For a nameplate that’s been produced for 13 years, the Dodge Polara doesn’t get as much love as it deserves. But that’s not exactly surprising. It was built at a time when Dodge also sold iconic rigs like the Coronet, Charger, Challenger, Super Bee, and Monaco. It was also overshadowed by its main rival, the hugely popular Chevrolet Impala.
Even so, the Polara has a rich history to brag about, from the polarizing design of the early 1960s to the beefed-up, big-block engines of the late 1960s and early 1970s. There’s also the short-lived 1962-to-1964 midsize variant of the Polara, one of the very few Mopars that got the legendary Max Wedge V8 powerplant.
And the fact that it wasn’t as popular as the Impala comes with a cool twist: many iterations of the Polara are relatively uncommon (some are pretty rare, too) nowadays. Moreover, most solid-condition survivors are still affordable to buy. The 1967 Polara convertible, for instance, is one of the rarest iterations of the nameplate.
It’s part of the third-generation Polara, which arrived in 1965 with a major redesign. Not only a significant department from its predecessor, the Polara also grew bigger that year. Having sold the Polara as a midsize car from 1962 to 1964, Chrysler decided to throw it against the Impala again and moved it on the C-body platform. The latter was brand-new in 1965 and underpinned the Dodge Monaco, all Plymouth full-size cars, and Chrysler station wagons.
In 1967, the Polara got a facelift. The refresh included a semi-fastback roof for the hardtop coupe and a government-required safety package with an energy-absorbing steering column, more interior padding, and a dual-circuit brake master cylinder.
Sales of the full-size dropped somewhat dramatically that year. Having sold about 75,000 units in 1966, the Polara moved only 24,000 cars in 1967. For reference, Chevrolet sold a whopping 575,600 Impalas that same year. Of the 24,000 Polaras delivered, only 838 were ordered as two-door convertibles. And since the survival rate of 1960s full-size cars is rather low, it’s safe to say that fewer than 500 examples are still around. And that most of them are in poor condition.
This one isn’t in great shape either, but at least it did not rust away entirely in a junkyard or in someone’s backyard. It did spend a lot of time off the road, but YouTube’s “Shade Tree Vintage Auto” decided it deserves a second chance. Our host got it running again and took it drifting to celebrate. And that’s fitting for a full-size equipped with a 383-cubic-inch (6.3-liter) V8.
The 383 is one of two big-block engines available in the Polara in 1967. Dodge offered a two-barrel carburetor version good for 270 horsepower and a four-barrel unit rated at 325 horses. The range-topping option was the mighty 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) Magnum V8. Just like in the muscle cars of the era, the 440 sent a healthy 375 horsepower to the Polara’s rear wheels.
But the rare 383/drop-top combo is not the most intriguing thing about this two-door land yacht. This Polara sports a rather unusual pink color. And by “unusual,” I mean that Dodge did not offer such a hue on this model in 1967. A quick look at the year’s color palette reveals that a very light metallic purple was available as Mauve, but it has nothing to do with this solid pink that you’re more likely to see on 1950s Lincolns and Cadillacs.
So is this a special-order car with a one-of-one status? As much as I’d like it to be (I’m a big fan of pink vehicles), we’re looking at a repaint that occurred some years ago. Based on the traces of old paint visible on the firewall, this Polara left the factory in either white or cream. But hey, the pink hue works great with the white soft top, so I’d definitely repaint it like this following a restoration. But is this convertible worthy of a rotisserie revival? Let me know in the comments.