The C series is a line of
pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...
s sold by
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence, Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
from 1954 until 1960. It replaced the
Dodge B series of trucks and was eventually supplanted by the
Dodge D series, introduced in 1961. Unlike the B series, which were closely related to Dodge's prewar trucks, the C series was a complete redesign. Dodge continued the "pilot house" tradition of high-visibility cabs with a wrap-around windshield introduced in 1955. A two-speed "
PowerFlite"
automatic transmission
An automatic transmission (AT) or automatic gearbox is a multi-speed transmission (mechanics), transmission used in motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving conditions.
The 1904 ...
was newly available that year. The
Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon also used the new design.
History
Chrysler called the
Hemi
Hemi may refer to:
People Surname
* Jack Hemi (1914–1996), New Zealand freezing worker, rugby union and league player, shearer
* Ronald Hemi (1933–2000), New Zealand rugby union player
Given name
* Hemi Bawa, Indian painter and sculptor
* ...
-powered Dodge trucks "Power Giant" in 1957, and introduced power steering and brakes, a three-speed
automatic
Automatic may refer to:
Music Bands
* Automatic (Australian band), Australian rock band
* Automatic (American band), American rock band
* The Automatic, a Welsh alternative rock band
Albums
* ''Automatic'' (Jack Bruce album), a 1983 el ...
, and a 12-volt electrical system. From 1957 to 1959, Dodge offered the Sweptside pickup, a rival to the
Chevrolet Cameo Carrier, but it never became a bestseller.
A flat-sided (and thus wider) "Sweptline" cargo box came in 1959. The company also adopted the standard pickup truck numbering scheme, also used by Ford and GM at that time. Thus, the ½ ton Dodge was now called the D100. The traditional separate-fender body "Utiline" version remained available, with a
GVWR
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (American English) or k ...
of up to on 1-ton models.
After an agreement between Dodge and
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers Man ...
, the C-Series' pickup bed also saw use in the
Studebaker Champ
The Studebaker Champ is a light-duty pickup truck produced by the Studebaker Corporation from 1960-1964, the last such vehicles designed by the company before leaving the automobile manufacturing business in 1966.
Designed at a time when Stude ...
pickup truck range.
Four-wheel-drive W-Series Power Wagons
Starting in the 1957 model year, factory four-wheel-drive versions of the Dodge C series trucks were produced and sold as the W-100, W-200, W-300, and W-500, alongside the older WDX/WM-300 "Military Style"
Power Wagon. The latter had the "Power Wagon" badge on the fender.
[Ackerson, Robert C. Standard Catalog of 4 X 4's: A Comprehensive Guide to Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Including Trucks, Vans and Sports Sedans and Sport Utility Vehicles, 1945-1993. United States: Krause Publications, 1993.] The heavy-duty four-wheel-drive W-300 and W-500 trucks were marketed as "Power Giants".
Engines
*1957-1960; ''
Flathead''
I6,
*1959; ''
FirePower
Firepower is the military capability to direct force at an enemy. It involves the whole range of potential weapons. The concept is generally taught as one of the three key principles of modern warfare wherein the enemy forces are destroyed or ...
'' V8,
*1957-1959; ''
Red Ram'' V8,
*1959; ''
A-type'' V8,
Medium-duty/heavy-duty C series
Since it still used the older cab design, the C series name was continued for Dodge's line of medium- and heavy-duty trucks (better known as the LCF series) through the 1975 model year, long after most of Dodge's other trucks had moved to the newer D series designation.
Four Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive (FWD), was a pioneering American company that developed and produced all-wheel drive vehicles. It was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Dr ...
also utilized the C series cabs for many of its medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Because Chrysler needed plant capacity for its newer light-duty truck models, manufacture of these later C series cabs — for both Dodge and FWD — was outsourced to
Checker in Kalamazoo, MI, beginning in 1962.
References
External links
*Pickup Trucks.com
Dodge Trucks History: 1954 to 1955 C-series pickups
{{Dodge
C series
Pickup trucks
Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Cars introduced in 1954
1950s cars
1960s cars