This year had all of the major players seeing lower sales than last year, with the exceptions of Buick, Chrysler and Mercury. Chevy was off to a much greater degree than Ford was. In all, sales were down some 900,000 units. DeSoto was removed from life support this year.
Approximate total sales: 5,249,000; change: -13.9%.
1961 Noteworthy Events
- Buick – New smaller Special.
- Chevrolet – 409 V8! Impala SS package.
- Chrysler – new 361 V8.
- Dodge – Lancer series.
- Ford – New 390 V8.
- Mercury – 390 V8.
- Oldsmobile – New F-85 series, new aluminum 215 V8.
- Plymouth – 413 V8 available.
- Pontiac – New Tempest!
Chevrolet
The 1961 Chevrolet models featured flatter surfaces and less pronounced wings and sculpting, much like the Buicks. This was the new GM look. And bodies were all new. Models were Biscayne and Bel Air, Impala. There were three different roof styles, depending upon the model and body type. The 2-door sport coupes (hardtops) got the roof with sweeping lines and a fastback look, with minimal support areas to interrupt the expansive glass. The sport sedan roof was less flat and sportier than the one found on regular sedans.
Corvair added five cubic inches to the aluminum, opposed six. A four-door wagon was now available in all but the top series. Sales improved over 11% in this, the second year.
Engines were carryover this year, with the notable exception of the wonderful new 409cid V8! This was a bored and stroked 348, with the same combustion chamber-in-block design. This wasn’t “the” Chevrolet big block of historical note, but would lead directly to it. Chevrolet was now in the big block performance business! Finally, for about fifty bucks you could get the Impala Super Sport package, with its appearance and suspension/brake upgrades.
Approximate sales: 1,318,000; change: -20%; industry rank: 2nd.
409cid V8
Ohhhh…this was a gorgeous engine! The large, scalloped valve covers were often chromed, and chromed or not, they just imparted a serious, cool look to the engine. Kinda the opposite of the Buick Nailhead, with it’s tiny narrow, almost insignificant valve covers. This, this was an engine!
You can read all about the 409 in the 1946 through 1963 Engine Development by Automaker section of Early US Automotive History. It even has some pretty pictures of the insides.
Impala
Impala could be recognized from the rear by the three taillights. Note that the last vestige of fins was now gone. The stunning ‘jet’ feature on the rear fenders was gone, but the new design was also really attractive, with the way it ran down the side, across the rear and back up the other side.
The way the front of the hood meets the line on the front fender is kind of cool, as is how the fender forms to the outside headlights.
The rear panel where the tail lights were mounted was now body color. The attractive folded over fins of 1960 were gone, but the way the trim line ran across the rear, dipping in the middle, and ran into the side trim piece was quite attractive.
Not that they were unique, but the body-colored wheels with the small hub caps were pretty cool looking, weren’t they?
The 1960 front styling was nice and was only slightly changed for ’61.
As much as I like this look of the 1960 Impala, I think I might like the ’61 even more. The six tail lights would no longer be placed in trim pieces as here, and the folded fins would be eliminated, although their presence was still evoked by the chrome trim.
Corvair styling saw very little change this year. What was different, though, was the addition of three new models.
Lots of ‘Turbo’
Obviously, Chevrolet glommed onto the name ‘Turbo’ in the naming of their performance engines. This was long before the average person had heard of turbocharging.
I like the side view of the Impala two-door hardtop. I like the lines in general, but that top is just fabulous. Even the wheel openings are cool and swoopy!
Here’s the same Impala from the previous advert. All practical things, nothing performance related at all. Still, a nice ad.
Our body by Fisher is waterproof. Well, okay. I would sure hope so. Also has a ‘living room interior’. Don’t know what to think about that–you haven’t seen my living room!
Here we have Bel Air in four of its models, 2-door post, 2-door hardtop, 4-door post and 4-door hardtop. Not sure why that dumb kid thinks he has to feed the cat on top of the Bel Air.
Chevrolet has successfully managed to pair the words ‘jet’ and ‘quiet’. Seems to work.
Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette for ’61 received a new grille that featured fine horizontal pieces. Also new was the rear end treatment with four round tail lights. As we know now, this would become iconic in the years to come. Powertrain options were similar to last year, being performance versions of the 283cid V8.
Approximate sales: 11,000; change: +7.0%.
This was the 9th model year for Corvette. In many people’s opinion, the ’61 was the most attractive model yet.
