Auction Date: January 26th

1960 Plymouth Fury Convertible

Upgraded 440 V-8 engine
Rare factory color combination of Jet Black with red and white interior
Striking factory chrome front grille guard and Mopar-style chrome wire wheels
Polished stainless-steel fender skirts
One-year-only offering of a Plymouth convertible
VIN: 3301127874

With its towering tailfins, a copious amount of bright trim, and deluxe luxury features, coupled with a high-performance engine, this 1960 Plymouth Fury represents the best of mid-century space-age design. That year was the end of a brief but dramatic period of Virgil Exner's "Forward Look" of tailfins for Plymouths that began in 1957 with the sales slogan, "Suddenly it's 1960!" The first Plymouth Fury was a specialty coupe, a high-powered hardtop introduced in 1956. Only one color was available, Sandstone White, set off by a full-length gold anodized aluminum accent panel. 

Its 303-cubic-inch V-8 engine had four-barrel carburetion and developed 240 brake horsepower. While nearly 4,500 were built, they have a very low survival rate, making the truly exceptional cars, such as this one, even more increasingly rare. The Sandstone White and gold motif was kept through 1957 and 1958, the latter available with a Golden Commando 350 dual quad engine making 305 brake horsepower. Having firmly established the Fury name, Plymouth then began to spread it out. For 1959, it was applied to an entire series of sedans, while "Sport Fury" was sequestered for a sport coupe and a convertible, both with the gold side spear but with a wider range of colors. In the watershed year of 1960, when all of Chrysler Corporation went to unitary bodies, the Fury became fully integrated, now the top series offering four different body styles with no special trim among them.

This spectacular 1960 Plymouth Fury is a stunning example of Plymouth's sole convertible offering for 1960. It is handsomely finished in deep Jet Black, a color rarely seen on this Plymouth year and model. The dark color serves to highlight the liberal amount of chrome, polished stainless-steel and ornamentation adorning this top-of-the-line convertible. Special exterior details include an optional factory chrome front grille guard, polished stainless-steel fender skirts and a new set of Mopar-style chrome wire wheels fitted with wide whitewall radial tires.

With such an audacious space-age exterior design, the interior was styled to match with as much flamboyancy. The dash design is fascinating, starting with the unusually shaped "Aero Wheel" steering wheel featuring a partially translucent rim with floating metallic flakes and floating chrome horn button. Beyond the sensational steering wheel is a dash design that looks like it came from a different planet. Factory Plymouth sales literature describes it as such: 

"The Teleview red-line speedometer ticks off your travel, ribbon fashion, across the face of a modern 'Floating' instrument pod." The seats and door panels contain a dazzling array of red, black, and white details with cloth inserts that are restored to original specifications. The driver is treated to a taller backrest embossed with the Plymouth logo.

The original engine has been upgraded to an awsome 440-cubic-inch displacement powerplant with a four-barrel carburetor, topped with a period-looking chrome air cleaner. The engine bay is beautifully detailed and features high-quality finishes and factory-style chrome valve covers. The automatic transmission is shifted with a floor shifter that bypasses the sometimes-troublesome pushbutton shifter. The pushbuttons have been thoughtfully retained as to not disturb the beauty of the original dash design.

Always admired yet seldom seen, well-restored examples such as this one, finished in rare factory Jet Black are sought-after by collectors today. Restored to a high level, without question, this car is a great fit for Mopar or '50s American car enthusiasts.