Dodge Diplomat

[Morris Minor]

Remembering the thread on the 1990 Chrysler Imperial... here's a Dodge Diplomat that caught my eye when I was in Wisconsin yesterday. I think it's a 1989. I could not get any other photos or look more closely but I thought it was kinda cool. Would have loved to have met the owner. Most old Wisconsin cars are eaten through with rust but this looks OK for its age & original. Wonder if was ex-law enforcement - love those wheels - but I see no sign of a spotlight.

[Soup DeVille]

Kleenex box on parcel shelf: original owner or widow thereof.

[Morris Minor]

Also the tires are brand new - you can see (at least in my higher res version) the finger prints on the sidewall & a new balancing weight. So somebody loves this car. I love it too.

[cawimmer430]

Gorgeous and stunning. 

I love these '70s and '80s boxy designs. Automotive masterpieces from an era long gone... 

[Morris Minor]

It's a 1987

[Rupert]

No wonder the Taurus was a success.

[Soup DeVille]

No wonder the Taurus was a success.

For sure.

It's hard to explain how radical the first gen Taurus looked in that sea of boxes.

[Rupert]

I made that argument in the late '90s and got laughed at, but it is really quite obvious.

[Soup DeVille]

I made that argument in the late '90s and got laughed at, but it is really quite obvious.

I can distinctly remember the first time I saw a Taurus. It was a black wagon. I thought it was from a movie.

[Morris Minor]

Taurus came out in 1985. It was futuristic enough that they used it in the Robocop movie (1987).

[12,000 RPM]

Taurus must have stole a lot of thunder from the K-Cars too. Those were just as modern, but didn't look it. I feel a similar moment coming soon. Mainstream design is as stale as ever.

[2o6]

Taurus must have stole a lot of thunder from the K-Cars too. Those were just as modern, but didn't look it. I feel a similar moment coming soon. Mainstream design is as stale as ever.

Well, the K-cars were like 5-6 years old when the Taurus was released. Also the Taurus was much bigger.

[giant_mtb]

Taurus must have stole a lot of thunder from the K-Cars too. Those were just as modern, but didn't look it. I feel a similar moment coming soon. Mainstream design is as stale as ever.

Someone needs to start making super retro mainstreamers.  Like...put a Dodge Diplomat style body on a modern chassis.

Because you're right, all the main streamers are currently in this weird competition to see who can look the most unique while looking exactly the same. Curves! Edges! Creases! 17 vents in the dash!  Oh, put another button there!

[Rupert]

Well, at least they aren't gen 2 Taurus jelly beans anymore.

[giant_mtb]

Well, at least they aren't gen 2 Taurus jelly beans anymore.

Valid.

[cawimmer430]

Someone needs to start making super retro mainstreamers.  Like...put a Dodge Diplomat style body on a modern chassis.

I've been saying this for years! 

Can you imagine this beauty on say the platform of an S-Class with an economical 6-cylinder Turbodiesel under the hood? 

[shp4man]

I was wondering how long it would take for Wimmer to post '74 Monaco pic..

[cawimmer430]

I was wondering how long it would take for Wimmer to post '74 Monaco pic..

Would you like me to grace this thread with a '76 Plymouth Volare too?

[Soup DeVille]

Well, at least they aren't gen 2 Taurus jelly beans anymore.

Those were technically the gen 3 cars.

[Soup DeVille]

I've been saying this for years! 

Can you imagine this beauty on say the platform of an S-Class with an economical 6-cylinder Turbodiesel under the hood? 

Ha! Talked to an interesting guy the other day; he was head of the Chrysler ad account for BBDO for many years back in the '70s, and was in charge of many of those photo shoots. He mentioned doing tightly cropped shots around the Detroit area because most of the buildings actually looked like crap.

[cawimmer430]

Ha! Talked to an interesting guy the other day; he was head of the Chrysler ad account for BBDO for many years back in the '70s, and was in charge of many of those photo shoots. He mentioned doing tightly cropped shots around the Detroit area because most of the buildings actually looked like crap.

Interesting.

I would assume, though, that people would be drawn to the beautiful '74 Monaco (and other lovely '70s US cars) in the shots rather than the hideous buildings in the background!

[Rupert]

Hideous buildings in the background would let the veil drop, and everyone would see the cars for what they were.