Oh, what a sweet looking rear-end Corvette now had. It was nice before, but this was out-of-this-world gorgeous!
To me, this was the year that Corvette styling really came together. Yeah, earlier models were nice. The ’61 had wonderful looks for virtually any angle. This is just a stunningly attractive car!
Come to think of it, the side cove design Corvette used might just be the most attractive side-body trim or design element of all time.
Corvette’s rear styling had evolved into something quite attractive by 1960, but nothing like the we would see in 1961.
I think this advertisement works well. It espouses the ordinary, everyday benefits of owning and driving a Corvette. The title line works well, too. Why, I didn’t think I was an enthusiast, but maybe I am!
This ad, of course, is in the same theme as the one above, with the red ‘Corvette’ and blue ‘by Chevrolet’. The inclusion of the 1927 Bugatti is interesting. I don’t know how many gazillion bucks it would be worth today, but I know which of the two cars I’d pick!
Buick
Buick brought back the Special name for 1961. This was a smaller car, with a 112” wheelbase. This year also saw them obsolete torque tube drive, as well as the funky starter switch that was activated by the starter. A mid-year addition to the Special line was the Skylark sport coupe. You might remember that the name ‘Skylark’ was used by Buick in 1953 for a limited-production model. The name had a bright future with Buick.
Buick models looked slimmer, with refined lines and more subtle front and rear fender sculpting. The front ends got a cleaner look, with the grilles having horizontal bar elements. The windshields lost the “wraparound” lower corners, for a contemporary look that would continue to be seen in the coming years. The big engine news was the 215cid all-aluminum V8. Reynolds Aluminum had been lobbying the auto industry to pursue the increased use of aluminum in their vehicles. This engine had centrifugally-cast cylinder liners. Other engines were the 364cid V8 and the 401cid V8, both nailheads.
New Transmission
Buick also introduced a new transmission this year. You’ll recall that they had been offering their Dynaflow since 1948, and that it had been frequently updated. This was the year that Buick brought to market a true, fully automatic transmission, one that would upshift and downshift by itself, something the Dynaflow was not capable of. Named ‘Dual-path Turbine Drive’, this was a two-speed, aluminum cased, air-cooled transmission that weighed less than 100 lbs. The first gear was incredibly tall, but the torque converter seemed to make up nicely for this. Performance, though not expected to be anything special, was said to be responsive.
Approximate sales: 277,000; change: +9%; industry rank: 8th.
Buicks were all new this year, with new styling that was clearly more clearly in tune with the 1960’s. Styling was clean and rather unassuming. The front fender projection paired with the bumper projection was a cool look.
The rear bumper projections kind of mirrored those of the front.
The 1960 front was certainly distinctive, and not unattractive. By this time, it was becoming dated, and Buick did themselves well with this update.
Yeah, the ’60 rear styling was nice; it was really the culmination of this styling theme started in 1959.
Centrifugal Casting
This can be done for objects that are symmetrical, like a cylinder liner. It involves a rotating mold into which the liquid metal is introduced. This results in a uniform casting without voids, with the heaviest components flowing to the outside. Once cooled and removed from the mold, the interior surface, which is composed of the lighter material, can be removed exposing the harder, denser material at the surface, which is now of the required dimensions. Cool, huh?
As a side note, the word “centrifugal” is pronounced /senˈtrif(y)əɡəl/, with the (y) pronounced like ‘e’ in ‘egg’. It is often mispronounced as “sen ‘trif ical”.
Lovin’ Aluminum
This Aluminum Corporation of America (Alcoa) ad is from just over a decade ago (1949). By 1940, the vast majority of engines had transitioned from steel and iron pistons to aluminum and aluminum alloy. Alcoa is obviously presenting for your consideration their lo-ex (low-expansion) alloy. I love the simplistic cylinder shape and four ring grooves! They don’t make ’em like this anymore!
Aluminum Block and Heads
Alcoa had long been lobbying the auto industry to increase their use of aluminum, and not just for pistons. The March 1935 edition of Motor magazine featured an Alcoa advertisement where they extol the benefits of aluminum cylinder heads, specifically mentioning Ford, Graham, Lincoln, Dodge, Auburn, Hudson, REO, Lafayette and Terraplane.
It would seem that the buying public didn’t have enough of an appreciation of aluminum heads to be willing to pay the additional cost that’s always passed on to the consumer. Oddly, it would be the 1990’s before aluminum heads became truly commonplace across the auto spectrum.
