The Dodge Phoenix is an

automobile A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

which was produced by

Chrysler Australia Stellantis (Australia and New Zealand) Pty Ltd (formerly FCA Australia), is the official Stellantis subsidiary in Australia and New Zealand, operating as distributor of Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Leapmotor vehicles. Ho ...

from 1960 to 1972. The Phoenix was introduced in May 1960 as an

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n assembled version of the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

Dodge Dart The Dodge Dart is a line of passenger cars produced by Dodge from the 1959 to 1976 model years in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The production Dodge Dart was introduced as a lower-priced full-si ...

,The Phoenix
Retrieved from allpar.com on 12 September 2008 positioned above the locally developed

Chrysler Royal The Chrysler Royal was a full-size car produced by the Chrysler Corporation in the United States. It was first released in 1933 and continued being built until 1934. Then, the model ended production and did not return until 1937, and then cont ...

as Chrysler Australia’s luxury model. It borrowed its name from the top Dart, the Dodge Dart Phoenix, but unlike its American namesake it was offered only as a four-door sedan and only with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine.Glass’s Dealer Guide, Passenger Vehicle Values, South Australian and Northern Territory Edition, June 1973, page 42 All Phoenixes for Australia had right-hand drive. The Phoenix was subsequently restyled in line with the 1961 and 1962 Dodge Dart. For 1963 the new TD2 series Phoenix was derived from the US

Dodge 440 The Dodge 440 is a mid-size car that was marketed by Dodge from 1962 to 1964. Dodge Dart 440 (1962) Introduced in 1962, the Dodge Dart 440 model was the upmarket trim version of the Dodge Dart. Included was the standard equipment of the Dart an ...

, and for 1965 and beyond the Phoenix was based on the Canadian

Plymouth Fury III The Plymouth Fury is a model of automobile that was produced by Plymouth from 1955 until 1989. It was introduced for the 1956 model year as a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere, becoming a separate series one level above the contemporary Belved ...

. Like the 1965 Fury, the 1965 Phoenix featured vertically stacked

headlamp A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for t ...

s. A four-door

hardtop A hardtop is a rigid form of automobile roof, typically metal, and integral to the vehicle's design, strength, and style. The term typically applies to a pillarless hardtop, a car body style without a B-pillar. The term "pillared hardtop" was ...

body style joined the sedan in 1967. The hardtop was fitted with a 383 cubic inch V8 engine whilst the sedan continued with the smaller 318 cubic inch V8. The two body styles continued to be offered until the Australian Phoenix was discontinued.The Macquarie Dictionary of Motoring, 1986, pages 120-121 In addition, variants of the slightly longer U.S. station wagon were sold from the beginning for duty as hearses. Eventually, these were modified with two doors and oversized rear quarter windows, in the British hearse tradition. Although the 1965 and later Phoenixes were basically Plymouth Furys, they did feature the North American style full size Dodge Polara instrument panel (adapted for right hand drive). They also continued to use the old-fashioned "clapper" windshield wipers (while North American models used modern parallel-action wipers). After the Phoenix was discontinued, the Australian-developed Chrysler by Chrysler inherited the role of the top level luxury model in Chrysler Australia's model range.

Model history

PD4

The first Australian Dodge Phoenix, coded the PD4, was released in May 1960. A Canadian Dodge with a Plymouth dashboard, it was imported in CKD packs and assembled at Chrysler Australia's Mile End, South Australia Mile End facility. The PD4 Phoenix was offered only as a 4-door sedan, in two trim levels, the De Luxe and the Luxury Liner. The PD4 had a 118-inch wheelbase and was powered by a 318 cubic inch OHV V8 engine. The Phoenix name was derived from the Dodge Dart Phoenix, on which it was based.

RD4

The RD4 Phoenix of 1961 used the cabin section of the PD4 with new front and rear bodywork.Gavin Farmer, ''The Big American:The Dodge Phoenix'', Chapter Five, Great Ideas in Motion, 2010, pages 73 to 93 Dimensions remained unchanged, as did the mechanical specifications, again being based in the North American Dodge Dart.

SD2

The SD2 of 1962 featured a shorter 116 inch wheelbase and a completely new body which was both shorter and narrower than its predecessor being now based on the downsized US

TD2

The TD2 of 1963 was the first Phoenix to be based on the renamed

model, with Dodge moving the Dart name to the new compact A-body line. The 4 door sedan body style and the 318 cubic inch engine were retained.''Used Dodge Phoenix'', www.redbook.com.au
Retrieved on 28 December 2014

VD2

The VD2 Phoenix was introduced in 1964. The wheelbase was now 119 inches and the overall length increased by four inches to 212. The VD2 was based on the 1964 North American Dodge 440.

