detail explanation, from an actual GM designer, is nourishment for those of us that live and breathe automotive design. In our youth, we'd spend hours sitting inside of cars and examining the exterior wondering what the designers might actually have been thinking. Now we actually know from the mouth of a professional. A professional that even knows what the dash of a Lumina APV looks like just from memory. How on earth you found Marc is a mystery, but please never lose him!

[@blautens]

Thanks! Marc is always a great guest, and I agree with him 100%. These quirky Mopars are starting to grow on me.

[@Brian-bp5pe]

My parents owned a used '63 Plymouth station wagon that they purchased in '66, or '67. It was rated very favorably against the competition by Consumer Reports and we liked it. A couple of years later, my uncle and aunt bought the sedan version of the Fury - don't recall if it was a later model, but they were happy with it, too. My dad and uncle were both mechanical engineers, so they weren't much fazed by marketing silliness.

[@williamepps9519]

I love the design of the Fury... I miss quirky cars. There are so few new ones now days

[@danielulz1640]

Out of sheer desperation, I bought a nine year old 62 base model Dodge Dart sedan. It was rose beige, and I called it my pink, horse-face Dodge. It turned out to be one of the best and most reliable cars I ever owned.

[@michaellindquist31]

Many of your older viewers will remember that this was the car that Ward Cleaver drove during the 1963 final season of Leave it to Beaver with the jazzy new music. In the beginning intro, you see the family getting into the car at home on the way, presumably to a picnic. Wally and the Beaver get into the back seat and the camera focuses on the Beaver. You also see the car in various scenes where Ward is pulling in the driveway when coming home from work. I was 12 in 1963 and thought, even then, how ugly this caw was at the time and figured Chrysler was trying to push sales by having the car in the show.

[@enriquelopez2550]

A great car and a great recurring guest! I have nothing but love for these quirky Mopars of the early '60s. For me, this is vastly more satisfying to own than another Camaro or Mustang. The styling is off beat, but that's the Mid Century look we're all digging these days. Having owned several Chrysler products from the '70s, I'm willing to bet this is a fun, reliable car to own.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for bringing your designer friend back. It is interesting to listen to hear what he has to say. I hope he comes again. It was interesting to hear why the car flopped in the market. I think this is the same car that Ward Cleaver had on Leave It To Beaver.

[@danrice971]

Thank you Adam. I love everything about this Fury. Love Mopars, mid century styling, the weird and the oddball. It's beautiful in my eyes! Keep up the great work on this channel.