Uh . . . Buddy, I can’t Start Your Buick!
We’ve all probably done our share of gear grinding, by turning the starter on an already running engine. Prior to ’61, it wasn’t possible to do this on a Buick! To start the engine, you pushed the starter to the floor, which activated a starting switch. When the engine was running, engine vacuum pulled up a steel ball, effectively taking the switch out of the circuit. No more grinding starting gears! Of course, those unfamiliar with this feature were not going to have much luck getting the car started!
My guess is that they decided the cost and complexity of the system wasn’t warranted, given the minimal nature of the problem.
Gotta say that I do like this look! The A-pillars and C-pillars are almost invisible, and all you see is glass, glass, glass. Rear-end treatment is nice, too. 4-door hardtop!
Torque Tube Drive
Torque tube drive was a way of anchoring the rear suspension of a vehicle and was used by Ford’s Model T as well as early Chevrolets and a host of other makes. The torque tube enclosed the drive shaft and allowed the rear axle to be rigidly connected to the transmission and engine. Since leaf springs weren’t needed to position and control the rear axle, coil springs could be used. This “softer ride” was a Buick engineering hallmark.
An upscale advert for the new Skylark. The car doesn’t really belong here in front of a multi-million-dollar mansion; maybe around back? But, hey, this really is a nice advertisement. The name ‘Skylark’ was first used by Buick in 1953 as models of the Roadmaster. It was the very top-of-the-line and was priced accordingly. 1954 was the last year, due to poor sales. It was nice to have the Skylark name back.
Another view of the 4-door hardtop. ‘Safety X-frame’? ‘Safety’ my butt! Should have called it ‘Hope to hell you don’t get t-boned’ frame. No side frame pieces.
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile introduced their F-85 compact car this year. This was a similar vehicle to the Buick Special and the Pontiac Tempest. It’s interesting that these new “compact cars” had a 112 in. wheelbase, as would the future GTO, 442, Chevelle and Grand Sport. The Oldsmobile models featured smoother lines and flatter body panels this year. Starfire appeared as a personal luxury convertible.
Also new for 1961 was the all-aluminum 215cid V8 (“Rockette”), which was standard in the F-85. This was a sister engine to the Buick 215, having a different head design. The 371cid V8 was gone this year, with the main engine the 394cid V8. Other models were the Dynamic 88, Super 88, Starfire and the Classic 98.
Approximate sales: 317,000; change: -9%; industry rank: 6th.
Aren’t four-door hardtops nice? Still full utility with a family and such, but you can still have some sporty looks. The styling theme that runs down the side, with the trim piece centered in the area between creases is cool. The ‘A’ pillar is like that used last year.
The rear design of the Big Olds was cool. Look how the trim comes along the deck lid and then around the taillights. Rather unique, I’d say.
The 1960 overall look was still seen in the 1961 models, despite some updating taking place. The headlight setup of the ’60 had the inner pair protrude farther than the outside pair, but that didn’t carry over.
The 1960 rear styling was changed substantially. Tail lights were now round, and they did still impinge on the trunk deck.
F-85
I do like the way the fin of the F-85 forms above the headlights and follows the side back. Nice look. The ‘plain’ grille with the block O-L-D-S-M-O-B-I-L-E is also a great look.
The rear of F-85 was uncluttered, with O-L-D-S-M-O-B-I-L-E spelled out in block letters, as with the front. F-85 was a well designed, stylish car in this new small-size segment.
Aluminum V8
The new, smaller Oldsmobile. Less than 3,000 lbs., nice styling and an aluminum V8 to boot! Damn!
Notice how wide this thing looks relative to its height. This must have been a popular ‘ad guy’ thing back in the day.
I like the “…full eight cylinders…”. Like if you have a six, it’s somehow deficient? I guess that’s fair to say, given that so many smaller cars didn’t have V8 power.
I like this ad and I like this car! The little 215 aluminum V8 was way cool, and the F-85 was a sporty little gem of a car. The small text by the engine talks about the “High-torque Cutlass rear axle with 3.36:1 ratio…”. I’ll overlook it, since I love the car.
The 1946 through 1963 Engine Development by Automaker section of Early US Automotive History details this engine. This thing should have sold like crazy, but it didn’t. People at this time didn’t come into contact with aluminum the way we do today. Even beverage cans were still made of steel, and the only aluminum people regularly used was aluminum foil. Perhaps it was this lack of familiarity with the metal that led to the lack of public acceptance of this aluminum engine.