AP2D

The AP2D Phoenix was introduced in 1965. This model was a rebadged Canadian

, a strategy that Chrysler Australia would continue through to the end of 1972. The 1965 model featured vertically stacked four-headlight frontal styling. The 318 cubic inch engine were retained. A Plymouth hood ornament was used, with the Dodge "Fratzog" superimposed over the Plymouth outline.

DB6

The 1966 Phoenix was coded DB6. Changes follow the 1966 Fury III; a new grille, revised rear panels, new taillights and a new bootlid.

DC

The 1967 Phoenix was coded as the DC series.''Dodge Phoenix'', en.autowp.ru
Retrieved on 28 December 2014 It was the first Phoenix to be available with a choice of bodystyles, a 4-door

now offered in addition to the 4 door sedan. The sedan retained the 318 cid V8 engine and while the hardtop was fitted with a 383 cid V8. In the later part of 1967 Chrysler Australia shifted Phoenix assembly from

Tonsley Park Tonsley is a southern suburb of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. History The suburb of Tonsley was created on 27 January 2017 by dividing the suburb of Clovelly Park in half. The southern part of the suburb was separated from C ...

to its

Port Melbourne Port Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of the Melbourne central business district, located within the Cities of City of Melbourne, Melbourne and City of Port Phillip, Port Phillip Local government ...

facility.

DD

The 1968 Phoenix was coded DD. The main changes for 1968 were new rear sheet metal and new taillights. Round side marker lights were introduced, the same ones used on the North American Plymouth Fury.

DE

The DE Phoenix was introduced in 1969. The new model featured horizontal dual headlights, and a 120-inch wheelbase. Overall length was now 214.5 inches. It was marketed as the 400 Limited Edition series with each car carrying a numbered dashboard badge. Production was planned to be limited to 400 sedans and 400 hardtops, although actual production did not reach 400 units of either. 371 examples of the DE were built at Chrysler Australia's

facility in 1969 and a further 385 in 1970.Gavin Farmer, ''Production from Port Melbourne'', Great Ideas in Motion, 2010, page 417 For the first time, DE models featured hidden, parallel-action windshield wipers. The body was completely new and featured the Plymouth Fury "Fuselage" curved sides.

DF

The DF Phoenix was introduced in 1970. Again it was marketed as the Phoenix 400 with sedans and hardtops carrying individually numbered dash plaques. 298 were built at

in 1970 and 110 in 1971.

DG

The DG Phoenix was introduced in 1971, again as the Phoenix 400 with individually numbered sedans and hardtops. 298 were built at

in 1971.

DH

The DH Phoenix was introduced in 1972. 73 were built at

in that year. A decision to close the outdated Port Melbourne facility led to the discontinuation of the Phoenix.Gavin Farmer, Great Ideas in Motion, 2010, page 252

Gallery

File:Dodge Phoenix (1960).jpg, Dodge PD4 Phoenix File:1961 61 RD4 Phoenix Sedan

.JPG, Dodge RD4 Phoenix File:Dodge Phoenix (SD2).JPG, Dodge SD2 Phoenix File:Dodge Phoenix (TD2).jpg, Dodge TD2 Phoenix File:Dodge Phoenix 1964.JPG, Dodge VD2 Phoenix File:Dodge Phoenix (AP2D).JPG, Dodge AP2D Phoenix File:1966 Dodge Phoenix (DP6) sedan (2016-01-04) 01.jpg, Dodge DP6 Phoenix File:Dodge Phoenix DC (16339863335).jpg, Dodge DC Phoenix sedan File:1968 Dodge DD Phoenix Sedan (22333393831).jpg, Dodge DD Phoenix sedan File:Dodge DD Phoenix 4-Door Hard Top.JPG, Dodge DD Phoenix hardtop File:Dodge DE Phoenix.JPG, Dodge DE Phoenix sedan File:1969 Dodge DE Phoenix 400 sedan (6335531031).jpg, Dodge DE Phoenix sedan dash plaque File:1969 Dodge DE Phoenix 400 hardtop sedan (6335512049).jpg, Dodge DE Phoenix hardtop File:1969 Dodge DE Phoenix 400 hardtop sedan (6336280922).jpg, Dodge DE Phoenix hardtop dash plaque File:1961 70 DF Phoenix Sedan

.JPG, Dodge DF Phoenix sedan File:1970 Dodge DF Phoenix 400 hardtop sedan (9600378731).jpg, Dodge DF Phoenix hardtop File:1971 Dodge DG Phoenix 400 sedan (5409750649).jpg, Dodge DG Phoenix sedan File:Dodge Phoenix DG (15037363988).jpg, Dodge DG Phoenix hardtop

References

External links

*
“The Australian Dodge Phoenix” at web.archive.org
{{Dodge early timeline Cars of Australia Phoenix Cars introduced in 1960 1970s cars