Tin and Aluminum Foil
I can remember hearing someone use the term “tin foil” long after I had become an adult (I didn’t say ‘mature’…). I guess I never thought about it, but I think I’ve always known that the material was aluminum, not tin. Got me thinking, though.
A quick web search indicated that tin foil was indeed the predecessor of aluminum foil and had been used for food storage and many other purposes. Tin foil dates well back into the 19th century and was used for food storage until the WWII time period.
Aluminum foil appeared in the pre-WWI years and became a household staple in the 1920’s.
‘Skyrocket Engine’? Honestly, I don’t remember Olds using this term. Obviously, they did…
Yeah, this is a Fisher Body ad, but it features an Oldsmobile. They’re touting the ‘freeway doors’ and ‘seeway windows’. The 98 Holiday coupe shown here doesn’t look like the top even has any support! When it comes to door size and window area, I don’t know if the GM cars were significantly different than Chrysler or Ford, but it makes great advertising line.
In the interior image above, note the radio speaker in the dash.
Pontiac
For 1961, Pontiac followed the same path as the other GM brands. This includes a new smaller sized model, the Tempest. The aluminum 215 V8 was optional in the Tempest, with the new 195cid straight four as the standard engine. This engine consisted of one bank of the 389. Models were Catalina, Ventura, Star Chief, Bonneville and Tempest. LeMans was a top-level Tempest two-door hardtop. Pontiac bodies were now supported by frames of reduced weight.
The 389cid V8 continued to be the V8 mainstay, with the 421cid V8 offered in limited numbers for Catalina, in racing form. This Super Duty engine was not a street engine!
Approximate sales: 340,000; change: +14%; industry rank: 5th.
The ‘A’ and ‘C’ pillar styling was cool and seemed to work well with the other lines Bonneville had. Nice roof lines, and the iconic Pontiac split grille!
The tail light grew from four to six, and they were no longer mounted in the rear fenders. I gotta say, this was one nice look, with the new rear styling, the vestigial fins, and the accent running the length of the side.
This was the 1960 Pontiac big-car front end. Nice enough, but you can’t beat the split-grille look!
The 1960 Bonneville was attractive, sure, but the new styling is what was needed to take it into the decade of the ’60’s. (1961–start of the decade? Well, technically, yes. Dates start with ‘1’, not ‘0’; there was a year 1, not a year 0. Just give me this one, please!)
Tempest
Tempest would go on to be a hugely important and influential car, but more as a mid-size. In three years it will spawn the GTO, of course.
But as it was here it was a technological tour-de-force. Sisters Buick and Oldsmobile had their Special and F-85, respectively, and the cool 215cid V8. Pontiac went with a 4-cylinder, which really didn’t fit the mold. And the concept of cutting the 389 in half to make that 4-cylinder was brilliant! Pontiac did use the Buick 215 for Tempest when buyers wanted something other than the big four.
Remember when Corvette introduced their C5, with the rear-mounted transaxle? Yeah, tempest had it, too! Pontiac borrowed the Corvair design for this, including the independent rear suspension. Hmm… This was 1961, right? Beside Tempest and Corvair, what other GM cars had independent rear suspension? If you said Corvette, you’re two years off (1963); the answer is ‘none’!
‘Rope Driveshaft’?
The driveshaft was a solid piece of SAE 8660 nickel-chrome-moly alloy that was meticulously checked and prepared. Though often referred to using terms such as ‘rope’ and ‘flexible’, the driveshaft was neither. It was a 0.65″ (auto) or 0.75″ (manual) solid shaft of alloy steel that had a 3 in. downward bow when installed. A torque tube surrounded, but did not support, the driveshaft; it maintained the positioning of the transaxle relative to the engine. This setup not only improved the weight distribution, but it also helped to greatly dampen the vibration of the big 4-cylinder.
The primary intent of the design was to lessen the driveshaft hump in the car and thus increase passenger space. Three people could sit in the rear seat with relative comfort, something other cars of this size could not claim.
You might be wondering about the obvious difference in mass between a conventional driveshaft and the Tempest unit. Unlike a typical unit, the Tempest driveshaft rotated at engine speed and therefore was not subject to the torque of a normal driveshaft.
Lest you be left thinking “How in the world did this driveshaft work, being bent?’, I’d invite you to swipe one of your kid’s (or yours, if that’s the way you roll…) plastic flexible straws and give it a try. Do the math yourself, but offhand it seems you would need about a 0.3″ bend for an 8” straw. Even though we’re obviously using plastic rather than steel, it adequately demonstrates the principle. (Should you happen to be observed while playing with a straw, you can either respond with a lengthy explanation of the physics principles involved, carefully folding in selected pieces of automotive history, or just quietly put the straw away, saying nothing. Your call.)
Tempest
Tempest was the most advanced compact to be offered to the American buying public. Power was from a 155cid inline four-cylinder, one bank of the 389 V8! The key people behind the design, Bunke Knudsen, John DeLorean and Pete Estes, wanted a smaller vehicle that would seat six. Toward this end, the transmission (manual and auto) was placed in the rear, as a rear transaxle. This eliminated most of the driveshaft tunnel. Also featured were an independent rear suspension and a “flexible” driveshaft that bent down, away from the passenger compartment, then back up to the transaxle. It was sometimes referred to as “rope drive” but was actually more like a torsion rod with a diameter of .65” (auto) or .75” (man).
It’s Balanced!
This car is so balanced that you can just slip it into whatever parking space you come across. The idea of a rear transaxle and flexible driveshaft demonstrated wonderful forward thinking, without a doubt. The primary advantage to the consumer, advertising notwithstanding, was the reduced size of the driveshaft hump in the interior, and the increased space. This ad isn’t exactly touting that. For this car, any balance advantage was not going to be advantageous to the owner.
1961 GM Y-Body Cars
The Buick Special/Skylark, Oldsmobile F-85 and Pontiac Tempest/LeMans were GM’s new ‘smaller’ cars, sharing an enlarged Corvair unibody shell. This platform was dubbed ‘Y-body’. The original intent was apparently to share numerous components between the models, but this never materialized. This platform lasted through 1963 and was replaced in 1964 by the larger, midsize A-body platform.
Don’t miss the 4bbl version of the 195cid 4-cylinder that made 155hp.
The First Tempest?
The British loved to name their fighter aircraft after storms- Hurricane, Typhoon and Tempest. (Later, Lightning and Tornado)
Tempest was a late war entry that was intended to address some of the shortcomings of the Typhoon. It had a laminar flow wing, similar to the U.S. Army Air Force Mustang, and many versions were powered by the Napier Sabre engine. This gorgeous plane could go head-to-head with any German aircraft and carried four 20mm cannons. Like the U.S. P-47 Thunderbolt, it wreaked havoc on enemy convoys and ships.
The Napier Sabre was a 2,850hp (3,800rpm), 36.65 liter (2,240in3), sleeve-valve engine in an ‘H’ configuration. This was like two opposed engines stacked, driving a common output shaft. Compression ratio was 7.0:1, and with supercharging, 1.36hp/in3 was achieved. Pretty impressive, especially when you consider that this was not a high-rpm engine.
Nice look at two different Pontiac front ends. This reminds me of ‘A Christmas Story’; “Now this here is a tree!”.
Here’s a nice looking Pontiac Bonneville. And just where is the setting? Why, Bonneville, Utah of course. The Salt Flats!
Chrysler
Chrysler did some adjusting this year, that reflected their desire to penetrate the market at lower price levels. The entry model was now the Newport, which was a model name that had appeared in the past. In 1960 the entry level Windsor had an average price of $3,495 for the series. This year, Newport’s average for all of its models was $3,285, for about a 6% reduction in the cost of becoming a Chrysler owner.
The tailfins were still prominent, and front bumpers and grilles were redesigned. The pair of headlights on each side were oriented at an angle, like the ’59 Buick but more extreme. The grilles were now wider at the top than they were at the bottom, opposite of the 1960 design. Models were Newport, Windsor, New Yorker and 300G.
361cid V8
There was a new engine, the 361cid V8. It was quite over square, with a 4.125” bore and 3.375” stroke. It had a mild 9.0:1 compression ratio and breathed through a two-barrel Stromberg. This would never be a performance engine and was offered only in the Newport, the entry series. Other series offered the 383cid V8 or the 413cid V8.
Approximate sales: 96,000; change: +24%; industry rank: 11th.
Chrysler headlights were now canted which was a cool look. Distinctive and rather attractive. The grille has a simple, yet elegant look.
The tail lights last year were mounted in the rear of the fins. This year they were mounted above the bumper and backup lights were located in the back of the fins. I think I prefer the ’61 front design over the ’60, but I’d keep the 1960 rear look.
This advertisement is aimed straight at men. Great looking car that’s well-presented.
Representing only 2% of Chrysler’s output this year, the comment “… a few thousand times a year.” Is entirely accurate. I like this ad.
I like this grille even more than the one on the Newport! On both of the pictured cars the trim pieces that tie each set of headlights together is nice, too.
The new lower priced Chrysler entry-level series, Newport. This was one attractive car in this advertisement. Red two-door hardtop! I do like how the side trim goes down the side and then jumps up to the fins.
Dodge
For 1961 Dodge performed a facelift on the Dart. The grille was rectangular shaped, formed from vertical and horizontal lines. The quad headlights were lowered and were now contained within the concave grille area. The rear fender fins looked as if they were reversed from last year. Instead of growing gradually out as they went back, they now jutted out at the front and then sloped back in to the body as they went back.
More importantly, this was the year that Dodge got their own compact car, like the Plymouth Valiant. This was the new Lancer. It was powered by a new, smaller version of the Slant 6 engine, displacing 170 cubic inches. The 225 Slant 6 could be modified by the dealer with the Hyper-Pak option. This included special ram-tuned intake, special exhaust, cam, high compression pistons and a 4bbl carb. It was good for 195hp, though some estimated the output to be 50 to 75hp higher than this. Leave it to good ol’ Dodge to introduce a kick-ass six!
Eight-cylinder engine offerings were 361cid V8, 383cid V8, and 413cid V8, like Chrysler, plus the nice little 318cid V8.
Models were Dart Seneca, Dart Pioneer, Dart Phoenix, Polara and Lancer.
Approximate sales: 96,000; change: +25%; industry rank: 9th.
Polara adopted a more contemporary front style, with the quad headlights now placed within the grille. The interesting bumper of 1960 was now much more conventional.
Styling
Those fins are just plain funky. Kinda cool the way the trim follows the fins and circles down to run the length of the side. I think you could argue that this rear design has more in common with the ’50’s designs than the ’60’s. Am I wrong?
The 1960 front was rather attractive, with the bowtie bumper.
The rear fins went from odd to, well, odd, but a different kind of odd. Same for the tail lights. Which brings up a question: What were Dodge designers thinking? “Yeah, the ’60 was kinda funky, wasn’t it? Let’s see how we can mix it up for ’61, but we don’t want ‘conventional’!” (Remember, this was the ’60’s, and there may have been certain pharmaceuticals consumed during late night design sessions. Just sayin’.)
Lancer was the Dodge version of Plymouth’s Valiant, which was itself a Dodge product! (Who’s on first?) Mercifully, the Dodge stylist boys didn’t go totally freakin’ out of their ever-loving minds like those at Plymouth did.
I like how they set this up, with the dress of the model and the car both being red.
Hey, there’s something about a new thing called an ‘alternator’. I wonder what that’s all about.
I like the way the Dart roof-line is shown off.
I’m not sure what they’re doing with the guy in the photos. That could be me, after I realized that I locked my keys in the car.
Aluminum 225cid Slant Six
The fabulous little 225cid Slant 6 was designed in the late 1950’s with the intention that both block and head be cast from aluminum. Chrysler reckoned that they could make the aluminum engine for about the same cost as iron. The also figured they could produce iron castings, too, and transition to solely aluminum when production methods were fine-tuned. This didn’t happen, and the aluminum blocks were short-lived. Aluminum heads never reached the production phase. In the end, issues with porosity of the aluminum seemed to be the main thing that killed the project. That and the perception of the public that saw little additional value in an aluminum engine. In about three decades the aluminum engines would be here to stay.
Plymouth
There weren’t any major changes at Plymouth for ’61. Series were Valiant, Savoy, Belvedere and Fury. The Valiant became an official Plymouth series this year. Both the Savoy and the Fury received drastically new styling this year, which was generally not well received. The front-end treatment, especially, just didn’t seem to work. A swing and a miss. Plymouth sales reflected this, too. While both Chrysler and Dodge saw double-digit gains, Plymouth sales experienced a similar decline.
The Sonoramic engines featured a long runner intake and two 4bbl carbs. The wonderful 413cid V8 was a midyear introduction to Plymouth.
Approximate sales: 356,000; change: –26%; industry rank: 4th.
I dunno. The front of Belvedere looks just plain weird. Kinda like they finished the design and then someone said “Crap–let’s just move this part over here.”
Belvedere front styling was ‘different’, but the rear styling looks like the result of a group of sixth grade boys ‘designing cars’ with pencil and paper (I did that, as did many of you…). Yikes!
Look at this 1960 front end: pretty okay styling, huh? It’s like the Plymouth stylists said “This is just too boring. Let’s see if we can weird the crap out of it for ’61! What do you say, boys?”
Okay, I admit it. Yes, it was probably time to lose the big fins. But what happened on the way to a new rear styling for 1961? Only thing I can think of is one of the stylists suggested they light up a little reefer “for inspiration”. I mean, what else could it be? It wasn’t their fault; it’s a crutch.
Roughly 146,000 buyers came up with the $2,100 or so for a new Valiant. Approximately 145,999 of them later regretted it when their neighbors couldn’t stop laughing.
Styling Madness
My earlier comments were just too kind. Plymouth stylists (using the term loosely…) went out of their freakin’ minds this year. Who knows what happened; I mean, it could have been mold in the building, bad mushrooms, bad reefer, I don’t know. The models last year were kinda on the weird side, no doubt, but to go even farther in this direction made no sense whatsoever.
Front and rear styling became just plain weird. And least you say “Well, you can say that today, but back then the styling was pretty trendy…” I point out that Plymouth sales plummeted and articles from the time illustrate the lack of public enthusiasm for the new look.
Though I don’t know this to be verifiably true, rumor has it that a number of small children and feeble minded adults were traumatized upon getting their first look of a Valiant. I mean, could be true.
“Hey, Phil; what if we take the ’60 front and, well, I dunno. Uh, we could… crap! I kinda like it the way it is! Can we just screw off for the rest of the week and call it done?”
“You know, Phil, that whole front-end thing worked so well last week, what do you say we just make some quick little change to the rear? We could, you know, just move the backup lights or something. The Midnighters are playing at the Caucus on Friday, and we could use the rest of the week to get ready!”.
The look of Fury from this angle is actually pretty good. Either that, or I shouldn’t have had that fourth Chelada.
413
Now this was an engine! Take a look at those long intake runners. Notice that each carb feeds the head opposite it. This is the 300G engine, with two versions rated at 375hp and 400hp.
This advert shows the ‘Sky-Hi’ rear window that the 2-door hardtops featured. It extended up farther and looked kinda cool. I suspect, though, that rear seat occupants on a hot day and with the sun high in the sky might have wished for a more conventional rear window that afforded some shade.
The kookiness wasn’t just limited to the exterior, either. The split bench seat had a taller back on the driver side and the dash, especially the speedometer area, looked like it was inspired by an ‘Outer Limits’ episode.
The ‘59’s were so gorgeous! Two short years later and we have these! Oh, Plymouth, what did we do to wrong you?
Valiant
The good news in ’61 for Valiant is that it was as attractive as the ’60 model. The bad news is that the ’60 models were, well, not exactly ‘pretty’. Think about it like this. Your friend is trying to set you up with his cousin, whom you have never met or seen a picture of. You keep asking how attractive she is, and he keeps going back to how ‘nice’ she is. That’s what these cars are; they’re not ‘pretty’, but they are nice!
Remember that last year when Valliant debuted, it wasn’t a Plymouth; Valiant was the make. For ’61 it officially became part of the Plymouth lineup. It was, however, made by Dodge, not Plymouth!
That front I could maybe learn to love, but that back…
Ford
Ford did some restyling this year, but the result was a bit subtle, except for the case of the Thunderbird. The three-year run of the “square birds” was over, with this model being totally new. Models were Fairlane, Fairlane 500, Galaxie (six and V8), Station wagon (six and V8), Falcon and Thunderbird.
The two-year run of the 430cid V8 was over this year, but it was still available with Lincoln. It was supplanted by the Ford FE series 390cid V8. This is the engine that would take Ford over the 400hp mark. Can you say, “horsepower race”?
Approximate sales: 1,119,000; change: +7%; industry rank: 1st.
Galaxie is a nice-looking car, with a certain muscular look.
Real Thunderbird look from the rear, for sure. This is a great look, isn’t it? The rear styling matches the grille style.
The grille of the ’61 Galaxie will be wider than the 1960 model shown here. The overall styling themes of the two front designs were similar.
The 1960 rear styling was wonderful, with its dual level taillights and folded fins. None of these styling cues will be carried forward to 1961.
Hot 390
Just look at the Ford engine table, below; the 390cid V8 is making 375hp and 401hp! That’s more than the 428 and 429 would make several years later! Maybe the 390 didn’t get the respect it deserved as a high-output, top-shelf engine. It’s mostly remembered today as being the motivation for large Fords and Ford trucks, not for the kick-ass monster that some versions of it were. The 401hp engine had a 3 x 2bbl induction setup that was dealer installed.
New Thunderbird
The new Thunderbird design would no longer have the pairs of headlights raised above the downward sloping front part of the hood. The bumper would continue to surround the grille, with the headlights impinging on the grille and the hood. Over the years, this look has really grown on me.
Thunderbird and the big Fords shared a common rear-end style, featuring big, round, chrome encircled taillights. The fin features looked quite nice, too. I just love the ‘twin jet exhaust’ look these cars have!
Style It Like a Jet!
I swear, every time I see those wonderful, big round Ford taillights, I think of the SR-71 Blackbird and the exhausts of its huge J58 continuous bleed turbojets.
The aircraft actually has at least a couple of links to automotive history. First, the engines were started with the aid of a couple of paired Buick nailhead engines. Finally, Malcolm Loughead (Americanized to Lockheed) was an aviation pioneer first and foremost, but he also contributed significantly to the automotive field.
The 1960 Thunderbird was the third and final edition of that body style. The 1961 front styling would be very different.
As with the front styling, the rear look would be very different on the new car.
Thunderbird Advertising
Thunderbird advert targeting the upper-middle class. Wish I had a pool like that. Heck, I’d settle for a few of those lantern things! Note the guy standing on top of the ladder, where you’re not supposed to stand! It would be a shame for this goof to land on the hood of that sweet Thunderbird! If that were my Thunderbird, he’d better hope the fall killed him…
The artwork is kinda cool, but the 1 – 6 points don’t do much for me. Am I wrong?
This ad seems like a brief resurrection of the ‘Tudor’ term, referring to a Ford 2-door body style. Snoopy is apparently measuring out the mileage, as this is one fuel efficient car.
Ford made excellent use of tie-ins with their Thunderbird, as well with the 390cid engine. The 390 was portrayed as a ‘Thunderbird Engine’. This was brilliant. Chevy would do something similar in the 1980’s, making the Corvette 350 available in Camaro.
If you read the small text, you’ll see the reference to ‘takes care of itself’. Ford, at this time, was using a marketing theme based on that concept. There was likely a bit of substance to the statement, but more than anything, I think it was Ford trying to differentiate their products.
I drive a Ford and so does my wife. We’ve had four Fords all together. Don’t accuse me of hating on Ford. But… it seems to me that Ford takes the award for the automaker making the most unsubstantiated claims. (A.k.a. BS Award). Go ahead– tell me I’m wrong! What other company bought an ‘award’ that really wasn’t an award? Who else gave themselves a ‘medal’ from a World’s Fair that was completely, totally, 100% made up? Yeah, I told you!
Hot Rod September 1961
Mercury
Mercury models for 1961 didn’t see huge changes. Compared to the ’60 models, grilles and rooflines were somewhat changed. Models were Comet, Meteor, and Monterey, in addition to the station wagons. Last year’s 430cid V8 was no longer available, so the 390cid V8 was the ‘big’ engine.
Approximate sales: 317,000; change: +21%; industry rank: 7th.
The big Mercs didn’t see much change in the front styling.
Rear styling was updated, though. The vertical-oriented taillights that were encircled by the bumper were replaced by six more contemporary round lights. The folded-over fin effect of 1960 was now small fins oriented upright and slightly tilted out.
Like the 1960 Mercury front styling? Great! You’ll get another chance to appreciate it in 1961.
The 1960 rear styling was changed, now having a look more in line with the ’60’s than the ’50’s.
“Now available in the popular-price range.” Meaning they weren’t before? I don’t understand. And I can get mine with a ‘thrifty V8’, too?
Comet was a major player in the compact car segment. It accounted for over half of Merc sales this year. And why not? It had fine-car style and big-car ride, as well as family size!
1961 V8 Engine Specs
1961 Newspaper Ads
There’s not much of a question of who Dodge is aiming at with Dart, is there?
The ad above is under the heading of ‘Sports, Race, Hot Rods’. a lot of Thunderbirds, I’d say!
